MSc In Water and Environmental Engineering

The degree of Master of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering (M.Sc. in WEE) is awarded for successfully completing the requirements of a program of study, which include taught courses as well as a research thesis. The thesis is an independent investigation of specialized areas within the general field of water and environmental engineering. The M.Sc. in WEE program aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges behind one of the foundations of sustainable development – ensuring sufficient and equitable access to clean water. Furthermore, the program gives candidates the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in one of two specialization tracks of WEE, namely Water and Environmental Technologies or Water and Environmental Resources, and contribute to the process of discovery and knowledge creation through the conduct of original research. Candidates for this degree are taught and supervised by experienced faculty and are expected to demonstrate initiative in their approach and innovation in their work. In addition to successfully completing the taught course component of the program, candidates prepare and present a thesis on their chosen area. Research may be undertaken in several topics corresponding to the areas of focus identified by the University.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

In arid regions like the UAE, strategies for securing sustainable supplies of freshwater and efficient water treatment, delivery, and use are critical factors for enabling the region’s development. Equipping its students to tackle both local and global environmental challenges, the MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the compromise between sustainable development, the protection of the environment, and access to clean water. The program allows students to develop core quantitative skills of leadership, water technologies, and water resources management. All of these skills pertain to careers in the public or the private sector.

PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

The educational goals (objectives) of the MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering program are to produce graduates who will have:

An ability to identify and address current and future societal problems related to water, waste, and the environment within a broader framework of sustainable development.
An ability to apply a multi-disciplinary approach to conceive, plan, design, and implement solutions to problems in the field of water and environmental engineering.
An understanding of the impact of solutions to water and environmental engineering problems in a global, economic, environmental, and societal systems context.
An understanding of the value of technical and scientific scholarship, service to society, leadership and lifelong learning required to further their career aspirations.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students graduating with the MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering will be able to:

Successfully apply advanced concepts of fundamental sciences and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve complex water and environmental engineering problems, and understand the impact of such solutions on sustainable development.
Successfully apply advanced concepts of water and environmental engineering and fundamental sciences to design, analyze, and develop technologies, processes or systems to meet desired needs of society, both, professionally and ethically.
Use an advanced and rigorous approach to the design and execution of experiments and to the analysis and interpretation of experimental data.
Be knowledgeable of contemporary issues and research challenges/opportunities related to water and environmental engineering, and engage in lifelong learning to keep abreast of such issues.
Use advanced techniques, skills, and modern scientific and engineering tools for problems related to professional practice in the field of water and environmental engineering.
Communicate effectively and professionally in written and oral form, both, individually and as a member of a multidisciplinary team.

Overall Program Structure

The MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering (WENV) program consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours. The required program credit hours are distributed as follows: 6 credit hours of Program Core courses, 6 credit hours of Track Core courses, 9 credit hours of Elective courses, and 9 credit hours of WENV Master’s Thesis work. A student may organize the selection of the track, as well as the elective courses relevant to the master’s thesis topic, with the consent of the research supervisor. The table below presents a summary of the MSc in WENV degree program structure and requirements. All listed courses, with the exception of the Seminar in Research Methods and the Master’s Thesis, individually carry a credit of three credit hours each.

Category	Credit Hours Required
Program Core	6
Track Core	6
Program Electives	9
Seminar in Research Methods	0
WENV 699 Master’s Thesis	9
Total	30

WENV 601 Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport

Behavior of chemicals in the environment with emphasis on man-made chemicals and their movement and fate in natural environmental media (water, air, soil) and engineered environments. Physical transport, as well as chemical and biological sources and sinks, are discussed. Linkages to health effects, sources and control, and policy aspects are explored.

WENV 602 Industrial Ecology

Engineers can fundamentally change the environmental footprint of modernity. To effect change, engineers require tools to identify “better” design and operational options. This course examines the use of life-cycle thinking and assessment tools to identify product and system design options that balance environmental and economic performance. While this is very relevant, as a core course, to Water and Environmental Engineering students, it is also very helpful to students from other disciplines.

WENV 604 /CHEG 604 Desalination

The course will cover the commonly adapted thermal and membrane based desalination technologies in-depth. This includes reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, flash-related desalination processes, and evaporation-related desalination processes. Renewable energy technologies coupled with desalination processes will be also presented. Additionally, fouling/scaling, corrosion, materials used and environmental impacts related issues will be covered. Finally, environmental, sustainability and economic factors of desalination systems for fresh water production and reuse will be presented.

WENV 606 / CHEG 606 Wastewater Treatment Engineering

This course is an overview of engineering approaches to protecting water quality with an emphasis on the application of fundamental principles. Theory and conceptual design of systems for treating municipal and industrial wastewater are discussed. These include reactor theory, models, (bio)reaction stoichiometry and kinetics. Physical, chemical and biological processes are also studied.

