Environmental Engineering
Graduate programs are offered in coastal and water resources engineering, computing and systems, construction engineering and management, environmental engineering, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, mechanics and materials, structural engineering and mechanics, transportation engineering and materials.
Master's Degree Requirements
Four Master's degrees, requiring a minimum of 30 or 31 credit hours, are available. At least two-thirds of a Master's program should be in a well-defined major area of concentration. The MCE is a non-thesis (Option B) degree with other requirements, such as independent projects or core courses, specified in some areas of specialization. A formal minor is not permitted. The MCE is available both on-campus and through distance education. The MSCE degree requires a thesis and a formal minor is optional. Requirements for the MENE and MSENE are the similar to those for the CE degrees.
Student Financial Support
Departmental teaching and research assistantships are available including coverage of tuition and health insurance. Fellowships -- full or supplemental to an assistantship -- are available for exceptional applicants. All financial aid recipients are selected on merit-based competition with other applicants. Applications requesting financial aid (both U.S. and international) should be submitted early: December 15 for Fall admission and by July 15 for Spring admission.
More Information
Admission Requirements
Normal minimum GPA requirements include 3.0 overall and in the major. Students who do not meet these academic requirements may take graduate courses through the Non Degree Studies program to demonstrate academic ability, but consultation with the Director of Graduate Programs is strongly advised. Applicants without academic experience in civil engineering, construction engineering, or environmental engineering may be required to take undergraduate courses to remove deficiencies, but graduate credit is not given for these courses. The Graduate Record Examination is required for all international applicants and all applicants to the MSCE or MSENE degree programs.
Applicant Information
Environmental Engineering (MR)
- Delivery Method: On-Campus, Online, Hybrid
- Entrance Exam: None
- Interview Required: None
Environmental Engineering (MS)
- Delivery Method: On-Campus
- Entrance Exam: None
- Interview Required: None
Application Deadlines
- Fall: June 1 (US); March 1 (Intl)
- Spring: November 1 (US); July 15 (Intl)
- Summer 1: March 15 (US); December 15 (Intl)
- Summer 2: May 1 (US); December 15 (Intl)
Full Professors
- Sankarasubramanian Arumugam
- Morton A. Barlaz
- Emily Zechman Berglund
- Joseph F. DeCarolis
Area of Research: Environmental Engineering & Energy Policy - Francis Lajara De Los Reyes III
- Joel Ducoste
- Henry C. Frey
- Mohammed Awad Gabr
- Detlef R. Knappe
- Gnanamanikam Mahinthakumar
- Margery Frances Overton
- Ranji Ranjithan
Associate Professors
- Douglas F. Call
Area of Research: Environmental Engineering & Water Resources - Joel Casey Dietrich
- Andrew P. Grieshop
- Brina Mortensen Montoya
- Daniel R. Obenour
Area of Research: Environmental & Coastal Engineering - Benjamin Shane Underwood
Assistant Professors
- Katherine Anarde
- Tarek Aziz
- Jorge Emilio San Juan Blanco
- Nadine Kotlarz
- Fernando Garcia Menendez
- Angela Rose Harris
- Jordan Kern
- Jacelyn Jaunice Rice-Boayue
Practice/Research/Teaching Professors
- Florentino Banaag De La Cruz
- Meagan Kittle Autry
- James William Levis
- Gregory W. Lucier
- Elizabeth J. Sciaudone
Adjunct Faculty
- Michael Scott Breen
- Anderson Rodrigo de Queiroz
- Daniel J. Findley
- Alejandra C. Geiger-Ortiz
- Aditya Sinha
Assistant Research Professor
- Tongchuan Wei
Emeritus Faculty
- Robert C. Borden
- Earl Downey Brill Jr.
Courses
Civil Engineering
Introduction to widely-used numerical methods through application to civil and environmental engineering problems. Emphasis will be on implementation and application rather than the mathematical theory behind the numerical methods.
