This is a named option in the Civil and Environmental Engineering M.Eng.

The M.Eng. named option in Environmental Engineering is a fully online degree that includes a full curriculum of courses incorporating the latest research and practices in water supply, wastewater reclamation and reuse, resource recovery, and urban storm water management. The M.Eng. degree has been developed to give the practicing environmental engineer and scientist the skills needed to meet contemporary and future challenges. For more information about the online M.Eng. degree, see the program website.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Fall Deadline June 15
Spring Deadline November 15
Summer Deadline March 15
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required.
English Proficiency Test Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency).
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required 3

All applicants must meet the Graduate School's admission requirements to be considered for admission. The application deadline is November 15 for the spring term, March 15 for the summer term, and June 15 for the fall term.

In addition, applicants must also meet the department's more stringent admission requirements listed below to be considered for admission:

  • Grades: A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (approximately two years of work) is required for domestic applicants. A strong academic performance comparable to an average of B or above grades for all undergraduate course work is required for international applicants.
    • On a case by case basis the admissions committee may consider an applicant with a GPA lower than 3.0 for applicants with exceptional circumstances, if supported by a strong career track and references.
  • Degree: A bachelor's degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program or from a recognized international institution is required. 
    • On a case by case basis the admissions committee may consider an applicant with a non ABET-accredited B.S. degree depending on the applicant's academic record.

A complete graduate application is required before an application will be reviewed by the faculty. A complete graduate application contains the following:

  • Graduate School Application Form and application fee: Applicants must submit an online application to the UW–Madison Graduate School. See Graduate School Admissions to apply.
  • Statement of purpose: A statement of purpose for graduate study must be submitted through an applicant's online UW–Madison Graduate School application. Please limit this important document to 1,000 words.
  • Letters of recommendation: Three letters of recommendation must be submitted through an applicant's online UW–Madison Graduate School application.
  • Transcripts: Upload the most recent copies of your transcripts to the electronic application, from each institution attended.  Study abroad transcripts are not required if coursework is reflected on the degree granting university's transcript. If the application is recommended for admission then we will follow-up with instructions for official transcript submission. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the institution with the official seal/stamp and an official signature.
  • English proficiency scores: Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. Scores are accepted if they are within two years of the start of the admission term. See Graduate School Admission Requirements for more information on the English proficiency requirement.

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Information

Students enrolled in this program are not eligible to receive tuition remission from graduate assistantship appointments at this institution.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Named Option Requirements

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Face to Face Evening/Weekend Online Hybrid Accelerated
No No Yes No No

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Credit Requirement 30 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 16 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Details can be found in the Graduate School’s Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244).
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.00 GPA required.
This program follows the Graduate School's policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203.
Other Grade Requirements n/a
Assessments and Examinations No formal examination required.
Language Requirements No language requirements.

REQUIRED COURSES

Core Courses
Required
CIV ENGR 820 Hydraulics and Applied Fluid Mechanics for Environmental Engineers3
CIV ENGR 823 Environmental Engineering Design Project3
CIV ENGR 929 Seminar-Environmental Engineering1
Take at least two of the following three courses6-9
Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering
Chemical Principles of Environmental Engineering
Energy Principles of Environmental Engineering
Take at least one of the following two courses3-6
Environmental Engineering: Biological Treatment Processes
Environmental Engineering: Physical/Chemical Treatment Process
Electives
Other courses may be applicable with faculty advisor approval
CIV ENGR 320 Environmental Engineering3
CIV ENGR 414 Hydrologic Design3
CIV ENGR 423 Air Pollution Effects, Measurement and Control3
CIV ENGR 426 Design of Wastewater Treatment Plants3
CIV ENGR 427 Solid and Hazardous Wastes Engineering3
CIV ENGR 428 Water Treatment Plant Design3
CIV ENGR 522 Hazardous Waste Management3
CIV ENGR 621 Biological Treatment Process Modeling1
CIV ENGR 629 Special Topics in Environmental Engineering1-3
CIV ENGR 699 Independent Study1-6
CIV ENGR 729 Environmental Sustainability Tools3
E P D 690 Special Topics in Engineering Professional Development1-3
E P D 701 Writing for Professionals1
E P D 702 Professional Presentations1
E P D 708 Creating Breakthrough Innovations1

Students in this program may not take courses outside the prescribed curriculum without faculty advisor and program director approval. Students in this program cannot enroll concurrently in other undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Named Option-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Work from Other Institutions

With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 14 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Approved credits will be allowed to count toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement and the minimum graduate coursework requirement, but will not count toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

UW–Madison Undergraduate

This program follows the Graduate School's policy for Satisfying Requirements with Coursework from Undergraduate Career at UW–Madison.

