Graduate Programs
Graduate study in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering prepares students for leadership roles in practice, development, and research pertinent to environmental and urban problems. At the graduate level, students are expected to increase the depth of their academic training in their particular area of expertise, and to develop the capacity to collaborate with individuals from other disciplines. Because of its diversity of interests and association with other JHU departments, the department can offer a broad range of graduate programs based on the natural, social, and engineering sciences. Program Information and Procedures for Graduate Students
The School of Engineering Office of Part-Time Programs offers an additional set of programs tailored to accommodate working professionals who wish to complete graduate degree requirements without interrupting their careers.
The M.A. Degree
The M.A. degree is open to students with undergraduate degrees in social sciences or the humanities. The program requires a minimum of 30 credits that includes no more than 1 credit of seminar. In addition to these course credits, M.A. students may optionally complete an independent research project, submitted as a formal essay. Students can focus upon one of the Study Areas that have been listed or construct their own program that complements and expands their undergraduate experience; three semesters are typically required to complete the degree. Each individual's program of study is planned by the student in consultation with department faculty and must be approved by the faculty advisor. Illustrative lists of courses appear under descriptions of specific Study Areas.
The M.S. Degree
The M.S. degree is open to students with undergraduate degrees in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, other scientific disciplines, or in engineering. The program requires a minimum of 30 credits that includes no more than 1 credit of seminar. In addition to these course credits, M.S. students may optionally complete an independent research project, submitted as a formal essay. Students can focus upon one of the Study Areas that have been listed or construct their own program that complements and expands their undergraduate experience. At least two semesters are needed to complete the M.S. degree without the research project. Three to four semesters are typically required to complete the degree with a research project (essay). Each individual's program of study is planned by the student in consultation with department faculty and must be approved by the faculty advisor. Illustrative lists of courses appears under descriptions of specific study Areas.
The M.S.E. Degree
The M.S.E. degree is open to students with an ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering degree or demonstrated equivalent. The M.S.E. degree is typically a 9-month program based on coursework alone. However, M.S.E. students may optionally complete an independent research project, submitted as a formal essay. The program requires a minimum of 30 credits that includes no more than 1 credit of seminar and no more than six credits of independent research. The M.S.E. degree with significant research components will usually require three to four semesters for completion. Specific course requirements may exist for some study areas (e.g., for the M.S.E. degree in Environmental Engineering).more information on the M.S.E. degree
The PhD Degree
The goals of the Ph.D. program are to: a) develop reasoning skills that can be applied to new and unanticipated issues, b) learn how to pose questions and answer them in a logical manner, c) acquire a depth of understanding and technical knowledge in a particular study area, on par with others worldwide, and d) make a significant contribution to our understanding in this particular study area. The emphasis in the Ph.D. degree is upon a sound foundation in the fundamentals required in a given area with considerable flexibility in course selection determined by the interests and background of each graduate student. The doctoral student must take the equivalent of about two full academic years of formal course work. Roughly half of this is done in the principal subject and the rest is chosen from allied fields. The minimum residence requirement is two consecutive semesters registered as a full-time student.
All students must pass departmental and Graduate Board oral examinations for the doctorate. Usually these examinations are taken after two years of academic work. Research leading to the dissertation should make an original contribution to the chosen field of specialization, and the result must be worthy of publication. A final oral examination will either be a dissertation defense or an open seminar. more information on the Ph.D. degree