Typically offered in Spring and Summer
Computational approaches to support civil planning, analysis, evaluation and design. Applications to various areas of civil engineering, including construction, structures, transportation and water resources.
Typically offered in Fall only
Computing research and advanced technologies of interest to civil engineers. Issues in the design and development of engineering software systems and engineering modeling of structures, assemblies, processes and phenomena. Additional topics from the most predominant and recent developments and advances in civil engineering computing.
Prerequisite: CE 390
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Mass balances, equation of motion for small particles, small particle interactions, particle collision/fast coagulation, partitioning, adsorption isotherms, fluid mechanics, diffusion, interphase mass transport and resistance models, elementary/non-elementary reactions, residence time distributions.
Prerequisite: CE 282, Graduate standing
Typically offered in Spring only
Concepts in environmental microbiology including cell structure and function, phylogeny, survey of environmentally relevant microbial groups, metabolism under different redox conditions, catabolism of macromolecules, methods in microbial ecology. Relationships to engineering processes and systems will be emphasized.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in CE, BAE, CHE, or SSC
Typically offered in Fall only
Inorganic and organic environmental chemistry including acid-base equilibria, precipitation, complexation, redox reactions, and natural organic matter. The role of these factors in controlling the fate of contaminants in engineered treatment systems and natural environments.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in CE, CHE, BAE, NE, MEA, SSC
Typically offered in Fall only
Introduction to air pollution control fundamentals and design. Fundamentals including physics, chemistry and thermodynamics of pollutant formation, prevention and control. Design including gas treatment and process and feedstock modification. Addressed pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons and air toxins. Investigation of current research. Credit for both CE 476 and CE 576 is not allowed.
Typically offered in Fall only
Solid waste management including generation, storage, transportation, processing, land disposal and regulation. Processing alternatives including incineration and composting. Integration of policy alternatives with evaluation of engineering decisions. Investigation of current research. Credit is only allowed for one of CE 477 and CE 577.
Prerequisite: CE 373
Typically offered in Spring only
Interdisciplinary analysis of energy technology, natural resources, and the impact on anthropogenic climate change. Topics include basic climate science, energetics of natural and human systems, energy in fossil-fueled civilization, the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate, and technology and public policy options for addressing the climate challenge. The course is quantitative with a strong emphasis on engineering and science.
Prerequisite: Senior standing
Typically offered in Fall only
Introduction to: risk assessment, health effects, and regulation of air pollutants; air pollution statistics; estimation of emissions; air quality meteorology; dispersion modeling for non-reactive pollutants; chemistry and models for tropospheric ozone formation; aqueous-phase chemistry, including the "acid rain" problem; integrated assessment of air quality problems; and the fundamentals and practical aspects of commonly used air quality models. Credit is allowed only for one of CE/MEA 479 or CE/MEA 579.
Prerequisite: CE 373, CE 382 or CHE 311(CHE Majors), or MEA 421(MEA Majors), Corequisite: ST 370, ST 380(MEA Majors)
Typically offered in Spring only
This course gives an introduction to water wave mechanics for engineers and scientists. Topics include wave generation, propagation, kinematics, transformation, breaking, forces, and dissipation.
Prerequisite: CE 282 or permission of instructor.
Typically offered in Spring only
Coastal environment, engineering aspects of mechanics of sediment movement, littoral drift, beach profiles, beach stability, meteorological effects, tidal inlets, inlet stability, shoaling, deltas, beach nourishment, mixing processes, pollution of coastal waters, interaction between shore processes and man-made structures, case studies.
C- or better in CE 282.
Typically offered in Spring only
Introduction to ground water hydraulics and hydrology. Hydrologic cycle, basic ground water hydraulics, numerical solution of governing equations, ground water hydrology of North Carolina, well design and construction, flow net development, and ground water contamination sources.
Prerequisite: CE 382
Typically offered in Fall only
Hydrologic principles underlying procedures for surface water modeling; applications of common hydrologic models to actual watersheds.
