Environmental Science and Engineering Program
MSc Degree Program
Students entering the Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE) MSc program take a set of core courses and then take specialty courses from one of four major tracks. The remaining courses are technical electives, including and a math or statistics course, and possibly directed research or a thesis. At least one cognate course from another degree program is required. The four tracks together cover the most important areas in modern-day Environmental Science and Engineering, and the core plus specialty courses and electives will equip a student for a successful and productive career in the EnSE field.
The four EnSE tracks are:
- Water Quality, Chemistry, and Treatment
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology
- Air Quality and Pollution Control (not offered during academic year 2010-2011)
Gradation with a MSc degree in Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE) requires completion of a minimum of 30 units with an average GPA of 3.0. A student must first take (in the first semester) a series of three of four designated EnSE core courses (9 units); unless a grade of B- is achieved, the course must be repeated. In addition, a specific track must be identified with an additional three courses (9 units) required, of which at least one course must be at the 300-level and no more than one course may be outside of EnSE. One course (3 units) is required in the general areas of mathematics or statistics. The remaining course requirements are technical electives, directed research, and/or thesis. At least 24 units of formal coursework, exclusive of directed research or thesis, are required.
The courses in the core are as follows:
Core Courses
- EnSE 201, (Air) and Water Quality
- EnSE 202, Environmental Chemistry
- EnSE 203, Environmental Microbiology
- EnSE 204, Environmental Transport Processes (cross-listed with CBE 202)
The courses in each track are as follows:
Water Quality, Chemistry, and Treatment Track
- EnSE 213, Environmental Organic Chemistry
- EnSE 221, Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- EnSE 312, Advanced Aquatic and Soil Chemistry
- EnSE 342, Physical/Chemical Treatment Processes
- EnSE 350, Hazardous Waste Management
- CBE 236, Membrane Science and Membrane Separation Processes
- ChemS 240, Organic Principles
- ChemS 260, Chemical Kinetics
- ErSE 220, Geochemistry
Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Track
- EnSE 311, Molecular Biology and Microbial Ecology
- EnSE 341, Processes in Environmental Biotechnology
- EnSE 350, Hazardous Waste Management
- CBE 238, Biofuels
- B204, Genomics
- B208, Biochemistry
Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology Track
- EnSE 221, Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- EnSE 222, Surface Hydrology
- EnSE 223, Groundwater Hydrology (cross-listed with ErSE 202)
- EnSE 304, Water Resources Engineering
- EnSE 321 Numerical Modeling of Environmental Flows
- ErSE 301, Multiphase Flows in Porous Media
- MarSE 311, Coastal and Estuarine Oceanography
- MarSE 314, Advanced Environmental Data Analysis
Air Quality and Pollution Control Track
Not Active During Academic Year 2010-2011
Beyond the core courses (9 units) and track courses (9 units), the remaining 12 units correspond to technical electives (from the entire pool of track courses), a mathematics or statistics course, directed research (EnSE 299), and/or thesis (EnSE 297).
The required course in mathematics or statistics can be satisfied from among the following:
- AMSC 206, Applied Numerical Methods
- AMSC 210, Applied Probability and Biostatistics
- CBE 204, Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods
- CBE 223, Introduction to Statistics and Biostatics
The cognate course is in addition to the mathematics or statistics course, and can be satisfied by any track or technical elective course. No credit is offered for graduate seminar (EnSE 298) but attendance is required during each semester of enrollment.
There are two general MSc degree options: (i) coursework only or (ii) thesis option. The former is set up for completion in 12 months with full-time course loads (12 units or, with advisor approval, 15 units) in the Fall and Spring semesters plus up to 6 units in the summer. Both options require 24 units of formal coursework (exclusive of directed research or thesis). Coursework-only students may take up to 6 units of directed research or focus exclusively on formal coursework.
Thesis-option students typically spend their summer and a second Fall semester on an experimental and/or computational research topic. A formal written thesis and oral defense is required with a committee comprised of a faculty supervisor plus two other KAUST faculty members. A total of 12 units of thesis credit must be earned, with the grade assigned being pass/fail. In most cases, the research period is an intense final 6-month (late summer/fall semester, e.g., July – December) without coursework, although the research can potentially be spread over a longer period including the second semester.
