Best Online Master’s Degrees in: Environmental Engineering

Editor's Picks: Online Schools for Environmental Engineering

Value

Stanford University wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for value. PayScale.com ranks Stanford University 4 in value with a 10.4% annual return on investment without financial aid and a 14.0% annual return on investment with financial aid. Stanford University provides funding option information and application requirements on its website.

Flexibility

Stanford University's Civil and Environmental Engineering master's degree is available with concentrations in construction engineering and management, design and construction integration, environmental fluid mechanics and hydrology, and structural engineering and geomechanics. Stanford University's Civil and Environmental Engineering master's degree may be completed within 3 to 5 years through 45 credits. Stanford University wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for flexibility.

Career Support

The University of Southern California wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for career support. The USC Viterbi School of Engineering provides several career tools through Viterbi Career Services, including career advisement, workshops, and a career toolbox. The career toolbox lists job postings, career advice, internship opportunities, and employment news for engineering students.

Financial Support

National University wins best online environmental engineering master's degree program for financial support. The Online Education Database ranks National University 1 in financial aid, and reports that 100% of National University's students receive financial aid. National University also provides scholarship information, financial aid application information, and financial aid FAQs on its website.

Technology Support

Johns Hopkins University wins best online master's degree in environmental engineering for technology support. Johns Hopkins University provides course compatibility for Apple, PC, and Linux. Course work is available in both live streaming and recorded audio and video. John Hopkins University's online environmental engineering includes online labs, bulletin boards, and smartphone and tablet applications.

Student Engagement

The University of Illinois wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for student engagement. The University of Illinois features several student organizations to involve both traditional and online students in environmental engineering department, including the CEE Student Committee, Chi Epsilon, Engineers Without Borders, and the Graduate Student Advisory Council. Student organizations help students to interact with faculty, alumni, and practicing engineers, and may assists students in finding employment.

Disability Support

The University of Washington wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for disability support. The University of Washington's Disability Support Services provides alternative testing and print services, and note taking, captioning, and registration priority services for students who require disability accommodations. Students may contact the DSS Office for diagnostic documentation and to discuss eligibility for services.

Library Support

The University of Washington wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for library support. The University of Washington library provides electronic journals, newspapers, subject guides, and articles to University of Washington students. Students also have access to citation and writing guides, mobile apps with UW library resources and the UW catalogue, and tutorials and guides for research and library tools.

Learning Support

The University of Southern California wins best online environmental engineering master's degree program for learning support. The University of Southern California provides its engineering students with live tutoring, online simulations, labs, and bulletin boards, and a smartphone app with access to the learning management systems and course resources, according to U.S. News & World Report. USC environmental engineering students also have access to a live librarian and digitized library materials, mentoring, and academic advising services.

Faculty Credentials

Johns Hopkins University wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for faculty credentials. While U.S. News & World Report ranks Johns Hopkins University 29th in Faculty Credentials and Training for online graduate engineering programs, Johns Hopkins requires its faculty to undergo online instruction training to teach, which the school itself finances. According to its website, the environmental engineering, science, and management program at Johns Hopkins comprises faculty with professional environmental experience and continuing practice.

Faculty Accessibility and Involvement

The University of Illinois wins best online environmental engineering master's degree program for faculty accessibility and involvement. The faculty at the University of Illinois has a 48-hour expected response time to student e-mails according to U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report also ranks the University of Illinois 3rd in Best Engineering School in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. The Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty at Illinois regularly appear on the university's list of teachers ranked as excellent by their students, according to the department's website.

Alumni Engagement

The University of Illinois wins best online master's degree program in environmental engineering for alumni engagement. The Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Alumni Association at the University of Illinois actively supports the CEE department by mentoring, presenting seminars, supporting student organizations, and speaking to CEE classes. CEE Alumni also have access to the Alumni Career Center, alumni directory, and alumni events and discounts.