Prerequisite: CE 383
Typically offered in Fall only
Extension of the concepts of fluid mechanics and hydraulics to applications in water supply, water transmission, water distribution networks and open channels to include water-supply reservoirs, pump and pipe selection, determinate and indeterminate pipe networks, and analysis of open channels with appurtenances.
Typically offered in Fall only
New or special course on recent developments in some phase of civil engineering. Specific topics and prerequisites identified for each section and varied from term to term.
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Discussions and reports of subjects in civil engineering and allied fields.
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Design and implementation issues for building real-world computer-aided engineering systems. Engineering data modeling; data definition, query and manipulation methodologies; application program interfaces; problem-oriented languages and software supervisors; and knowledge-based systems to support engineering design and decision making.
Typically offered in Spring only
Physical-chemical treatment processes for the treatment of water, including sedimentation, flotation, filtration, coagulation, oxidation, disinfection, precipitation, adsorption, and membrane treatment processes. Current issues in drinking water quality and treatment are discussed.
Typically offered in Spring only
Course covers the identification, transport, and fate of hazardious substances in the environment; quantification of human exposures to such substances; dose-response analysis; and uncertainty and variability analysis. The general risk assessment framework, study design aspects for exposure assessment, and quantitative methods for estimating the consequences and probablity of adverse health outcomes are emphasized.
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is offered alternate odd years
Principles of microbiological, biochemical, and biophysical processes used in environmental waste treatment and remediation processes, with particular emphasis on water quality control processes.
Typically offered in Spring only
Movement and fate of pollutant discharges. Development and application of analytical solutions and numerical models. Role of these models in planning and management. Mathematical programming models. Alternative management strategies: direct regulation, charges and transferable discharge permits. Multiple objectives: cost, equity and certainty of outcome.
Typically offered in Fall only
Application of systems analysis methods to design, analysis and management of water resources and environmental engineering.
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is offered alternate years
Local, regional and global scale chemical interactions, transport and behavior of trace gases (sulfur carbon, nitrogen, hydrocarbon, and photo-chemical oxidants) in the atmosphere. covers three primary elements of air quality: anthropogenic and natural emissions of trace gases; interactions of the pollutants in the atmosphere; and monitoring and sampling of gaseous and particulate pollutants.
Typically offered in Spring only
Introduction to movement and attenuation of contaminants in the subsurface. Common contaminant sources; advection and dispersion; numerical modeling of contaminant transport; chemical and biological processes in the subsurface; and ground water restoration technology.
Typically offered in Spring only
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Characterization and measurement of rates of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. Design and analysis of chemical reactors. Credit for both CHE 446 and CHE 546 is not allowed.
Prerequisite: CHE 316
Typically offered in Fall only
Design of industrial processes which minimize or eliminate wastes. Regulations and the corporate organization of current pollution prevention efforts. Current pollution prevention research. Product life cycle analysis and the application to design of more efficient processes.
Typically offered in Spring only
ECONOMICS
Application of price theory and benefit-cost analysis to public decisions related to resources and environment. Emphasis on evaluation of water supply and recreation investments, water quality management alternatives, public-sector pricing, common property resources and optimum management of forest and energy resources.
Prerequisite: EC(ARE) 301 or 401
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is offered alternate years
Theoretical tools and empirical techniques necessary for understanding of resource and environmental economics, developed in both static and dynamic framework. Discussions of causes of environmental problems, possible policies and approaches to nonmarket valuation. Analysis of resource use over time using control theory for both renewable and exhaustible resources.
Prerequisite: ECG 700
Typically offered in Fall only
Advanced study of selected topics in environmental and resource economics. Topics vary with interests of instructor and students.
Prerequisite: ECG 715
Typically offered in Spring only
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Engineering economy analysis of alternative projects including tax and inflation aspects, sensitivity analysis, risk assessment, decision criteria. Emphasis on applications.
