BSE Chemical Engineering/MSE Environmental Engineering SUGS Program
Updated August 2024
Introduction and Summary
This sequential graduate/undergraduate study (SUGS) program provides outstanding students in chemical engineering with an interest in environmental engineering the opportunity to receive an MSE degree in Environmental Engineering as part of an uninterrupted five-year program. A student can double count a maximum of 6 credit hours of coursework eligible for graduate credit. A student may also transfer a maximum of 9 credit hours of coursework eligible for graduate credit that they did not use towards their undergraduate degree program. Thus, a student may complete up to 15 credit hours of their MSE degree prior to entering the program; however, according to Rackham guidelines, a student must be registered fulltime for at least two semesters. Each degree is awarded upon completion of the corresponding requirements. Students pursuing dual degrees are not eligible to enroll in SUGS programs.
Background
Students pursue an Environmental Engineering MSE degree within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) for several reasons. Some students use it as a first step toward the Environmental Engineering PhD degree. Other students pursue the master’s degree to build their knowledge base in order to enhance their qualifications for professional environmental engineering careers. The Master’s degree is generally considered to be the first professional level degree for a practicing environmental engineer. Students select masters-level courses to specialize in one of the following areas or “majors”:
- Ecohydrology and Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Environmental Process Engineering
- Energy, Climate, and Air Quality
- Environmental Data Systems and Finance
Program Description
Chemical Engineering (ChE) / Environmental Engineering (EnvE) SUGS students must complete all the requirements for the BSE ChE degree. In fulfillment of technical and free electives, SUGS students must elect courses approved for Environmental Engineering graduate credit. Double counted courses (e.g., CEE 581, CEE 582, CEE 428) are counted toward fulfilling coursework for both the BSE and MSE degrees.
A minimum of 18 hours of the total 30 credit hours required for the MSE in EnvE must be elected from courses offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
To provide breadth in the fundamentals of environmental engineering, students must take at least one course from two of the following three core categories (6 credits): C – Environmental Chemical Sciences, B – Environmental Biological Sciences, P – Environmental Physical Sciences:
C: CEE 581 or CEE 597
B: CEE 582 or CEE 693
P: CEE 591 or CEE 590 or CEE 521
For example, a student could select to take CEE 581 and CEE 582 to meet this requirement. If students have completed coursework equivalent to any of the above core courses before entering the Program, courses in any of the Majors described below may be substituted in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor.
An additional 12 credit hours must be selected in one of the “majors” listed above. The courses that may be chosen to fulfill the Majors are listed in Appendix 1 of the MSE EnvE guidelines. Additional program requirements are described in this document.
Admission procedure
Undergraduate students who will be within 6 credit hours of graduation the term in which they start the SUGS program and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 may apply. Students should apply using the regular online Rackham admissions application by January 15 for Fall admission or by October 1 for Winter admission. Applicants should also complete the SUGS election form.
Once a student has 6 or fewer credit hours remaining for the undergraduate degree, they must officially enroll in the EnvE MSE program for a minimum of two full terms, normally the last two semesters, and pay full graduate tuition for these two terms.
See Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate study (SUGS) Programs for ChE Students for more information regarding how SUGS works.
Contacts
Undergraduate:
Lisa Clark, 3142 Dow, (734) 763-7125, cheugadvising@umich.edu
Undergraduate SUGS Program Website
Graduate:
Graduate Programs Associate:
Jackie Graniel, 2188 GG Brown, jgraniel@umich.edu
EnvE Master’s Program Advisor:
Prof. Lutgarde Raskin, 107 EWRE, raskin@umich.edu