The MS in USE at Northwestern prepares future leaders to shape the subsurface in ways that sustain life on Earth and beyond.Academics / Master's ProgramUnderground Science and Engineering Master’s Specialization
Designing Modern Infrastructure in an Environment of Change
Underground Scientists and Engineers are responsible for designing the modern world beneath our feet—from structures that support our cities and protect us against extreme weather and geological hazards, to systems that provide access to renewable energy and storage solutions in support of the world’s decarbonization. The MS Program in Underground Science and Engineering (USE) at Northwestern drives the integration of cutting-edge research into the education of today’s and tomorrow’s engineers. By covering the fundamentals to address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities related to the subsurface, we equip our students with strong practical skills and the engineering judgment needed to navigate an increasingly complex and evolving environment. From analyzing how soils and rocks behave under load to designing geotechnical structures and systems that support sustainable development, our program builds on the strengths of world-renowned faculty and collaborations with elite geotechnical consulting firms and specialty contractors in Chicago.
The core objective of our program is to train a new generation of geotechnical engineers with the unique skills required to shape the future of underground geosystems. With this goal in mind, our coursework trains students to:
- Experience a broad curriculum in theory and practice
- Experience a broad curriculum in theory and practiceLearn cutting-edge analysis and design techniques
- Evaluate and mitigate natural hazards
- Design for underground space for urban development and renewal
- Design for geological energy harvesting and storage
- Design for decarbonization and underground waste storage
- Make industry contacts and network through seminars and career fairs
Curriculum Overview
Coursework and activities in the specialization include:
- Geotechnical Engineering Fundamentals Coursework: This coursework offers classes designed to provide students with the core fundamentals that underpin any strong career in academia and practice dealing with the underground. Specifically, these classes include Soil Mechanics, Rock Mechanics, Unsaturated Soil Mechanics, and Constitutive Modeling of Soils.
- Geotechnical Analysis and Design Coursework: This coursework includes classes designed to provide students with the most up-to-date knowledge to analyze and design modern underground constructions and technologies for the harvesting of resources, the storage of waste materials and the implementation of hazard mitigation technologies. These classes include Advanced Foundation Analysis and Design, Energy Geostructures Analysis and Design, and Engineering for Geohazard Assessment and Mitigation.
- Master’s Thesis: To prepare our graduates with their future careers, we offer both practice-oriented and research-oriented Master Theses. These projects can range from the limit-state design of some of the most complex underground technologies and geosystems to the analysis of some of the most emergent challenges in our discipline. This work involves extensive individual interaction with a faculty advisor, individual thought processes, and problem-solving capabilities.
- Seminars & Career Fair: Students participate in special professional development seminars, which include project presentations by leading geotechnical engineers, specialty contractors, and researchers dealing with problems and opportunities related to the subsurface. The department organizes on an annual basis a career fair by benefiting from well-established relationships with our alumni network and both local and national employers that can offer exciting job opportunities to students.
Alumni Network
Our alumni hold geotechnical positions in Chicagoland and across the U.S., with employers like Geosyntec Consultants, WSP, GEI Consultants, Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, Keller, Inc., AECOM and Jacobs.
Eligibility and Admission
Students studying in the geotechnical engineering specialization earn a master of science in civil and environmental engineering through Northwestern University's Graduate School. To be admitted to the MS program, the student must meet one of the following requirements:
- A BS degree in an area of engineering, OR
- A non-engineering degree, but with coursework covering mathematics through differential equations, fluid mechanics, first-year, college-level chemistry and physics, statics and dynamics, and mechanics of materials.
These course requirements for admission may be met at Northwestern, but credits from these courses cannot be applied to the graduate degree. In addition, each applicant must meet the usual requirements of The Graduate School and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Because surveys have shown that the greatest challenge often faced by new practicing engineers is in the area of written communication, we require that all graduate students prepare a written report during their graduate studies. The requirement is fulfilled through the preparation of an MS thesis or PhD dissertation.
Preparation of the document involves extensive individual interaction with a supervising professor, which develops a student's communication skills, individual thought processes, and problem-solving capabilities.
Questions?
Contact us with questions about this specialization at civil-info@northwestern.edu