Prerequisite: Undergrad. courses in engineering economics and ST
Typically offered in Spring only
Rapid application development (RAD) tools to design and implement database-based applications. This includes: SQL query language, Visual Basic for Applications in database application construction, a standard RAD environment and how to access information in a database, entity/attribute modeling of the database structure, anomalies of database structures that create problems for applications, modeling of application system's functionality, and integrating these tools together to design and implement engineering applications. Examples from manufacturing and production systems. Restricted to advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
Prerequisite: ISE 110
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
The Bayesian approach to decision making, with numerous applications in engineering and business. Expected value maximization, decision trees, Bayes' theorem, value of information, sequential procedures and optimal strategies. Axiomatic utility theory and controversies, utility of money, theoretical and empirical determination of utility functions and relationship to mean-variance analysis. Brief introduction to multi-attribute problems, time streams and group decisions.
Typically offered in Spring only
Specification of attributes/criteria/objectives for complex decisions. Determination of alternatives, attribute weights and decision-making process. Graphical and weighted evaluation techniques. Multi-attribute utility, multi-objective/goal programming and analytic hierarchy process methodologies. Computer applications and case studies.
Typically offered in Spring only
Mathematics
Survey of mathematical methods for engineers and scientists. Ordinary differential equations and Green's functions; partial differential equations and separation of variables; special functions, Fourier series. Applications to engineering and science. May not be taken for graduate credit by Master's or Ph.D. students in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics. Credit for this course and MA 401 is not allowed.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Linear first order equations, method of characteristics. Classification of second order equations. Solution techniques for the heat equation, wave equation and Laplace's equation. Maximum principles. Green's functions and fundamental solutions.
Typically offered in Fall only
Marine, Earth, Atmospheric Sciences
Wind structure in atmospheric surface layer and planetary boundary layer; temperature structure and stability; mixed layer and inversions; turbulence intensity and scale; meteorological factors affecting dispersion of pollutants; diffusion theories and models; diffusion and transport experiments; plume rise, fumigation and trapping; removal processes; effects of buildings and hills; effects of local winds.
Typically offered in Spring only
Introduction to principles and practice of physical oceanography. The equation of state of seawater; energy transfer to the ocean by thermal, radiative and mechanical processes; the heat budget; oceanic boundary conditions; geographical distributionof oceanic properties; observational methods; conservation equations; simple waves and tides; physical oceanography of North Carolina coastal zone. Application of Fourier analysis techniques to interpretation of low-frequency motions in ocean and atmosphere. Review of Fourier method. Filtering of tidal signals. Spectral estimates and calculation of current ellipses. Identification of coherent motions and their empirical orthogonal modes. Data from field experiments used in lectures and homeworkassignments. Credit is not allowed for both MEA 460 and MEA 540
Typically offered in Fall only
Quantitative study of sediment transportation in the marine environment including introduction to fluid mechanics and sediment transportation theory. Processes and products of sediment transportation in specific marine environments from estuaries todeep sea and the interpretation of sediment transport processes from sedimentary structures. Credit not allowed for both MEA 411 and MEA 562
Typically offered in Fall only
Introduction to: risk assessment, health effects, and regulation of air pollutants; air pollution statistics; estimation of emissions; air quality meteorology; dispersion modeling for non-reactive pollutants; chemistry and models for tropospheric ozone formation; aqueous-phase chemistry, including the "acid rain" problem; integrated assessment of air quality problems; and the fundamentals and practical aspects of commonly used air quality models. Credit is allowed only for one of CE/MEA 479 or CE/MEA 579
Prerequisite: CE 373,CE 282; or CHE 311(CHE Majors); or MEA 421(MEA Majors), Corequisite: ST 370; ST 380(MEA Majors)
Typically offered in Spring only
Topics include numerical solutions to ODEs/PDEs, atmospheric chemistry, cloud and aerosol microphysics, emission modeling, meteorological modeling, and model design, applications, and evaluation. It is targeted for students who would like to learn about air quality modeling and who are prospective air quality model users.
