Although this program is designed for individuals with a bachelor's degree in engineering, non-engineering graduates also can take advantage of this program.

Faculty research and publications reflect areas in which students may conduct their theses or project investigations. Faculty research areas include adsorption, waste-site remediation, pollution prevention, green manufacturing, industrial waste treatment, brownfields, air-pollutant control, biological treatment processes, waste recycle and reuse, solid-waste engineering, physiochemical treatment processes, soil decontamination, combustion-process emissions, energy conversions, risk assessment, environmental policy, and real-time environmental monitoring.

A faculty advisor is assigned to each student when he or she enters the MS program. The student must meet with the advisor to establish a personalized program plan.

The personalized program plan addresses which core competency courses are required, any engineering core courses for which a substitution is sought, the elective area of concentration, and thesis/project requirements. This plan must be approved by the Environmental Engineering Coordinating Committee (EECC), which is comprised of Environmental Engineering faculty.

If Core Competency Courses are required, the EECC may allow these courses to count as electives toward the degree, but not toward the elective area of concentration.