At the graduate level, the department offers two complementary but distinct types of programs. Such programs prepare professionals for positions of leadership in research and teaching. Second, practice-oriented master's degrees introduce the political, economic, and cultural factors which influence social priorities, and prepare students to function as members of interdisciplinary teams. These programs add technical depth and professional skills beyond the four-year bachelor's degree. Another aspect of the department's mission centered at the graduate level is the discovery, innovation, and development of new behaviors, technologies, and methods that improve the practice of civil and environmental engineering.
Research concentrates on three general problem areas.
First is the integrated process of planning, designing, constructing, and operating facilities and systems relative to infrastructure and renewal. Second, research focuses on understanding environmental processes, mitigating the effect of human activities on the natural environment, and creating sustainable development growth strategies. A third area of research is the use of information technology to develop new infrastructure systems, increase engineering productivity, and improve the quality of engineering education.