Humanitarian Engineering and Science

Degrees

• Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Engineering and Science
• Master of Science in Humanitarian Engineering and Science (thesis and non-thesis options).

Program Description

The MS degrees in Humanitarian Engineering and Science (HES) are a professional MS (non-thesis) and a thesis-based MS. These degrees are targeted to recent graduates or mid-career professionals with a BS in science and engineering who are interested in careers, research opportunities, and/or acquiring skills that will help them work effectively with communities. The degrees include a core HES curriculum plus an approved track of related courses in a science or engineering discipline.

The HES graduate certificate is designed for professionals seeking to attend school part time or students who are seeking degrees in other departments at Mines but still desire graduate training in humanitarian engineering and science. It consists of four courses.

In both the master’s degrees and graduate certificates, a unique mix of social science, applied science, and engineering perspectives prepares students to apply knowledge about the earth to promote more sustainable and just uses of water, energy, and other earth resources and to understand and mitigate potential hazards.

To achieve the Master of Science (MS) degree, students may elect the non-thesis option based exclusively upon coursework and a practicum, or the thesis option. The thesis option is comprised of coursework in combination with individual research performed under the guidance of two faculty advisors and presented in a written thesis approved by the student’s committee. HES students have academic advisors from both the Engineering, Design & Society Department and their disciplinary track (Data Science, Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geophysics, Robotics or Interdisciplinary). The thesis-based MS usually takes two years to complete, while the non-thesis MS can often be completed in one year.

For more information on program curriculum please refer to the HES website: https://humanitarian.mines.edu/mshes/.

PRIMARY CONTACT

Richard Krahenbuhl
303-384-2329
rkrahenb@mines.edu

Program Director

Richard Krahenbuhl, Associate Research Professor, Geophysics

Associate Program Director

Elizabeth Reddy, Assistant Professor, Engineering, Design & Society

Assistant Professor, Engineering, Design & Society

Dorit Hammerling, Associate Professor

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Junko Munakata Marr, Professor and Department Head

Director of Computer Science

Thomas Williams, Associate Professor, Director of MIRROR Lab

Department of Engineering, Design & Society

Stephanie Claussen, Research Professor

Alina Handorean, Teaching Professor

Marie Stettler Kleine, Assistant Professor

Juan Lucena, Professor and Director, Humanitarian Engineering Undergraduate Programs

Carrie McClelland, Teaching Professor

Kevin Moore, Professor and Executive Director of Humanitarian Engineering Undergraduate Programs

Dean Nieusma, Associate Professor and Department Head

Elizabeth Reddy, Assistant Professor

Jessica Smith, Professor

Department of Electrical Engineering

Kathryn Johnson, Professor

Kevin Moore, Professor and Executive Director of Humanitarian Engineering Undergraduate Programs

Department of Geology and Geological Engineering

Paul Santi, Professor

Department of Geophysics

Richard Krahenbuhl, Associate Research Professor

Jeffrey Shragge, Associate Professor

Department of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences

Jon Leydens, Professor

Department of Mining Engineering

Nicole Smith, Assistant Professor

Affiliate Faculty

Chris Anderson, Principal of Yirri Global

Teaching Assistant Professors

Cara Phillips

Syd Slouka

Assistant Professor

Yangming Shi

Graduate Certificate Program Requirements

The Humanitarian Engineering and Science (HES) certificate is an online or residential program designed for working professionals as well as graduate students who are enrolled in other degrees at Mines but wish to gain knowledge in humanitarian engineering and science. To obtain a graduate certificate, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits of the following courses. Students may not double-count courses from their undergraduate degrees. Students who have already taken one of the classes as undergraduates must find a suitable replacement, to be approved by the HES director. Students are encouraged to take 12 credits of coursework if possible, adding an elective from the approved HES electives list below.

