Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Key Information
Campus location
Rochester, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
USD 41,424 **
Application deadline
Request info *
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* applications are taken on a rolling basis
** $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Introduction
Sustainable engineering refers to the integration of social, environmental, and economic considerations into the design of products, processes, and energy systems. Additionally, sustainable engineering encourages the consideration of the complete product and process lifecycle during the design effort. The intent is to minimize environmental impacts across the entire lifecycle of a product or process while simultaneously maximizing the benefits to social and economic stakeholders. This environmental engineering degree builds on RIT’s work in sustainability research and education, and offers students the flexibility to develop tracks in areas such as renewable energy systems, systems modeling and analysis, product design, and engineering policy and management.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op: cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study: graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available each year, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Curriculum
The MS in sustainable engineering builds on RIT’s work in sustainability research and education and offers students the flexibility to develop tracks in areas such as renewable energy systems, systems modeling and analysis, product design, and engineering policy and management. Course work is offered on campus and available on a full- or part-time basis. Technical in nature, the program equips engineers with the tools they need to meet the challenges associated with delivering goods, energy, and services through sustainable means. In addition to basic course work in engineering and classes in public policy and environmental management, students are required to complete a research thesis directly related to sustainable design challenges impacting society. Many of these thesis projects support the sustainability-themed research being conducted by RIT faculty in the areas of fuel-cell development, life-cycle engineering, and sustainable process implementation.
Students must successfully complete four required core courses, two graduate engineering electives in an area of interest (such as energy, modeling, manufacturing and materials, transportation and logistics, or product design and development), one social context elective, one environmental technology elective, two semesters of Graduate Seminar, and a thesis. This research-oriented program is designed to be completed in two years.
Program Outcome
The sustainable engineering degree is designed to accomplish the following educational objectives:
- Heighten awareness of issues in areas of sustainability (e.g., global warming, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, pollution, ethical issues, fair trade, gender equity, etc.).
- Establish a clear understanding of the role and impact of various aspects of engineering (design, technology, etc.) and engineering decisions on environmental, societal, and economic problems. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential trade-offs between environmental, social, and economic objectives.
- Strong ability to apply engineering and decision-making tools and methodologies to sustainability-related problems.
- Demonstrate a capacity to distinguish professional and ethical responsibilities associated with the practice of engineering.
Career Opportunities
Typical Job Titles
- Associate Brewer
- Associate Energy Efficiency Consultant
- Chief Technology Officer
- Consulting Engineer
- Energy Engineer
- Engineer Analyst
- Manager Operational Excellence Leader
- Project Coordinator Strategic Initiatives
- PV and Powerwall Designer
Cooperative Education
What’s different about RIT’s engineering education? It’s the opportunity to complete engineering co-ops and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a master’s degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart.
Cooperative education, or co-op for short, is full-time, paid work experience in your engineering field of study. And it sets RIT engineering graduates apart from their competitors. RIT co-op is designed for your success.
Cooperative education is optional but strongly encouraged for graduate students in the sustainable engineering master's program.
English Language Requirements
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