WENV 611 Hydrologic Analysis

This course gives students an advanced and practical approach to the various facets of the subject of Hydrology. Students will have the opportunity to use advanced modeling techniques to understand the dynamics of hydrological processes. A special focus will be given to the application of hydrological theory and concepts for the solution of practical engineering problems in an arid region context. In addition, a number of open-source and commercial models will be presented to students.

WENV 622 Data Analysis for Environmental Modeling

This course provides an overview of statistical methods commonly utilized in environment modeling to provide students with training in analytical approaches. Course topics will include approaches for data manipulation, quantitative analysis based on descriptive statistics, linear models, non-linear models, time series, and spatial data analysis. Examples and problem sets will utilize MATLAB to analyze data. There will be an emphasis on exploring and plotting data, and presenting model results.

WENV 623 Global Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation

The course provides students with an overview of global environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change, focusing on the arid and semi-arid regions of the world and their criticalities. It addresses the scientific basis of global climate change, the different sources of uncertainty in predicted climate scenarios, and the interpretation of results from the Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Emphasis is given to the effects of climate variability on water resources, food security, and human health, and the role of renewable energy sources in mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

WENV 694 Selected Topics in Water and Environmental Engineering

This course covers selected contemporary topics in Water and Environmental Engineering. The topics will vary from semester to semester depending on faculty availability and student interests. Proposed course descriptions are considered by the program on an ad hoc basis and the course will be offered according to demand. The proposed course content will need to be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. The Course may be repeated once with change of contents to earn a maximum of 6 credit hours.

WENV 699 Master’s Thesis

In the Master’s Thesis, the student is required to independently conduct original research-oriented work related to important WENV problems under the direct supervision of at least one full-time WENV program faculty advisor. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. Student’s research work is disseminated by a formal thesis and defended through a viva voce examination. The student must complete a minimum total of 12 credit hours of Master’s Thesis.

Requirements

Students seeking the degree of MSc in WENV must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credited hours as specified in the categories detailed in this section, with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0.

Program Core COURSES

The MSc in WENV degree program core requires a minimum of 6 credit hours, consisting of two core courses, and the research seminar course, which has a zero credit rating. The courses mandatory for all students are specified below.

Program Core Courses (6 credit hours)

WENV 601 Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport

and either of:

WENV 622 Data Analysis for Environmental Modeling
CHEG 620 Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering

ENGR 695 Seminar in Research Methods (0 credit hours)

Track Core COURSES

The MSc in WENV degree gives students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in one of two specialization tracks, namely Water and Environmental Technologies or Water and Environmental Resources. To fulfill track requirements, students must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours, consisting of two track core courses.

Water and Environmental Technologies Track (6 credit hours):

The MS degree track in Water and Environmental Technologies allows students to focus on the selection, design, and performance evaluation of technologies relevant to water production, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, water reuse, water distribution, desalination technologies and hazardous waste treatment. It is mandatory for students to complete the following listed courses for specializing in this track:

WENV 604 Desalination
WENV 606 Wastewater Treatment Engineering

Water and Environmental Resources Track (6 credit hours):

The MS degree track in Water and Environmental Resources allows students to focus on the development, management, integration, and protection of water resources, hydrological modeling, environmental monitoring, and hydro-climatic modeling and climate change mitigation. It is mandatory for students to complete the following listed courses for specializing in this track:

WENV 602 Industrial Ecology
WENV 611 Hydrologic Analysis

Program Elective COURSES

Students must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours of electives. The electives that students can select are:

WENV 623 Global Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation
WENV 694 Selected Topics in Water and Environmental Engineering (topics may vary from semester to semester)
Track Core courses not belonging to their declared track,
any MSc courses relevant to their research from across College of Engineering and the University, as electives provided they have the permission of their advisor and meet the prerequisites of the course.

Master’s Thesis

WENV 699 Master’s Thesis (9 credits)

Students must complete a master’s thesis that involves creative, research-oriented work within the broad field of WENV, under the direct supervision of at least one full-time WENV program faculty advisor. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. Research findings must be documented in a formal thesis and defended successfully in a viva voce examination. Furthermore, the research should lead to publishable quality scholarly articles.

Students must consult with their respective advisors on the courses that they will enroll in, the required pre-requisites, and the thesis topic selection. Full-time graduate students must register for 9 to 12 credits, including thesis credits, during a regular semester (Fall and Spring) and a maximum of 6 credits during a Summer term. In the case of part-time students, the credit load is normally 6 credits during a regular semester as well as the summer term.

Students can only register for thesis credits after successfully completing a minimum of 9 credits of the core courses of the master’s program they are enrolled in. It is to be noted that the minimum pass grade for graduate courses is a “C” letter grade. Students should consult the Graduate Catalog to learn about the graduate programs, the grading system, graduation requirements, and other pertinent matters.