Required HES certificate courses (9 credits):

Master of Science (MS) Program Requirements

The MS degrees in Humanitarian Engineering and Science (HES) are a professional MS (non-thesis) and a thesis-based MS. These degrees are targeted to recent graduates or midcareer professionals with a BS in science and engineering who are interested in careers, research opportunities, and/or acquiring skills that will help them work effectively with communities. The degrees include a core HES curriculum plus an approved track of related courses in a science or engineering discipline. A unique mix of social science, applied science, and engineering perspectives prepares students to apply knowledge about the earth to promote more sustainable and just uses of water, energy, and other earth resources and to understand and mitigate potential hazards.

Master of Science (non-thesis)

To obtain the 30 credits required for the MS (non-thesis), students must satisfy the following program requirements: (1) 12 credits of required HES courses, 2) 3 credits of elective HES courses approved by Engineering, Design & Society, and 3) 15 credits of courses approved by the affiliated department (see the six tracks detailed below).

HES MS (Non-Thesis) Core Courses (15 credits):

Approved HES Electives:

Disciplinary Tracks

Track 1: Geophysics (GPGN) (15 credits):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in geophysics, physics, quantitative earth sciences and engineering, or equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses. 

In addition to the core HES MS (non-thesis) curriculum (15 credits) detailed above, MS (non-thesis) students following the Geophysics track must take one required course (3 credits) and at least 12 credits of approved elective courses, as shown below. Courses not listed below that align with the student's practicum can be substituted in consultation with the degree advisor. 

Track 2: Environmental Engineering (CEEN) (15 credits):

A BS degree in a science or engineering discipline is required.  Pre-requisites include two semesters of college calculus, one semester of college physics, two semesters of college chemistry, and one semester of college statistics.

In addition to the core HES MS (non-thesis) curriculum (15 credits) detailed above, MS (non-thesis) students following the Environmental Engineering track must take three required courses (9 credits) and at least two courses (6 credits) of approved elective courses, as shown below. Courses not listed below that align with the student's practicum can be substituted in consultation with the degree advisor. 

Track 3: Geological Engineering (GEGN) (15 credits):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in engineering or the equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses, including engineering geology, groundwater engineering, soil mechanics, and rock mechanics.

In addition to the core HES MS (non-thesis) curriculum (15 credits) detailed above, MS (non-thesis) students following the Geological Engineering track must take two required courses (6 credits) and at least three courses (9 credits) of approved elective courses, as shown below. 

TRACK 4: Humanitarian Robotics (15 CREDITS):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in computer science, mechanical or electrical engineering, or robotics, or equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses. 

In addition to the Core HES MS (non-thesis) curriculum (15 credits) detailed above, MS (non-thesis) students following the Humanitarian Robotics track must take three required course (9 credits) and at least 6 credits of approved elective courses, as shown below. Courses not listed below that align with the student's practicum can be substituted in consultation with the degree advisor. 

TRACK 5: Data Science (DSCI) (15 CREDITS):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in computer science, mathematics, or data science or equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses. 

In addition to the core HES MS (non-thesis) curriculum (15 credits) detailed above, MS (non-thesis) students following the Data Science track must take four required courses (12 credits) and at least 3 credits of approved elective courses, as shown below. In addition to earning the HES MS (non-thesis) degree, they will also earn the Data Science Statistical Learning Graduate Certificate.

TRACK 6: Interdisciplinary (15 CREDITS):

In addition to the core HES MS (non-thesis) curriculum (15 credits) detailed above, MS (non-thesis) students following the Interdisciplinary track will work with their advisor to choose an additional 15 credits that best match their intellectual interests.  As with our other tracks, at least 12 of these credits need to be engineering or applied science courses.  Students seeking this track are required to identify their desired focus area when applying and identify possible courses upon matriculation.  They will then work with their advisor to ensure that the student meets the course prerequisites and that the courses are offered on an appropriate timetable according to their anticipated graduation date.