UW–Madison University Special

With program approval students are allowed to count no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison special student. Coursework earned five or more year prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Probation

This program follows the Graduate School's Probation policy.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

This program follows the Graduate School's Advisor policy and Committees policy.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

15 credits

Time limits

This program follows the Graduate School's Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

CEE Grievance Procedures

Students who feel that they have been treated unfairly have the right to a prompt hearing of their grievance. Such complaints may involve course grades, classroom treatment, advising, various forms of harassment, or other issues. Any student or potential student may use these procedures.

• The student should speak first with the person toward whom the grievance is directed. In most cases, grievances can be resolved at this level. 

• Should a satisfactory resolution not be achieved, the student should contact the program’s Grievance Advisor to discuss the grievance. Currently, the CEE Grievance Advisors are:

Christina Remucal, Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Programs
remucal@wisc.edu 141 WSEL Phone: (608) 262-1820 

William Likos, Professor and CEE Department Chair
likos@wisc.edu 2205 Engineering Hall Phone: (608) 890-2662 

If the student prefers to talk with someone outside of the CEE department, contact:
Kathy Prem, Assistant Dean

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs (engr-dean-graduateaffairs@engr.wisc.edu) provides overall leadership for graduate education in the College of Engineering (CoE), and is a point of contact for graduate students who have concerns about education, mentoring, research, or other difficulties. 

• The Grievance Advisor is responsible for facilitating any complaints or issues of students. The Grievance Advisor first attempts to help students informally address the grievance prior to any formal complaint. Students are also encouraged to talk with their faculty advisors regarding concerns or difficulties if necessary. University resources for sexual harassment concerns can be found on the UW Office of Compliance website and are included in the next section. 

• If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction the student can submit the grievance to the Grievance Advisor in writing, within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment. 

• On receipt of a written complaint, a faculty committee will be convened by the Grievance Advisor to manage the grievance. The program faculty committee will obtain a written response from the person toward whom the complaint is directed. This response will be shared with the person filing the grievance. 

• The faculty committee will determine a decision regarding the grievance. The Grievance Advisor will report on the action taken by the committee in writing to both the student and the party toward whom the complaint was directed within 15 working days from the date the complaint was received. 

• At this point, if either party (the student or the person toward whom the grievance is directed) is unsatisfied with the decision of the faculty committee, the party may file a written appeal. Either party has 10 working days to file a written appeal to the College. 

• Documentation of the grievance will be stored for at least 7 years. Significant grievances that set a precedent will be stored indefinitely.

The Graduate School has established policies governing student conduct, academic dishonesty, and sexual and racial harassment. The Graduate School also has procedures for students wishing to appeal a grievance decision made at the college level. These policies are described in the Academic Guidelines.

Other

Students are strongly discouraged to pursue positions as Project Assistants, Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants during their time in this program. Students in this program will not receive the tuition remission that is typically part of the compensation package for a graduate assistantship.

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty: Professors Likos (chair), Ahn, Hanna, Harrington, Hurley, Loheide, McMahon, Noguera, Noyce, Park, Parra-Montesinos, Ran, Russell, Schauer, Wu; Associate Professors Block, Fratta, Ginder-Vogel, Hicks, Li, Pincheira, Prabhakar, Remucal, Sone, Tinjum, Wright; Assistant Professors Blum, Chen, Hampton, Pujara, Qin, Wang, Wei, Zhu; M.Eng Program Director Carlson. See also CEE faculty.

Geological Engineering Faculty: Professors Tinjum (Director) (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Feigl (Geoscience), Goodwin (Geoscience), Hard (Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey), Likos (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Loheide (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Tikoff (Geoscience), Wu (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Associate Professors Cardiff (Geoscience), Ferrier (Geoscience), Fratta (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Ginder-Vogel (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Hicks (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Sone (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Zoet (Geoscience); Assistant Professors  Hampton (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Golos (Geoscience), Zahasky (Geoscience). See also GLE faculty.

Environmental Chemistry and Technology: Professors Hurley (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Bertram (Chemistry), Bleam (Soil Science), Harrington (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Karthikeyan (Biological Systems Engineering), McMahon (Civil and Environmental Engineering/Bacteriology), Roden (Geoscience), Root (Chemical and Biological Engineering), Schauer (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Thompson (Biological Systems Engineering); Associate Professors Ginder-Vogel (director; Civil and Environmental Engineering), Remucal (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Whitman (Soil Science); Assistant Professors Anantharaman (Bacteriology), Majumder (Bacteriology), Qin (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Wei (Civil and Environmental Engineering). See also ECT Faculty.