Is the graduate program ABET accredited?

Until recently, ABET did not allow both an undergraduate and graduate program to be accredited at the same university. Since the undergraduate Environmental Resources Engineering program was accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the graduate program was not eligible for accreditation.  While this ABET policy has been revoked, we do not have plans to seek accreditation of the graduate program at this time.

What are the chances of being admitted to the graduate program without an undergraduate degree in engineering?

Our graduate program is an engineering program. Many of our graduate students have had undergraduate degrees in fields other than engineering, but they have taken a significant number of undergraduate engineering courses prior to being accepted into the graduate program. There is no magic number of courses that would be required before an application would be given serious consideration, however two years of math (calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra), a year of chemistry, biology, a year of engineering mechanics, thermodynamics, and fluids would be a good start. Many of those courses are available at community colleges and state universities.

Since my undergraduate degree is not in engineering, and I would be required to take a number of undergraduate courses prior to admission to the graduate program, am I better off just getting an undergraduate degree in engineering?

Each situation is different, depending on the student's previous background and their ultimate employment objectives. We have a number of students that have non-engineering backgrounds that have decided to return to school and have entered our undergraduate program. While returning to get another undergraduate program may not be what they originally had in mind, the second B.S. degree has allowed these students to enter a profession where there are currently excellent job opportunities. After obtaining their undergraduate degree in engineering, some of these students have been accepted into the graduate program.

Is there a minimum GPA required for admission to the program?

An undergraduate GPA below 3.0 makes it very difficult to enter into any graduate program, but we have made exceptions if the student has extraordinary talents that were not reflected in the undergraduate work.

What financial aid opportunities exist for graduate students?

Currently, the Schatz Energy Fellowship is the only program specifically designed for ERE graduate students. Some of our graduate students receive some support while they are working on funded research projects, or by working as teaching assistants in the undergraduate program. We encourage all prospective graduate students to investigate financial aid through the Humboldt Financial Aid Office.

Is it OK to contact individual faculty to discuss my interest in the graduate program?

Absolutely! All students are encouraged to identify faculty with research interests that match the student's interests and discuss possible admission to the program.