Prior Learning Options

The University of Southern California wins best online environmental engineering master's degree program for prior learning options. The University of Southern California allows transfer credit from an accredited school with at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale equivalent to USC graduate course work. USC may also accept military credit for courses completed through the armed services, independent study, internships, and directed study.

New Online Student Orientation

National University wins best online environmental engineering master's degree program for new online student orientation. National University's New Student Orientation introduces students to how online education works at National University. Students may also preview an online course and request information on the environmental engineering program through the National University website.

Explore a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering

Engineers who attain their master's degree in environmental engineering can hope to be leaders in the movement to solve environmental problems and prevent new ones from developing. The task isn't easy, but students will be prepared to take it on after receiving their degree. They will have grasped how humans and their engineering affect the environment, learned to utilize tools that prevent problems, and developed strategies for planning and managing a project. Schools offer students concentration areas like environmental processes, and groundwater and soil pollution control. Finishing a degree can take between two and three years of full-time study. Other situations, such as part-time study or completing previous master's course work, can mean graduation times that deviate from typical, full-time students.

Class Curriculum

The curriculum for environmental engineering master's degrees is grounded in mastering different scientific theories and laws, and how they affect engineering and the environment. Design also plays a big role in courses, as students will learn techniques for designing structures and components that limit environmental harm when wastes, water, and air are collected and treated. Due to the various concentration areas, students' studies may be different. A master's in environmental engineering student might study some of the following courses:

• Water Resource Management. A water resource management course introduces students to the numerous processes and procedures exercised when water and wastewater undergo various treatment forms. Furthermore, students will expand their understanding of system designs for water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Probabilistic Environmental Systems Engineering. This course shows students how to design systems when project and environmental specifications are uncertain. Students will learn to employ safety and modesty in their designs, and which theories and rules are inherent in making decisions in such situations.
• Operational Environmental Systems Engineering. Students are taught methods and tools for completing an environmental engineering system. This is includes methods for planning projects, designing systems, and the operation procedures characteristic of large or complex systems.

Assignments and projects will relate specifically to design activities. Students must also grasp demanding scientific and mathematical reading materials. Often, course material will include online lectures, and students will be asked to engage in class discussions about the material within lectures and their reading assignments. Analysis also plays a big role in course work; it is essential that students learn to interpret research data and apply it to real-world environmental engineering situations. Some schools' curricula may require students to complete field-work, a thesis, and/or a final exam.

Building a Career

Master's alumni will find their analytical and design skills refined and their engineering and environmental knowledge cultivated, allowing them to make a competitive stand in their industry's employment market. Environmental engineer, environmental analyst, and structural engineer are typical job titles attained by those with master's degrees. Environmental engineers improve and find creative solutions to environmental problems utilizing their scientific knowledge of soil, water, and other elements. They do so through their designs, testing, and management of environmental programs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated that the average environmental engineer ‘s income was $83,340. According to the same source, environmental engineer employment prospects are better than most in the future; demand for environmental engineers is expected to rise by 22% through 2020. And considering that a bachelor's degree is the requirement for entry-level jobs, those with their master's and experience may find themselves in higher paying, higher ranking jobs.

Environmental analysts, in contrast, study and analyze the environment to understand the impact human activities are having on it. When problems become apparent, analysts then develop action plans or policy changes to limit that impact. There are various types of environmental analysts, such as air, land, and water specialists. Indeed.com states that environmental analysts net about $62,000.

Civil engineering is another facet of engineering to which some environmental engineering graduates seek employment. Specializations range from geotechnical engineers, or those who ensure sound foundations for buildings and bridges, to structural engineers, or those who design bridges and other large structures and ensure they are resilient. Civil engineers, based on statistics afforded by the BLS, gross an average of $82,710 annually. This occupation's outlook, also according to the BLS, is positive, with employment expected to grow 19% over the next decade. However, keep in mind that these salary and job projections are only estimates, as your experience may differ depending upon your employer, your education and skill level, and the general state of the economy.