Risk Engineering Master of Engineering

Make human civilization more resilient

waves crash against a lighthouse

Use Big Data and Computer Models to Assess Risks and Guide Decisions

Extreme weather and similar crises are costly in terms of lives and property.

Engineers and scientists trained in statistical decision theory are uniquely positioned to help public policymakers and private organizations mitigate losses and reduce human impacts.

This three-semester non-thesis master’s degree can give you that training.

Duke will help get you there. Unique among professional master’s programs, we offer scholarships to competitive applicants—typically $20,000 to $30,000.

Mark Borsuk

We’re seeing extreme events that previously could never have been predicted. Society needs professionals who can lead the creation of robust systems for when things don’t turn out exactly as expected.

Mark Borsuk Director, Duke Risk Engineering Master’s Program and Co-Director, Duke Center on Risk

Choose Your Concentration

A 30-credit professional degree, with an industry internship, that can be completed in three semesters.

Energy & Climate Systems

Environment & Population Health

Financial Risk

Materials & Structures

Expanding Career Opportunities

Demand is growing for leaders with interdisciplinary training where engineering intersects with economics, decision science and public policy.

Potential careers include:

  • Business and engineering consulting
  • Financial engineering
  • Infrastructure analysis
  • Risk assessment
  • Insurance and reinsurance industries

Who Should Consider Applying

While this master’s degree program is not for everyone, it is for more than just engineers.

Successful Applicants Can Include

  • A practicing scientist or engineer looking for a high-impact, career-ready master’s degree
  • A recent undergraduate with a degree in engineering, mathematics or the physical sciences
  • A prospective graduate student seeking excellent preparation for doctoral study
  • A Duke engineering undergraduate who wants to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years

Scholarships

Typically $20,000 to $30,000 for competitive applicants.

Courses

Core Curriculum

    • MENG 540: Management of High Tech Industries (3 credits)
    • MENG 570: Business Fundamentals for Engineers (3 credits)
    • MENG 550: Internship or Project (0 credits)
    • MENG 551: Internship/Project Assessment (0 credits)
  • Choose one from each of three areas:

    Mathematical Modeling & Optimization

    • CEE 530- Finite Element Method
    • CEE 531- Finite Elements for Fluids
    • CEE 627- Linear System Theory
    • CEE 690: Numerical Optimization
    • PHYS 513: Nonlinear Dynamics
    • MATH 541- Applied Stochastic Processes
    • MATH 551: Applied Partial Differential Equations and Complex Variables
    • MATH 555: Ordinary Differential Equations
    • MATH 561: Numerical Linear Algebra, Optimization and Monte Carlo Simulation
    • MATH 577: Mathematical Modeling
    • MATH 641- Probability
    • MATH 742- Stochastic Models
    • MATH 757- Linear Programming
    • Or another Engineering, Math, or Physics course at the 500 level or above with significant mathematical modeling or optimization content (approval required)

    Valuation, Assessment & Decision-Making

    • CEE 679: Environmental Engineering Project Management
    • ENERGY 578- ESG Investing
    • ENERGY 590: Applied Energy Economics
    • ENERGY 620- Energy Finance
    • ECON 753: Natural Resource Economics
    • ENVIRON 520/521: Resource and Environmental Economics
    • ENVIRON 638: Environmental Life Cycle Analysis
    • ENVIRON 717: Markets for Electric Power
    • ENVIRON 640: Climate Change Economics
    • Or another Engineering, Economics, or Environment course at the 500 level or above with significant economic, evaluation, or decision content (approval required)

    Policy Analysis

    • PUBPOL 504: Counterterrorism Law and Policy
    • PUBPOL 505S: National Security Decision-Making
    • PUBPOL 580S: Water Cooperation and Conflict
    • PUBPOL 582: Global Environmental Health: Economics and Policy
    • PUBPOL 583S: Energy and U.S. National Security
    • PUBPOL 585: Climate Change Economics and Policy
    • PUBPOL 607: Cost-Benefit Analysis for Health and Environmental Policy
    • LAW 590: Risk Regulation
    • Or another Engineering, Public Policy, or Law course at the 500 level or above with significant policy or law content (approval required)
    • CEE 551: Risk and Resilience Engineering (3 credits)
    • EGRMGMT 580: Decision Models (3 credits)

