Engineering and Community Practice, M.S.

The Engineering and Community Practice degree is a one-year program designed to develop future engineering leaders who will sustain, restore, and protect our natural resources and the environment. The degree is tailored to those who wish to pursue resource management positions that require strong technological and management skills with a particular focus on interfacing and working with indigenous and traditionally under-served communities.

Career Possibilities

environmental engineer
water resources engineer
river restoration
renewable energy systems planning
design and development

Preparation

An appropriate undergraduate degree and sufficient preparation is required. Without an accredited bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering or similar engineering discipline, prior coursework in areas including elementary statistics and probability, calculus, physics, and chemistry is expected. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, applicants must also complete a Native American Studies course. The preferred method is to have these courses completed before the time of application. Coursework may be in progress at the time of application, but must be completed by the applicant’s program start date. Proof of enrollment is required for in-progress courses. A statement of objectives which includes the reasons for pursuing a master’s degree with a particular concentration is required.

All students must satisfy Cal Poly Humboldt general admission requirements.

Requirements for the Degree (30 Units)

For a description of degree requirements to be fulfilled in addition to those listed below see, “Master’s Degree Requirements ”.

Students complete a program of core required courses plus electives arranged with a graduate advisor and approved by the program coordinator. Background deficiencies may be satisfied by taking approved undergraduate courses.

Required Courses

NAS 309 - Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Natural Resource Management Units: 3

Culminating Experience

Complete 3 units of each course for a combination of 6 units. A master’s project as defined by Title 5 is the required culminating experience for this program.

ENGR 692 - Master’s Project Units: 1-3
NAS 692 - Master’s Project Units: 1-3

Engineering Design Electives (9 Units)

Complete three engineering design electives from the following list:

ENGR 518 - Applied Hydraulics Units: 3
ENGR 521 - Advanced Numerical Methods for Engineers I Units: 3
ENGR 534 - Air Quality Management Units: 3
ENGR 541 - Hydrology II Units: 3
ENGR 543 - Groundwater Hydrology Units: 3
ENGR 545 - Water Resources Planning and Management Units: 3
ENGR 548 - River Hydraulics Units: 3
ENGR 555 - Engineered Natural Treatment Systems Units: 3
ENGR 571 - Advanced Thermodynamics and Energy Systems Units: 3
ENGR 573 - Building Energy Analysis Units: 3
ENGR 575 - Renewable Energy Power Systems Units: 3

Native American Studies Electives (6 Units)

Complete two courses from the following list (minimum 6 units)

NAS 332 - Environmental Justice Units: 3
NAS 361 - Tribal Sovereignty, Tribal Citizens Units: 3
NAS 362 - Tribal Governance and Leadership Units: 3
NAS 364 - Federal Indian Law I Units: 4
NAS 365 - Federal Indian Law II Units: 4
NAS 366 - Tribal Water Rights Units: 4
NAS 468 - Tribal Justice Systems Units: 3
NAS 480 - Selected Topics in Native American Studies Units: 1-4 (requires advisor approval to ensure that the course topic is relevant to the program)
EC 530 - Social Change and Advocacy Units: 3 (with topics related to Klamath River issues or decolonizing methodologies)

Approved Electives

Complete courses as needed to achieve a total of 30 units for the degree. Any NAS course listed above that was not used to satisfy the 9-units of required NAS courses may be taken as an additional elective. Course substitutions are possible with approval an advisor and the program graduate coordinator.

ENGR 532 - Energy, Environment and Society Units: 4
ENGR 533 - Energy and Climate Change Units: 4
ENGR 535 - Development Technology Units: 4
ECON 423 - Environmental and Natural Resources Economics Units: 3
ECON 423D - Environmental and Natural Resources Economics - Additional Depth Units: 1
ECON 550 - Economics of Energy and Climate Policy Units: 4
ECON 570S - Sustainable Rural Economic Development Units: 4
ENST 480 - Special Topics Units: 3 (Topic: Energy Justice)
FISH 570 - River Fish Restoration Ecology Units: 3
FISH 576 - Ecology of Running Waters Units: 3
FISH 578 - Fisheries and Ecosystem Oceanography Units: 3
GEOL 550 - Fluvial Processes Units: 3
GEOL 556 - Hydrogeology Units: 4
GSP 510 - Research Methods in Geospatial Science Units: 4
GSP 570 - Advanced Geospatial Analysis and Modeling Units: 3
WSHD 558 - Advanced Climate Change and Land Use Units: 3

Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing this program will be able to:

apply engineering analysis and design to identify critical environmental resources problems and offer solutions aimed at restoring and sustaining the global environment and assist communities who depend on access to natural resources
demonstrate a command of skills necessary to practice engineering research and design with Native nations and communities and advocate for strategies that facilitate collaboration with tribal nations in mutually-beneficial environmental management practices that are free from discrimination and that foreground the protection of sacred and historical sites
critique and conduct the engineering design process with knowledge of historical and contemporary struggles for social justice and recognition of the diversity of human cultures and experiences
to use discipline conventions to communicate to diverse audiences the results of their analysis of a critical natural resource engineering and management problem focused on engaging Tribal partners expertise in their selected specialty through their master’s thesis or project and be able to identify how their work will contribute to the field.