Civil, environmental and sustainable engineering (MS/PhD)

The Civil Engineering program at Arizona State University emphasizes sustainability as an integrated approach to engineering that focuses on the long-lasting improvement of the human condition.

You can be a part of local, national and international research efforts to promote safe and sustainable development including transportation, water resources, buildings and other man-made structures.

A broad range of theoretical, computational and experimental research programs have been established in civil and environmental engineering to prepare graduate students for careers in professional practice and research. If an admitted student does not have an undergraduate degree in civil/environmental engineering, they may be assigned deficiency courses specific to their specialty area. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each deficiency course.

 

Specialty areas:

Environmental Engineering

The Environmental Engineering program explores physical, chemical, and microbiological processes occurring in the natural and built environment and incorporate principles of sustainable engineering. The program emphasizes important issues facing society including water scarcity and emerging pollutants. Research in the program attracts national funding in areas such as environmental biotechnology, environmental nanotechnology, and sustainable engineering of urban and agricultural systems. The Environmental Engineering graduate program was ranked 20th in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report.

Additional Requirements
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in civil or environmental engineering, the following general description of course deficiencies constitutes the common requirement. Additional deficiency courses may be placed based on the applicant’s background. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each deficiency course.

  • Sufficient courses in mathematics and natural sciences including but not limited to calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, physics, and chemistry.
  • CEE 341 Fluid Mechanics for Civil Engineering or equivalent.
  • CEE 361 Introduction to Environmental Engineering or equivalent.

Please see Environmental Engineering program description for more information, a list of courses, and faculty.

Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering at ASU is focused upon biogeotechnics and unsaturated soil mechanics, as it is a leader in both of these fields, but offers a broad spectrum of geotechnical and geoenvironmental courses.  ASU is home to the NSF-funded Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (CBBG), where research on bio-mediated ground improvement, including mitigation of liquefaction, and bio-inspired self-boring probes is underway.  ASU also focuses on unsaturated soil mechanics applied to the performance of pavement subgrades and the impact of expansive soil upon foundations. Our unsaturated soil mechanics laboratory is one of the finest in the world.  Other world-class experimental facilities include a 2400 cubic foot geotechnical test pit and a large rainfall simulator at the Soils Field Laboratory on the Polytechnic campus and unique, large scale equipment for static and dynamic testing of waste materials in the Enamul and Mahmuda Hoque laboratory.

Additional Requirements
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, the following deficiencies constitute the minimum requirement. Additional requirements may be placed based upon the applicant’s background. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each deficiency course.

  • Sufficient courses in mathematics including but not limited to calculus, differential equations and linear algebra, physics, and chemistry.
  • CEE 210 and 212: Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics.
  • CEE 213 Introduction to Deformable Solids or equivalent.
  • CEE 351 Geotechnical Engineering or equivalent.

Please see Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering program description for more information, a list of courses, and faculty.

Hydrosystems Engineering

Hydrosystems Engineering encompasses the technical areas of hydrology, hydraulics and water resources engineering with sustainable considerations of water policy, management and environmental remediation.

Additional Requirements
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in civil or environmental engineering, the following general description of course deficiencies constitute the common requirement. Additional requirements may be placed based upon the applicant’s background. Students must obtain a minimum grade of “B” in each deficiency course.

  • Sufficient courses in mathematics including but not limited to calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra, physics and chemistry.
  • CEE210 and CEE212 Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics or equivalent.
  • CEE 341 Fluid Mechanics for Civil Engineering or equivalent.

Please see Hydrosystems Engineering program description for more information, a list of courses, and faculty.

Structural and Materials Engineering

The Structural and Materials Engineering program encompasses a multitude of areas such as structural analysis and design, steel and concrete structures, timber and masonry structures, matrix and computer methods, buildings, bridges and dams, power plant design, wind analysis and design, finite element method, earthquake analysis and design, stability of structures, nonlinear structural analysis, structural failure, pre-stressed concrete structures, lifeline analysis and design, applied optimal design, probabilistic methods, structural dynamics, composite materials, stress analysis, cement based materials and experimental methods.

Additional Requirements
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, the following deficiencies constitute the minimum requirement. Additional requirements may be placed based upon the applicant’s background. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each deficiency course.

  • Sufficient courses in mathematics including but not limited to calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra, physics and chemistry.
  • CEE 210 Engineering Mechanics: Statics
  • CEE 212 Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics
  • CEE 213 Introduction to Deformable Solids or equivalent.
  • CEE 321 Structural Analysis or equivalent.
  • CEE 353 Civil Engineering Materials or equivalent.
  • CEE 420 Steel Structures or equivalent.
  • CEE421 Concrete Structures or equivalent.

Please see Structural and Materials Engineering program description for more information, a list of courses, and faculty.

Sustainable Engineering

The Sustainability Engineering specialty area emphasizes flexibility and individuality. Students from many different engineering and physical science backgrounds may enter this specialty area and design a plan of study that supports their original research and professional development goals. Faculty in the Sustainability Engineering specialty area study topics at the intersection of multiple fields, including alternative energy, transportation, earth systems and the environment.

Additional Requirements
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, the following deficiencies constitute the minimum requirement. Additional requirements may be placed based upon the applicant’s background. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each deficiency course.

  • Sufficient courses in mathematics including but not limited to calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra, physics, and chemistry.
  • CEE 210 and CEE 212 Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics or equivalent.
  • CHM 114 General Chemistry for Engineers or equivalent.

Please see Sustainability Engineering program description for more information, a list of courses, and faculty.

Transportation Engineering

The Transportation Engineering program has two general themes: transportation systems, and pavements and materials. Faculty in transportation systems focus on traffic operations and simulation, intelligent transportation technologies, traveler safety and risk, travel behavior, transportation systems simulation and transportation planning applications. The Pavements and Materials program addresses pavement analysis and design, pavement performance and management, material testing and characterization and development of new and more efficient construction materials.

Additional Requirements
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, the following deficiencies constitute the minimum requirement. Additional requirements may be placed based upon the applicant’s background. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each deficiency course.

  • Sufficient courses in mathematics including but not limited to calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra, physics and chemistry.
  • CEE 210 and CEE 212 Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics.
  • CEE 213 Introduction to Deformable Solids or equivalent.
  • CEE 353 Civil Engineering Materials or CEE 372 Transportation Engineering.

Please see Transportation Engineering program description for more information, a list of courses, and faculty.

Graduate degrees

Finish two degrees faster by combining advanced undergraduate and graduate coursework during your senior year as part of the Accelerated Master’s program.

Graduate Applications

Priority applications dates for our PhD programs: July 1 for spring semester admission
January 1 for fall semester admission

Master’s degree applicants must apply by
March 1 for fall semester
October 1 for spring semester

Learn more about Graduate Application

Apply Now

Online Applications

Online applications are made through ASU’s Graduate College and not directly to the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.

Download the graduate programs brochure

Teaching and Research Assistantships

Degrees offered

Civil, environmental and sustainable engineering, MS

Civil, environmental and sustainable engineering, PhD

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Location
Tempe

Catalog Description

Catalog (Masters)

Catalog (PhD)

Application requirements

While each of ASU’s graduate programs has unique admission standards, ASU has set minimum standards for admission to master’s, certificate and doctoral programs.

Admission Standards

Affording college

Scholarships
Find and apply for scholarships at ASU

Be sure to check out Fulton Schools’ scholarships available to both new and continuing students

Financial Aid
ASU has many financial aid options. Almost everyone, regardless of income, can qualify for some form of financial aid. In fact, more than 70 percent of all ASU students receive some form of financial assistance every year.