Overview
Graduate Studies at Carnegie Mellon Help Students Develop Problem-Solving Skills
Graduate programs at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) are individually designed in consultation with faculty to help students develop problem-solving approaches based on scientific and engineering principles. Depending on a student's career goals, the individualized program may be directed toward fundamental engineering science or applied engineering design or development. Cross-specialization work is available in areas such as green design, environmental management, and construction information systems.
Graduate students and faculty collaborate with other units of the College of Engineering and the university, including the Institute of Complex Engineered Systems, the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, the Tepper School of Business, the Robotics Institute, and the School of Architecture in the College of Fine Arts.
CMU's Engineering Faculty-Initiated Research Programs Continually Evolve
Most of the research conducted by CEE is initiated by the faculty, who write research proposals, found and direct research centers, and conduct research focused on their areas of specialization. The list of research projects is continually evolving as existing faculty write and receive new research grants, new faculty members are hired, and new graduate students propose and conduct their dissertation research. CEE encourages students to approach research independently and creatively, while working within the limits of available intellectual and financial resources.
Students working on existing research projects usually must help fulfill the general objectives specified for the research, but after the initial project objectives are met, they may have the opportunity to expand or adjust the focus of the research. CEE encourages and supports this type of independence and entrepreneurial effort, but the student must show initiative and work hard to develop appropriate objectives in consultation with their faculty advisers.
Organized Research Activities Help Maintain Commitment to Excellence
The research projects conducted by CEE are organized into four major groups: advanced infrastructure systems; environmental engineering, science, and management; green design; and mechanics, materials, and computing.
Research into advanced infrastructure systems explores the use of advanced information and communication technologies for the planning, design, construction, and operation of built infrastructure systems. Special emphasis is placed on sensing and informatics for the construction, operation, and maintenance phases. This area of research also includes the study of new models, methods, and tools for planning, design, and project management, and the processes involved in developing more sustainable processes and components used in the infrastructure.
The second area of research focuses on environmental engineering, science, and management, including issues such as air quality; environmental management; and water, soil, and sediment quality.
The third area of research focuses on environmental life cycle assessment, infrastructure requirements of alternative fuels, environmental impacts of electricity production, biofuels, and green construction.
The final research group explores the intersection of mechanics, materials, and computing; modeling and large-scale computer simulation; emphasis on mechanics of crystalline, granular, and amorphous materials; dislocation mechanics; phase transformations; atomistic simulation; electromechanics of 'smart' materials; engineering seismology; and earthquake engineering.
A Variety of Degree Programs Offers Students a World of Opportunities
Graduate students may choose from a number of degree programs offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CMU, including a Master of Science (M.S.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), as well as interdisciplinary programs administered with other departments and international programs with the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology, and Middle East Technical University.
Research Strengths Help CEE Define Cutting-Edge Research Agendas
CEE has identified research strengths within the department in several areas related to sustainable infrastructure systems, water and air quality environmental engineering, modeling of mechanical behavior of engineering materials, and environmentally sustainable engineering practices.
To define a cutting-edge research agenda in these areas, CEE takes advantage of several CIT-based centers including the Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT), the Center for Water Quality in Urban Environmental Systems (WaterQUEST), the Center for Sensed Critical Infrastructure research (CenSCIR), the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies (CPAS), the Center for Multiscale Modeling of Engineering Materials (CM2EM), the Center for Sustainable Engineering (CSE), the Green Design Institute, and the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research (SEER).
Students Flourish in a Collegial and Supportive Community at Carnegie Mellon
The department strives to provide students with a supportive, close knit community. Faculty and staff make an effort to be approachable and student-centered, and students bring a broad range of interests to the department. All graduate students are assigned a desk in the department office, and all offices have computers connected to the campus network. Doctoral students are also provided some development funds from which they might purchase a laptop computer or attend a conference.
To maintain a welcoming and collegial atmosphere in the department, numerous athletic opportunities and social events are planned for students and faculty, such as canoe trips, ski outings, and trips to baseball games. The department also has active student ASCE and Chi Epsilon chapters that arrange activities for the entire CEE student body.
