Program Requirements

M.A.Sc.  Environmental Engineering (5.0 credits)

Study at the master's level can be pursued through a thesis leading to a M.A.Sc., a project option leading to a M.Eng., or a coursework option leading to a M. Eng. The requirements for coursework are specified in terms of credits. At Carleton University, 1.0 credit typically comprises three hours of lectures or seminars a week for two terms, or the equivalent. At the University of Ottawa, 1.0 course credit is one hour of instruction per week for one term. Thus 1.0 credit in Carleton University notation is equivalent to 6 course credits in the University of Ottawa notation. The requirements are:

M.Eng. Environmental Engineering (5.0 credits)

Breadth Requirement

In keeping with the objective of ensuring a breadth of knowledge for graduates of the program, students in the master's program are expected to take at least one graduate level course from each of at least three of the following areas of study:

• Air Pollution
• Water Resources Management, Groundwater Management and Contaminant Transport
• Management of Solid, Hazardous, and Radioactive Waste, and Pollution Prevention
• Water and Wastewater Treatment
• Environmental Impact Assessment

This requirement serves the objectives of educating graduate professionals who are not only specialized in one area but who are sufficiently familiar with problems and different approaches in the other areas to enable them to interact readily at a technical level with colleagues working in those areas. In addition to the courses associated with the individual areas, students will be encouraged to select courses from fundamental areas such as chemistry, numerical modeling, and applied statistics.

Master's candidates transferring from another university must take at least half their courses at the Institute.

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering (10.0 credits)

The requirements for the Ph.D. program (from a Master's degree) are the successful completion of 10.0 credits, of which 8.5 credits must be obtained from successful oral defence of a research thesis.

Whereas the breadth requirement is desirable at the Master’s level for the professional advancement of our graduates, it is not sought at the Ph.D. level where specialized expertise is the defining characteristic. 

Ph.D. candidates transferring from another university must take at least half their courses at the Institute.

Graduate Courses

Course selection is subject to the approval of the adviser or the Advisory committee. Students may choose courses offered at either university from among those listed below.

The courses listed below are grouped by area of study. Master's students must complete at least one course in three of the five areas. The program's Associate Chair (graduate affairs), in consultation with the Institute's Director or Associate Director, will decide when a course offered outside the Institute, will decide when a course offered under a Special Topics or Directed Studies heading can be considered to meet the requirements of a given area. Course descriptions may be found in the departmental sections of the calendars concerned. Course codes in parentheses are for University of Ottawa (CHG and CVG), and those that begin with the prefix "ENVE" or "CIVE" are offered at Carleton. Only a selection of courses is given in a particular academic year.

Full course descriptions for courses offered at Carleton can be found in the relevant courses section of this calendar.

To fulfill the requirements beyond the 1.5 credits of area courses, students may choose from the following:

Special Topics courses in Civil or Chemical Engineering will count as Institute courses only if approved by the program's Associate Chair (graduate affairs), in consultation with the Institute's Director or Associate Director.

Non-Institute Courses

Students may also, subject to approval, select courses from the graduate programs in Civil, Chemical and Mechanical Engineering, as well as in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Computer Sciences, Geography and Public Policy and Administration at both universities. Courses taken outside the Institute will not count towards the degree requirements unless approved by the adviser or the advisory committee and the program's Associate Chair (graduate affairs). In all programs, at least one half of the course work must be taken from the Institute.