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
The course provides foundations in methods for GIS-based surface analysis and modeling. The topics include proximity analysis with cost surfaces and least cost paths, multivariate spatial interpolation and 3D surface visualization. Special focus is on terrain modeling, geomorphometry, solar irradiation, visibility, and watershed analysis. Students are also introduced to the basic concepts of landscape process modeling with GIS and to the principles of open source GIS. Introductory level knowledge of GIS or surveying/ geomatics principles is required.
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Basic concepts and laws governing motion of atmosphere and oceans developed from first principles, including approximations valid for environmental flows, kinematics, dynamics and thermodynamics of fluid flows as well as introduction to environmental turbulence. Credit is not allowed for both MEA 463 and MEA 700
Typically offered in Fall only
An understanding of aerosols as primary air pollutants, indoor versus outdoor pollution, transformation processes, prediction of atmospheric concentrations, scavenging of aerosols, transport of air pollutants on a regional scale, discussion of national experiments to characterize and study impact of urban-industrial pollution, tropospheric aerosol and weather, stratospheric aerosol, effect of aerosols on atmospheric warming and cooling and air-quality models.
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is offered alternate years
Lagrangian vs. Eulerian descriptions of turbulence and diffusion. Statistical theories of absolute and relative diffusion from continuous and instantaneous releases. Effects of shear, thermal stratification and earth's rotation on atmospheric dispersion. Lagrangian similarity theories of diffusion in the surface layer and mixed layer. Random walk, Monte Carlo and large eddy simulations of atmospheric dispersion. Urban and regional dispersion models.
Typically offered in Fall only
This course is offered alternate years
Special topics in earth sciences, provided to groups or to individuals.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
mECHANICAL & Aerospace Engineering
Application of energy conservation principles to a broad range of industrial situations with emphasis on typical equipment encountered as well as the effect of recent environmental regulations. Topics covered include: steam generators, pollution control, work minimization, heat recovery, steam traps, industrial ventilation, electrical energy management, and economics. Field trip to conduct tests and evaluate operation at three NCSU steam plants.
Typically offered in Fall only
Fundamentals common to internal combustion engine cycles of operation. Otto engine: carburetion, combustion, knock, exhaust emissions and engine characteristics. Diesel engine: fuel metering, combustion, knock, and performance. Conventional and alternative fuels used in internal combustion engines.
Prerequisite: MAE 302
Typically offered in Fall only
Applications of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer to thermal systems with an emphasis on system design and optimization. Design of heat exchangers. Analysis of engineering economics, including time value of money, present and future worth, payback period, internal rates of return, and cost benefit analysis. Review of component model for pipes, pumps, fans, compressors, turbines, evaporators, condensers and refrigerators. Simulation methods for finding the operating point for thermal systems. Design of thermal systems through methods of optimization.
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Introduction to integration of the governing partial differential equations of fluid flow and heat transfer by numerical finite difference and finite volume means. Methods for parabolic, hyper-bolic and elliptical equations and application to model equations. Error analysis and physical considerations.
Prerequisite: MA 501 or MA 512, MAE 550 or MAE 557, proficiency in the FORTRAN programming language is required
Typically offered in Fall only
nATURAL rESOURCES
Theory and practice of integrated natural resource management. Quantitative optimization, economics of multiple-use, compounding and discounting, optimal rotations, linear programming. Public and private management case studies and team projects.
Prerequisite: Senior standing in NR or ES or ETM or FOM or FWCB
Typically offered in Spring only
oPERATIONS rESEARCH
Operations Research (OR) is a discipline that involves the development and application of advanced analytical methods to aid complex decisions. This course will provide students with the skills to be able to apply a variety of analytical methods to a diverse set of applications. Methods considered include linear and mixed-integer programming, nonlinear and combinatorial optimization, network models, and machine learning. Focus will be on how to translate real-world problems into appropriate models and then how to apply computational procedures and data so that the models can be used as aids in making decisions. Applications will include improving the operation of a variety of different production and service systems, including healthcare delivery and transportation systems, and also how OR can be used to make better decisions in areas like sports, marketing, and project management. Prerequisites include undergraduate courses in single variable differential and integral calculus and an introductory course in probability.