PhD Degree Program
There are three possible entry points into the EnSE PhD degree program: (i) students possessing a MSc degree in EnSE or a related engineering (e.g., chemical engineering) or science (e.g., chemistry) field (the normal entry point); (ii) KAUST students pursuing a seamless EnSE MSc/PhD; (iii) and students possessing a BSc degree (a more rare entry point). The seamless MSc/PhD option is intended for MSc students who decide, after their arrival at KAUST, to pursue a PhD; this option simply allows a student to begin to satisfy PhD requirements (e.g., coursework) while completing their MSc requirements. The only difference between the seamless MSc option and the BSc entry is that the latter does not acquire a MSc degree on the way to a PhD degree.
PhD students apply for and enter the EnSE degree program. An EnSE faculty advisor is either immediately designated (in the case of a student being recruited by a specific faculty member) or temporarily assigned (in the case of KAUST fellowship students); in the latter case, the student is expected to identify a research advisor by (at the latest) the end of the first year.
There are two phases and associated milestones for PhD students:
- a qualification phase with a candidacy milestone and
- a dissertation phase with a final defense milestone.
Qualification and advancement to candidacy are contingent upon:
- successfully passing PhD coursework,
- designating a research advisor, and (iii) preparing a written research proposal and orally defending it. The maximum time for advancement to candidacy for a student entering with an MSc degree is two years, three years for the BSc-degree entry option.
A minimum of 6 units of actual PhD coursework (300 level) is required beyond the MSc degree. For students who enter with a BSc degree, 24 additional units are required, equivalent to MSc degree coursework excluding a thesis. In the case of the MSc degree being from another major/degree program, there may be additional deficiency courses specified by the advisor. Courses designated should be relevant to the dissertation topic, if defined, and/or proposed general area of research. A minimum GPA of 3.5 must be achieved on all doctoral coursework.
Besides actual coursework (6 or more units), 60 units of dissertation research (EnSE 397) credit must be earned during the first and second phases. A full-time workload for PhD students is considered to be 12 units per semester (courses and EnSE 397) and 6 units in summer (EnSE 397). There is a minimum residency requirement (enrollment period at KAUST) of 2.5 years for students entering with a MSc degree, 3.5 years for a BSc degree. The maximum enrollment period is 5.0 years, extendable upon approval of both the faculty research advisor and division dean.
Achieving candidacy is contingent upon successfully passing both parts of a two-part qualification examination consisting of acceptance by the research advisor of a written research proposal and successfully passing an oral examination thereof. The proposal examination committee shall consist of a minimum of three KAUST faculty members, one of whom must be external to the EnSE degree program. There are four possible outcomes: pass, conditional pass, failure with retake permitted, and failure. Passing the qualification phase is achieved by acceptance of all committee members of the written proposal and a positive vote of all but, at most, one member of the oral exam. If more than one member casts a negative vote, one retake of the oral defense is permitted if the entire committee agrees. A conditional pass involves conditions (e.g., another course in a perceived area of weakness) imposed by the committee, with the conditional status removed when the conditions have been met.
One constituted, the composition of the qualification phase committee can only be changed upon approval by both the faculty research advisor and the division dean.
The final (dissertation) phase involves acceptance of the written dissertation and an oral defense thereof. The final examination committee shall consist of a minimum of four members, one of whom should be a KAUST faculty member external to the EnSE degree program and one of whom should be external to KAUST (holding a faculty position or equivalent position at another institution, with approval by both the faculty research advisor and division dean). Passing the dissertation phase is achieved by acceptance of all committee members of the written dissertation, with a minimum of a positive vote of all but, at most, one member of the oral defense. If more than one member casts a negative vote, one retake of the oral defense is permitted if the entire committee agrees. A fifth non-voting KAUST faculty member, appointed by the division dean, shall serve as a faculty monitor to ensure that the established protocol is followed, and the required forms are completed.
Students transferring from other PhD programs may receive some dissertation research and coursework credit, on a case by case basis, for related work performed at their original institution. However, such students must still satisfy the written and oral requirements for a research proposal (if this phase was passed at the original institute, the proposal may be the same, if approved by the research advisor). The minimum residency requirement for enrollment of such students at KAUST is 2.0 years.