Climate & Sustainability Engineering Master of Engineering
In an age that demands transformation, engineering is poised to become the discipline that delivers the future we need. Duke’s project-based Climate & Sustainability Engineering MEng is designed to produce the most effective engineering leaders, fluent across climate, policy, business and technical fields — engineers ready to meet the moment. You’ll design, test and deploy engineered solutions to help communities adapt to climate risks and accelerate energy transition, becoming an industry pioneer ready to drive systems-level change. Not just a traditional master’s program, this is an incubator for the leaders that the world needs to take on its biggest challenges.
found employment or further education within 6 months of graduation
Learn to Think Big
Duke offers one of the few climate & sustainability engineering degrees inside a top-ranked engineering school that connects technical design to policy, finance and social impact. You’ll learn to maximize positive impact across four vital areas: Energy Transition, Infrastructure Adaptation & Mitigation, Sustainable Materials and Business Applications.
Energy Transition
Help a utility model different renewable energy portfolios and see how climate engineering can directly shape a cleaner energy transition.
Infrastructure
Redesign stormwater and transportation systems for a coastal city to understand how resilient infrastructure planning can protect communities from extreme weather.
Materials
Test low‑carbon concrete and recycled materials on real design projects to measure how smarter material choices cut life cycle emissions.
Business Applications
Build a business case for a climate project, combining engineering data with policy and finance, so an organization can confidently invest in sustainability.
A Curriculum Built by & for Engineers
The curriculum for our climate & sustainability engineering degree includes guidance from an industry advisory board that works across climate, infrastructure and energy sectors. Courses are taught by experienced faculty who bring insights from both public agencies and private‑sector organizations into the classroom.
Applied Climate and Sustainability Engineering
Material Design in a Circular Economy
Systems Engineering for Climate Response Modeling
Choose two. Elective options change each year as relevant courses are constantly beingadded in the Pratt School of Engineering and across the Duke campus.
Faculty in this program teach and collaborate across Duke’s engineering, environment and law schools. They provide a comprehensive view of climate and sustainability challenges. You’ll also work with a dedicated career coach who specializes in supporting engineering graduate students.
Senior Career Specialist, Alumni & Industry Relations Lead, Graduate Student Affairs
Industry Advisory Board
The curriculum is shaped with input from leaders at AECOM, Deloitte, Schneider Electric, and other global climate and infrastructure firms. Our advisory board represents distinguished engineers and other experts working in the field and includes several Duke graduates.
My favorite aspect of the program is that it really focuses on preparing us for a career in this sector. I constantly get a better sense of where I fit as an engineer in the climate & sustainability space from class content, guest speakers from the industry, and on-campus events.
Gabriel SandovalMEng in Climate & Sustainability Engineering, 2026
Why Duke for a Sustainability & Climate Engineering Master’s?
Every aspect of this climate & sustainability engineering master’s degree is built around hands-on, applied learning, so you graduate ready to implement solutions rather than just analyze them. The curriculum integrates real-world climate, infrastructure and energy case studies into your coursework and cocurricular experiences.
Workshops, speaker series and interdisciplinary projects expose you to how climate and sustainability decisions are made in government, industry and nonprofits. These experiences help you see how adaptation, mitigation and resilience strategies play out beyond the classroom — and connect you with leaders in the industry.
Throughout the program, you’ll build a professional portfolio centered on a sustainability solution you conceive, design and refine over time. You’ll graduate with solid work demonstrating how you apply climate engineering.
As a Climate & Sustainability Engineering MEng student, you’ll complete a required internship or project that gives you experience applying climate engineering skills. Tackle climate engineering challenges for a company, agency or NGO, and translate that work into a portfolio that showcases your impact. You’ll work on clearly defined adaptation, mitigation, infrastructure or resilience challenges, then reflect on your impact and next steps.
Career Outcomes for the Sustainability & Climate Engineering MEng
Graduates of Duke’s Climate & Sustainability Engineering master’s program benefit from the strong track record of civil and environmental engineering master’s outcomes. Within six months of graduation, 94% of recent civil and environmental engineering master’s graduates were employed full time or pursuing further education.
This climate & sustainability engineering master’s program is a good fit if you want to go beyond optimizing what exists and design what comes next. The world’s biggest systemic challenge — climate change — demands engineers who can build practical, transformative solutions to infrastructure, sustainability and business challenges.
Applicants typically hold an undergraduate degree in engineering or a related field with substantial STEM coursework and are motivated to work on adaptation, mitigation, renewable energy or resilient infrastructure projects.
Recommended Preparation
An undergraduate degree in engineering or in a field with significant STEM-related coursework
At least 1 semester each of Calculus I, Calculus II, and Statistics or other math beyond Calculus II
At least 2 courses in engineering, computer science, mathematics or physical sciences (more is preferred)
FAQs for the Climate & Sustainability Engineering Master’s Program
It’s a professional master’s degree focused on applied, industry-informed solutions, combining technical coursework with a required internship and a portfolio of real projects. It is designed to create a new type of climate & sustainability engineer with fluency in business, policy and leadership.
Most students complete the Climate & Sustainability Engineering MEng in three semesters, typically 18 months of full-time study.
Yes. All students complete an internship or project through MENG 550/551. This helps students gain practical experience with climate, infrastructure or renewable energy challenges.
Applicants should have Calc I and II plus Statistics, along with at least two courses in engineering, computer science, mathematics or the physical sciences. An engineering or STEM bachelor’s degree is preferred, but relevant STEM coursework can also be considered
Within six months of graduation, 94% of recent CEE master’s graduates were employed full time or were in further education. Employers include engineering, consulting, energy, government and nonprofit organizations. You can review detailed statistics and employer lists on the CEE master’s outcomes page.
Take the Next Step in Climate & Sustainability Engineering
If you are ready to turn your skills into real-world adaptation, mitigation and resilience solutions, this master’s program gives you the structure, mentorship and industry connections to do it. Explore admissions requirements, deadlines, and tuition and financial aid options, then start your application to join the next cohort of climate and sustainability engineering leaders.
Students in the Climate & Sustainability Engineering Master of Engineering inaugural cohort embarked on summer internships where they tackled real-world climate challenges and learned more about working in the climate & sustainability space.
Analyze and manage infrastructure and climate-related risks, with an emphasis on hazards, resilience and decision-making.
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