Studying for a master's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Duke prepares students for leadership in industry or future doctoral studies. Students are part of a highly regarded program that began as one of the world's first and continues to rank among the very best. Choose from a Master of Science (MS) or a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree.
Most of Duke's master's students go onto careers in the structural engineering, construction and environmental industries, where they work for leading firms and important national laboratories. About half of Duke CEE MS grads enter PhD programs, very often at Duke. Learn more about where Duke CEE master's students go and meet CEE alumni.
Benefits for Master's Students
Competitive applicants enjoy significant scholarship support, and all students benefit from a flexible, individualized curriculum for industry- or research-oriented careers, with two master's degree options. Students receive interdisciplinary training in engineering, science, and management, and project-based courses translate state-of-the-art research into experiential learning. Duke students work with dedicated career services and benefit from an industry advisory board and the Duke Alumni network.
Research and Career Support
At Duke CEE, students have opportunities to explore cutting-edge areas of civil and environmental engineering such as computational mechanics and scientific computing, geomechanics, and geophysics, hydrology and fluid dynamics, environmental chemistry and toxicology, and environmental process engineering -- with personalized mentorship from their faculty.
Students in the Master of Engineering (MEng) program complete a required internship, gaining real-world experience and industry contacts. Duke provides dedicated career development services for all master's students including mock job-interview sessions, career fair preparation, and Duke's unique TechConnect events, which bring together tech companies and interested students for internships and job opportunities.
Welcoming, Inclusive Community
By choosing Duke, students join an engaged, diverse, and welcoming community that values and supports its community. Duke places great importance faculty-master's student interaction. Duke CEE graduate students also have representation in SAGE, Duke's graduate student association.
A Great Location
Duke's engineering campus is next to one of the nation's leading academic medical centers and adjacent to Duke's highly ranked Nicholas School of the Environment--facilitating academic and research collaborations. Plus, the Duke campus is just miles from Research Triangle Park (RTP), home to more than 200 major private tech companies and public science agencies - including a large U.S. Environmental Protection Agency laboratory, a USDA Forest Service research station, and a location of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Durham, North Carolina enjoys a mild climate, acclaimed restaurants, a thriving arts scene, and an affordable cost of living. While a Duke degree can take someone anywhere in the United States and beyond, many students choose to remain in the Research Triangle region, which consistently ranks among the best places to live in the United States.
Master of Science (MS)
The Master of Science is an advanced engineering degree comprising technical coursework and a thesis or project in a chosen discipline. It typically takes one to two years to earn the degree. Duke's CEE MS forms an excellent foundation for a career in research or technology development in industry or academia.
The centerpiece of the CEE master's experience is the research project or thesis, conducted with Duke's world-class faculty. Students choose from five study tracks: Computational Mechanics and Scientific Computing, Engineering Environmental Geomechanics, and Geophysics, Dynamic Systems, Uncertainty, and Optimization, Hydrology and Fluid Dynamics, or Environmental Process Engineering.
Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil Engineering
The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil Engineering is a career-focused degree that includes strong technical and business coursework, with a required industry internship. This master's program emphasizes business and management skills, through Core Industry Preparatory Courses, an internship, and practical civil engineering analysis, through departmental and concentration area requirements in Computational Engineering, Systems Engineering and Optimization, and Geo-Systems.
Master of Engineering (MEng) in Environmental Engineering
The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Environmental Engineering is a career-focused degree that includes strong technical and business coursework, with a required industry internship. The program draws from Duke's Pratt School of Engineering and Nicholas School of the Environment-so students get the best of both faculty. MEng students take Core Industry Preparatory Courses and an internship, departmental requirements, and can further individualize studies through training in one of three areas of specialization: Ecohydrology and Environmental Fluid Dynamics, Environmental Process Engineering, and Environmental Engineering and Public Policy.
Master of Engineering (MEng) in Risk Engineering
The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Risk Engineering is a career-focused degree that includes strong technical and business coursework, with a required industry internship. The program's curriculum focuses on using statistical decision theory and knowledge of civil and environmental engineering to predict the costs and benefits of risk scenarios facing communities and environmental assets. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in areas such as: Insurance risk assessment, Engineering consulting, or Infrastructure analysis.
Master of Engineering (MEng) in Computational Mechanics and Scientific Computing
The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Computational Mechanics and Scientific Computing is a career-focused degree that includes strong technical and business coursework, with a required industry internship. The program's curriculum focuses on training in computational algorithms for model-based simulation and design. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in areas such as: Additive manufacturing, Engineering mechanics, or Engineering consulting.
PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Those considering a PhD in civil and environmental engineering should be individuals interested in specialized research. Duke provides opportunities for students to publish with their faculty adviser, to present research at professional conferences, and to explore their field in a highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary working environment. The typical doctoral program is five (5) years.
Through programs like PhD Plus, students learn essential skills for their professional careers. Professional interests are most often realized through research and technology development careers.
Benefits for PhD Students
PhD students benefit from direct admission to a research group, full funding, plus conference & travel support, dedicated career development, such as the innovative PhD Plus program, Representation in SAGE, the graduate student association.
Advising and early introduction to research and to the research community are hallmarks of the Duke CEE PhD experience. Learn more about the PhD Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