Specialization Courses

Choose three courses in one of four specializations—9 credits

    • CEE 575: Air Pollution Control Engineering
    • ECS 511: The Climate System
    • ENERGY 572- Impact Evaluation of Energy and Development
    • ENERGY 579- Climate Tech Startups and Investors
    • ENERGY 588- Introduction to Solar Project Development
    • ENERGY 716: Modeling for Energy Systems
    • ENERGY 711: Energy and the Environment
    • ENERGY 630: Transportation and Energy
    • ENERGY 631: Energy Technology and Environmental Impacts
    • ENERGY 635: Energy Economics and Policy
    •  ENERGY 716: Modeling for Energy Systems
    • EOS 512: Climate Change and Climate Modeling
    • Or another Engineering, Energy, or Earth Science course at the 500 level or above with significant energy or climate system content (approval required)
    • CEE 506- Environmental Spatial Data Analysis
    • CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena
    • CEE 561: Environmental Aquatic Chemistry
    • CEE 562- Applied Biological Principles in Environmental Engineering
    • CEE 563: Chemical Fate of Organic Compounds
    • CEE 564- Physical and Chemical Processes in Environmental Engineering
    • CEE 566- Environmental Microbiology
    • CEE 575- Air Pollution Engineering
    • CEE 584- Physical Hydrology
    • CEE 666- Aquatic Geochemistry
    • CEE 683: Groundwater Hydrology and Contaminant Transport
    • ENERGY 524- Water Quality and Health
    • ENVIRON 539: Human Health & Ecological Risk Assessment
    • ENVIRON 563: Cost-Benefit Analysis for Health and Environmental Policy
    • Or another Engineering or Environment course at the 500 level or above with significant environmental, public health, or engineering content (approval required)
  • Two courses from electives list for the:

    • Two courses from electives list for the Technology Track of the Duke FinTech master’s program.

    One course from among:

    • ECON 571: Financial Markets and Investments
    • ECON 572: Asset Pricing & Risk Management
    • ECON 623: Forecasting Financial Markets
    • ECON 671: Financial Markets and Investments
    • ECON 672: Empirical Methods in High-Frequency Financial Econometrics
    • ECON 673/MATH 581- Mathematical Finance
    • ECON 674: Financial Derivatives
    • ECON 678: Derivatives for Speculation and Risk Management
    • ECON 823: Forecasting Financial Markets
    • MATH 583- Derivatives & Risk Management
    • MATH 585- Introduction to Algorithmic Trading
    • Or another Engineering, Financial Technology, or Economics course at the 500 level or above with significant quantitative finance content (approval required)
    • CEE 525. Wave Propagation in Elastic and Poroelastic Media
    • CEE 621. Plasticity
    • CEE 622- Fracture Mechanics
    • CEE 642. Environmental Geomechanics
    • CEE 643- Environmental and Engineering Geophysics
    • CEE 520. Continuum Mechanics
    • ME 527. Buckling of Engineering Structures
    • ME 555. Computational Materials Science
    • ME 742. Nonlinear Mechanical Vibration
    • BME 590. Viscoelastic Biomechanics
    • Or another Engineering course at the 500 level or above with significant materials or structural content (approval required)

Typical Study Plan

3 Semesters, or About 11/2 years

CategoryFall 1Spring 1Summer 1Fall 2
Industry Preparation CoreMENG 570 Business Fundamentals for EngineersMENG 540 Leadership & Management Principles for Technology-Based OrganizationsMENG 550 Internship or ProjectMENG 551 Internship/Project Assessment
Uncertainty, Risk & Systems Engineering CoreEGRMGMT 580 Decision Models CEE 551: Risk and Resilience Engineering

EGRMGMT 580 Decision Models
Methodology CoreMathematical Modeling & Optimization

Valuation,
Assessment & Decision-Making Course
Policy Analysis Course
SpecializationSpecialization Course 1Specialization Course 2Specialization Course 3

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Program Director

Other MEng Degree Options