Master Program in Water and Environmental Sciences
The Water Studies Institute offers two Master’s programs: the Master’s in Water and Environmental Engineering which admits students with engineering backgrounds in fields specified below; and the Master’s in Water and Environmental Sciences which admits students with natural sciences or agricultural backgrounds.
Water and Environmental Sciences (Students with backgrounds in natural sciences or agriculture are accepted in this program): This program includes interrelated subjects in the fields of water and environment; determining sources of water, air and soil pollution; and adapting methods for limiting such pollution; the control of environment and water quality; and the use of scientific analytical methods for the treatment of environmental pollution. In addition, it includes biological environmental processes and interrelated common scientific, economic, and legal water and environmental issues. This program also includes environmental impact assessment in the process of sustainable development, the study of wastewater and solid waste and their treatment, and understanding the principles of environmental pollution limitation and the utilization of computerized modeling programs for the evaluation of the extent of pollution and modeling its impact on the different elements of the environment.
Admission Requirements
· Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
· Applicants for the Water and Environmental Engineering program must have a bachelor’s degree in civil, chemical, or mechanical engineering. Applicants for the Water and Environmental Sciences program must have a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences (such as chemistry, biology, earth and environment) or agriculture, geography, or any other directly related specialty as deemed suitable by the Institute Council.
· It is preferable that the student has practical experience in the field of engineering or water and environment science.
· The Institute Council may decide to conduct personal interviews with applicants in certain cases, and may specify remedial courses if needed.
Program requirements
The programs offer students two alternative specialties according to their background as indicated above. All students must complete 36 credit hours, including 6 hours for the thesis ( WEEN630 ) or 6 hours in two seminars ( WEEN830 and WEEN831 ). Students may take up to 6 credit hours of bachelor’s level courses towards the satisfaction of the elective requirements, with the agreement of the Institute Council. Students should not have taken the bachelor’s level courses while undergraduates.
Students are required to complete 36 credit hours composed of the following: 18 credit hours from the compulsory group of core courses, 12 credit hours from the group of elective courses, and 6 credit hours representing a research thesis or two research seminars.
Compulsory courses (18 credit hours)
WEEN634 Environmental Processes
WEEN635 Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse
WESC730 Bioremediation
WESC733 Soil- Plant -Water Relation
WESC735 Water and Environment Pollution
WESC737 Instrumental Analysis
Elective Courses: 12 credit hours from the following list:
WEEN630 Political Economics for Environment Planners
WESC633 Water Quality
WEEN638 Solid Waste
WESC637 Environmental Information Technology
WEEN639 Environmental Impact Assessment
WEEN718 Research Methods
WESC722 Statistical Methods in Water and Environmental Sciences
WEEN734 Integrated Land and Water Management
UPLD 35 Geographic Information Systems (from the Master’s Program in Urban Planning and Design)
WESC736 Environmental Monitoring
WEEN738 Special Topics
* Students must submit an application to the Institute Council to select one of the following two tracks after the completion of at least 12 credit hours out of the requirements of the program:
Track A ( Thesis ): WEEN860 , Thesis
Track B (Non-thesis): two seminars, WEEN830 Research Seminar 1 and WEEN831 Research Seminar 2.
The decision of the Institute Council depends upon the student’s qualifications and the capacity of the program staff to supervise theses. Changing from one track to another requires a decision from the Institute Council.
