Sustainable Water (SW)
In cities across the globe, demand for potable water is outpacing what aquifers and surface water sources can provide, creating widespread water shortages. Civil Engineers are on the front lines of the water crisis, engineering solutions that will support the future of our species. By utilizing both new and old technologies, engineers are developing methods to source and distribute water more sustainably – both for the betterment of the environment and human civilization.
The Sustainable Water (SW) track educates students on the fundamentals of water quality and quantity, giving them the tools, they need to engineer solutions to water shortages and other water-related problems. These skills will become increasingly important as water crises emerge.
Research has shown that engineers with interdisciplinary educational backgrounds perform well in teams and enjoy a broad range of job opportunities. Purdue University – ranked #2 in online civil engineering by U.S. News and World Report 2025 – offers a Master's in Civil Engineering with an SW track, combining top-tier education with interdisciplinary training. Learn more about this track’s unique curriculum below:
Curriculum
Two "bins" of core classes have been identified (see table below). Students will be required to take at least six credits from one of these bins and nine credits from the other bin (for a total of 15 core credits).
Technical electives will include classes from the bins that were not taken as part of the core set of courses, as well as classes from the Affordable MS Program list that are otherwise related (see table below). Learners should plan to take at least nine credits of elective courses.
Six credits of Applied Math and/or Statistics courses can be chosen from this list: