Master of Science in Engineering Concentration in Water Resources Engineering (MSE)

This concentration combines a solid grounding in environmental fluid mechanics and hydrology with electives in modeling, water development planning, policy and contaminant fate and transport.

Degree Program Requirements

• A minimum of 30 credits including no more than 1 credit of seminar, 1 credit of intersession course work, 1.5 credits of Center for Leadership Education (with adviser approval) and 6 credits of independent research counting toward the 30 credits.
• At least 50 percent of the required 30 credits must come from courses within the department.
• Students are permitted to apply up to two classes with a grade of “C” toward their degree. No classes with “D” or “F” can be applied.
• Five to six required courses and four to five recommended elective courses depending on concentration (Note: In order to substitute an alternate course for a recommended elective, students must receive written approval from their adviser).
• Prerequisites (required) for the MSE program includes mathematics through differential equations and computing skills.
• AAP (Advanced Academic Programs) or EP (Engineering for Professionals) courses can be taken and counted to receive a master’s degree as long as there is sufficient rigor as deemed by the adviser. Students must have written consent from adviser (an email will suffice) prior to signing up for the course.
• The Whiting School of Engineering strongly discourages Master's students from using 300-level courses to count towards the required number of Master's graduation credits. Exceptions to this rule should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the department. No more than two 300-level courses can be used to count towards the 30 Master's-level credits required for graduation. Advisers must provide an email:

1. Indicating the 300 course has been reviewed and deemed to have acceptable rigor, and
2. Where applicable, identifying the name and course number of the class that the 300-level course will replace.

The MSE program is typically a two-semester program based on course work alone. However, MSE students have the option to complete an independent research project, submitted as a formal essay or group project report. An MSE degree with significant research components will usually require three to four semesters for completion and is generally intended for those students planning to work in engineering practice. Each individual’s program of study is planned by the student in consultation with department faculty and must be approved by the faculty adviser. MSE students select from the concentrations below.

Recommended Electives Note: Students should select elective courses from the list of recommended electives appropriate for each concentration. Students may substitute an alternate course for a recommended elective and should seek approval from their faculty adviser before registering for the substituted course.

Course Program Requirements

Core courses:

• EN.570.353 Hydrology
• EN.570.395 Principles of Estuarine Environment: Chesapeake Bay
• AS.270.405 Modeling the Hydrological Cycle

**Note: The approved replacement for AS.270.405 Modeling the Hydrological Cycle is EN.570.412 Landscape Hydrology and Watershed Analysis

One course in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, or engineering mathematics, such as:

• EN.570.695 Optimization Foundations for Environmental Engineering and Policy Design
• EN.570.697 Risk and Decision Analysis 

Additional requirements: an introductory fluid mechanics course. If this prerequisite is lacking, it can be taken as part of the course of study, but the credits will not be counted toward the 30-credit requirement.

Recommended electives include:

• At least one course in Systems Analysis or Economics
• EN.570.631 Collaborative Modeling for Resolving Water Resources Disputes
• EN.570.643 Aquatic and Biofluid Chemistry
• EN.570.644 Physical and Chemical Processes
• EN.570.693 Economic Foundations for Environmental Engineering and Policy Design

**Note that EN.570.676 Stochastic Programming will not be offered in the Spring 2018 Semester. Approved replacements for this course for the Fall 2017-Spring 2018 academic year include:

• EN.560.348 Probability & Statistics for Engineers
• EN.560.442 Equilibrium Models in Systems Engineering
• EN.550.439 Time Series Analysis
• EN.550.453 Mathematical Game Theory
• EN.520.601 Introduction to Linear Systems Theory