Master of Science (thesis)

To obtain the 30 credits required for the MS (thesis), students must satisfy the following program requirements: 1) 9 credits of required HES core courses, 2) 3 credits of elective HES classes approved by Engineering, Design and Society,  3) 12 credits of approved Disciplinary Track classes, and 4) 6 credits of MS thesis research on a thesis topic approved by HES faculty in the Engineering, Design, and Society Division and the affiliated disciplinary track.

HES MS (thesis) Core Courses (12 credits):

Approved HES Electives:

Disciplinary Tracks

Track 1: Geophysics (GPGN) Courses and Thesis (18 credits):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in geophysics, physics, quantitative earth sciences, or engineering or equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses. 

In addition to the core HES MS (thesis) curriculum (12 credits) detailed above, MS (thesis) students following the Geophysics track must take one required course (3 credits), at least 9 credits of approved elective courses, and 6 credits of independent thesis research, as shown below.  Courses not listed below that align with the student's thesis can be substituted in consultation with the degree advisor. 

Track 2: Environmental Engineering (CEEN) (18 credits): 

A BS degree in a science or engineering discipline is required.  Pre-requisites include two semesters of college calculus, one semester of college physics, two semesters of college chemistry, and one semester of college statistics.

In addition to the Core HES MS (thesis) curriculum (12 credits) detailed above, MS (thesis) students following the Environmental Engineering track must take one required course (3 credits), at least two courses (6 credits) of approved elective courses, and 6 credits of independent thesis research, as shown below. Courses not listed below that align with the student's thesis can be substituted in consultation with the degree advisor. 

Track 3: Geological Engineering (GEGN) (18 credits): 

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in engineering or the equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses, including engineering geology, groundwater engineering, soil mechanics, and rock mechanics.

In addition to the Core HES MS (thesis) curriculum (12 credits) detailed above, MS (thesis) students following the Geological Engineering track must take two required courses (6 credits), at least two courses (6 credits) of approved elective courses, and 6 credits of independent thesis research, as shown below. 

Track 4: Humanitarian Robotics (18 CREDITS):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in computer science, mechanical or electrical engineering, or robotics or equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses. 

In addition to the core HES MS (thesis) curriculum (12 credits) detailed above, MS (thesis) students following the Humanitarian Robotics track must take three required course (9 credits), at least 3 credits of approved elective courses, and 6 credits of independent thesis research, as shown below. Courses not listed below that align with the student's thesis can be substituted in consultation with the degree advisor. 

Track 5: Data Science (DSCI) (18 CREDITS):

Degree candidates should have an undergraduate degree in computer science, mathematics, or data science or equivalent coursework. In addition, candidates will need to complete necessary prerequisite courses for the graduate courses. 

In addition to the core HES MS (thesis) curriculum (12 credits) detailed above, MS (thesis) students following the Data Science track must take four required courses (12 credits) and 6 credits of independent thesis research, as shown below.  In addition to earning the HES MS (thesis) degree, they will also earn the Data Science Statistical Learning Graduate Certificate. 

Track 6: Interdisciplinary (18 CREDITS):

In addition to the core HES MS (thesis) curriculum (12 credits) detailed above, MS (thesis) students following the Interdisciplinary track will work with their advisor to choose an additional 12 elective credits that best match their intellectual interests and take 6 credits of independent thesis research.  The 12 elective credits need to be engineering or applied science courses.  Students seeking this track are required to identify their desired focus area when applying and identify possible courses upon matriculation.  They will then work with their advisor to ensure that the student meets the course prerequisites and that the courses are offered on an appropriate timetable according to their anticipated graduation date.

Mines' Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Program

Students enrolled in Mines’ combined undergraduate/graduate program may double count up to 6 credits of graduate coursework to fulfill requirements of both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. These courses must have been passed with B- or better, not be substitutes for required coursework, and meet all other university, department, and program requirements for graduate credit.

Students are advised to consult with their undergraduate and graduate advisors for appropriate courses to double count upon admission to the combined program.