Sustainable engineering is the process of designing or operating systems to use energy and natural resources in a cost-effective manner that does not compromise the natural environment, social equity or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Engineering Sciences MS with a course focus in Engineering Sustainability is a 1 or 1 and 1/2 year (30 credit hour) multidisciplinary program training students in the core areas of Sustainability Fundamentals, Renewable Energy, Economics, Environmental Quality and Engineering Practice, Ethics and Manufacturing.
Students choose elective courses in topics providing depth in energy systems, environmental quality and engineering management.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong job growth rate in many sustainability careers, both within the context of traditional engineering disciplines, and specialized areas such as sustainability planning and design, operations management, life cycle/footprint analysis and campus sustainability coordination. Renewable energy represents another prosperous field, especially wind power, where specialists can expect a staggering 96% growth in jobs through 2026. A master’s degree in this growing field provides students with advanced coursework, research opportunities, and management training to succeed in a variety of career opportunities.
Prospective students with a bachelor’s degree in engineering or natural sciences are invited to apply. The GRE is recommended, but not required.
The default 30-credit program is course-based (typically 10 classes) plus a required final culminating experience such as a short research paper. Thesis and project options are also available based on prior arrangement with a faculty member.
All applicants who are not native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency by taking an English language proficiency exam. For more information about these exams please see: http://grad.buffalo.edu/explore/admissions/requirements.html#english-requirements
The curriculum includes 3 core classes and 5-7 electives and the culminating experience.
There are three required courses for the Engineering Science MS: Focus on Engineering Sustainability:
CE 500 Energy and Environment; CE 505 Six SIgma for Chemical Engineers; CE 522 Electrochemical Energy and the Environment; CIE 500; CIE 511 Mechanics in Solids; CIE 512 Structural Reliability and Safety; CIE 541 Groundwater Engineering; CIE 550 Hydrologic Engineering; CIE 556 Physical and chemical processes for water reuse; CIE 561 Wind engineering & turbulent flow; CIE 562 Environmental Fate and Transport of Pollutants; CIE 563 Air pollution; CIE 568 Biological treatment processes; CIE 569 Brownfield restoration;
EE 570 Renewable Distributed Generation and Storage; EE 582 Power Systems Engineering
EAS 521 Engineering Management 1 and/or EAS 522 Engineering Management 2; EAS 590 Case Studies in Engineering Management
MAE 510 Wind Energy Conversion; MAE 530 Renewable & Alternative Energy
STL 520 Emerging Practices in Transportation, Planning, Technology and Policy; SSN 501 Fundamentals of Sustainability; CIE 500 Industrial Economy
IE 521 Sustainable Manufacturing; IE 639 Humanistic Engineering
Engineering elective credits can be distributed throughout the fall, winter, spring and summer semesters to support a one-year graduation pathway. If a project or thesis option is followed, then 3 project credits or 6 thesis credits can be substituted for course credits.
Students may take two pre-aproved, non SEAS courses as part of their degree. If a student feels additional non-engineering course content is necessary to fulfill their Engineering Sustainability academic goals, they should contact the director of graduate studies BEFORE registering. Taking additional non-SEAS courses requires advanced approval.
EVS 509 Advanced Ecology; EVS 517 Sustainability and American Culture; EVS 545 Restoration Ecology; EVS 560 Leadership in Sustainability
GEO 503 Fundamentals of Climate Science; GEO 506 Geographical Information Systems; GEO 546 Global Change Ecology; GEO 553 Remote Sensing; GEO 560 Seminar Topic: International Development
COM 684 Science Communication; GLY 579 Carbon Reduction Challenge
URP 544 Strategic Urban Transportation Planning
URP 562 Transp Land Use & Urb Frm
Students may choose between 5-7 electives depending on the chosen culminating experience; 5 electives if will have a 6-credit thesis, 6 electives if they are opting for the 3-credit project, and 7 electives if they are opting for the comprehensive exam or portfolio.
John D. Atkinson
Director of Graduate Studies
Engineering Science MS: Focus in Engineering Sustainability
233 Jarvis Hall
atkjdw@buffalo.edu