Lab technicians working with organic material

Environmental Engineering Doctoral Program

Program Details

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Available

On campus

Contact

Graduate Admissions1-888.783.8367[email protected]
Apply Now

Gain vital skills that can directly impact communities around the world with a Ph.D. from Stevens’ internationally recognized environmental engineering program.

Best Grad Schools U.S. News & World Report - Engineering 2025.At Stevens, you’ll collaborate with renowned faculty and fellow scholars to develop solutions to challenges like transporting and treating arsenic and heavy metals, the environmental compatibility of consumer products and the development of sustainable and cost-effective technologies using natural products, recycled waste, plants and microbes. Stevens also houses state-of-the-art laboratories and a thriving sponsored research program, anchored by the Center for Environmental Systems, empowering our doctoral students to publish and present in influential arenas all over the world.

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering offers dynamic opportunities to explore leading-edge research within a close community of faculty mentors. You'll be able to study under a faculty mentor in the area that you find most exciting:

  • Water and wastewater treatment

  • Adsorption of contaminants at solid/water interfaces

  •  Soil remediation

  • Phosphorus sustainability 

  • Nonlinear empirical modeling

  • Heavy metals and inorganics

  • Biological wastewater treatment 

  • Groundwater and wastewater

  • Nanotechnology

  • Environmental sustainability 

  • Green technology development

Concentrations

  • Environmental Processes

  • Groundwater and Soil Pollution Control

  • Environmental Management


The Stevens Advantage: Widen Your Career Options

Faculty and students wearing safety vests working with building materials outdoors with the Empire State Building in the background.Stevens’ location near New York Harbor and the New Jersey coast places students near environmental organizations and private firms engaged in environmental protection and remediation, presenting ample opportunities for research, partnerships, internships and professional networking.

Learn more about what makes graduate education from Stevens a unique experience:

  • Graduate Cooperative Education Program: Available with two tracks, your co-op experience can serve as a starting point for a research project or augment your on-campus research with complimentary experience.

  • International Student Experience: Tap into our expanding worldwide network of research, academic and alumni partners and mentor with our expert faculty in a number of federally-designated STEM degree programs. Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is available to gain work experience in your major/field of study.

  • State-of-the-Art Research Labs and Facilities: Build, tinker and test your designs in Stevens' MakerCenter, Prototype and Object Fabrication Lab, or numerous other research facilities.

  • Research Opportunities: Renowned faculty, labs and research centers – as well as industry partnerships and funding from leading national agencies – support strategic and interdisciplinary research in engineering and science.

  • Assistantships and Fellowships: Stevens offers funding to select graduate students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships and fellowships. Limited in number, these highly competitive opportunities are awarded to exceptional candidates based on merit.

  • Expanded Learning Options: The Schaefer School offers new opportunities for doctoral students to do coursework at universities in the New York City area – and around the world – through our growing list of academic partnerships with other prestigious universities. Learn more about our latest partnerships.

WATCH: As part of the School of Engineering and Science's sustainability research pillar, the civil, environmental and ocean engineering department facilitates research in fields such as smart, sustainable infrastructure and coastal engineering.



Hands-On Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering Research

At Stevens, you have the ability to join research groups with students at a variety of levels of experience, and outstanding faculty so you can learn cutting-edge technology as a team, just like in the real-world. In our state-of-the-art research labs and facilities, you'll have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning.


Program Admission Requirements

Who Should Apply?

Who Should Apply?

We welcome applicants who hold a master’s degree in environmental engineering or a related field (up to 30 credits may be transferred to Stevens’ Ph.D. program). Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant science and experience working in environmental engineering may be considered if they have the following academic prerequisites:

  • 2 semesters of college-level chemistry

  • 4 semesters of calculus, including differential equations

  • 3 engineering courses, including one design course.

Applicants may be admitted without these prerequisites but may need to complete them during their doctoral program. Contact Graduate Admissions for more details.

Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree, with a minimum GPA of 3.0, from an accredited institution

  • Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended

  • Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional only; Select Ph.D. programs require a third letter of recommendation)

  • Statement of Purpose

  • $60 non-refundable Application Fee

  • Proof of English language proficiency

  • A competitive GRE or GMAT score (required for both part-time and full-time applicants)

  • Resume/CV

  • Writing sample(s). All applicants are encouraged to submit a lab report (preferable) or paper that they wrote, individually, for an engineering course. Applicants who have published a journal article are also encouraged to submit a copy of their article.

For more complete details, visit our General Admissions Requirements page.

Apply Online >

Curriculum Overview

View objectives, outcomes, and other Ph.D. curriculum details in the most recent academic catalog.

View Academic Catalog >


Each Ph.D. curriculum must also adhere to the institution wide standards listed in the doctoral handbook.

View Doctoral Handbook >


If you have existing graduate credits or experience in this area of study, contact [email protected] to discuss opportunities to include it in the curriculum.


Fellowships & Assistantships

Information about assistantships and fellowships can be found here.

STEM Designated Degree Programs

The four fields comprising STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – offer a wide variety of professions that are classified as some of the highest-growing and highest-paying jobs right now and in the future.

And for international students, the demand for STEM-related professionals in the United States can open the door for an extended stay.

An ever-growing list of eligible programs across all levels is available here.


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