Prerequisites include undergraduate courses in single variable differential and integral calculus (similar to MA 421) and an introductory course in probability (similar to ST 421 or ST 371 and ST 372)
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Basic concepts of linear, nonlinear and dynamic programming theory. Not for majors in OR at Ph.D. level.
Typically offered in Fall only
Introduction including: applications to economics and engineering; the simplex and interior-point methods; parametric programming and post-optimality analysis; duality matrix games, linear systems solvability theory and linear systems duality theory; polyhedral sets and cones, including their convexity and separation properties and dual representations; equilibrium prices, Lagrange multipliers, subgradients and sensitivity analysis.
Prerequisite: MA 405
Typically offered in Fall only
Introduction to methods for obtaining approximate solutions to unconstrained and constrained minimization problems of moderate size. Emphasis on geometrical interpretation and actual coordinate descent, steepest descent, Newton and quasi-Newton methods, conjugate gradient search, gradient projection and penalty function methods for constrained problems. Specialized problems and algorithms treated as time permits.
Prerequisite: Linear algebra or similar coursework (similar to MA 303, MA 405), and knowledge of a computer language, such as Python, MATLAB, Julia, for example.
Typically offered in Fall only
Basic concepts of graph theory. Trees and forests. Vector spaces associated with a graph. Representation of graphs by binary matrices and list structures. Traversability. Connectivity. Matchings and assignment problems. Planar graphs. Colorability. Directed graphs. Applications of graph theory with emphasis on organizing problems in a form suitable for computer solution.
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is offered alternate even years
An advanced mathematical treatment of analytical and algorithmic aspects of finite dimensional nonlinear programming. Including an examination of structure and effectiveness of computational methods for unconstrained and constrained minimization. Special attention directed toward current research and recent developments in the field.
Prerequisite: OR(IE,MA) 505 and MA 425
Typically offered in Spring only
General integer programming problems and principal methods of solving them. Emphasis on intuitive presentation of ideas underlying various algorithms rather than detailed description of computer codes. Students have some "hands on" computing experience that should enable them to adapt ideas presented in course to integer programming problems they may encounter.
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is offered alternate years
Public Administration
Methods and techniques of analyzing, developing and evaluating public policies and programs. Emphasis given to benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analysis and concepts of economic efficiency, equity and distribution. Methods include problem solving, decision making and case studies. Examples used in human resource, environmental and regulatory policy.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or PBS status
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Focus on formation and impact of environmental policy in the U. S. Examination on decision-making processes at all levels of government. Comparisons between political, economic, social and technological policy alternatives. Emphasis upon applicationof policy analysis in environmental assessment and consideration on theoretical perspectives on nature of the environmental crisis.
Prerequisite: Advanced Undergraduate standing including 12 hours of PS program, Graduate standing or PBS status
Typically offered in Fall only
Statistics
Basic concepts of statistical models and use of samples; variation, statistical measures, distributions, tests of significance, analysis of variance and elementary experimental design, regression and correlation, chi-square.
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Covariance, multiple regression, curvilinear regression, concepts of experimental design, factorial experiments, confounded factorials, individual degrees of freedom and split-plot experiments. Computing laboratory addressing computational issues and use of statistical software.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
An introduction to the foundations of probability theory and mathematical statistics useful for research in engineering. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, discrete and continuous random variables and probability distributions, joint probability distributions and random samples, point estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and analysis of variance.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
This course is intended to give students a background in the methods of statistical analysis and design of experiments that will assist them in conducting research and analyzing data in engineering. Concentration in this course will be on principles of the design of experiments and analysis of variance and regression including post-hoc tests, inference for simple regression, multiple regression, and curvilinear regression.
Prerequisite: ST 515
Typically offered in Fall and Spring