Fred Boadu, Ph.D.
boadu@duke.eduCEE Director of Master’s Studies, Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Graduate Study Tracks
Customize your degree to fit your career goals
Students in Duke CEE’s doctoral (PhD) and Master of Science (MS) degree programs may choose from three engineering study tracks—each one aligned with faculty research interests.
Theoretical, Computational and Applied Mechanics
Duke Engineering has unique facilities and world-renowned faculty working in this fast-developing area of engineering and applied sciences track. The training offered seeks to integrate mathematical, scientific, computing, and engineering principles to tackle complex problems in built and natural systems.
The course offerings ensure students receive premier training in mechanics, applied mathematics and computer science. Students select electives based on their focus area of interest. Examples include computational and data-driven engineering, hydrology and fluid dynamics, and mechanics of porous media.
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Required core courses:
- CEE 501: Applied Mathematics for Engineers
- CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics
Select at least three (3) courses from the following list of electives:
- CEE 506: Environmental Spatial Data Analysis
- CEE 525: Wave Propagation in Elastic and Poroelastic Media
- CEE 530: Introduction to the Finite Element Method
- CEE 531: Finite Element Methods for Problems in Fluid Mechanics
- CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena
- CEE 621: Plasticity
- CEE 623: Mechanics of Composite Materials
- CEE 627: Linear Systems Theory
- CEE 630: Nonlinear Finite Element Method
- CEE 642: Environmental Geomechanics
- CEE 684: Physical Hydrology
- CEE 690A: Data Assimilation and Inverse Problems
- CEE 690B: Nonlinear Systems and Chaotic Data Analysis
- CEE 690C: Introduction to Micrometeorology
- CEE 690D: Using X-ray Computed Tomography to Study Porous Materials
- CEE 690E: Turbulence
- CEE 690F: Finite Element Methods with Moving and Immersed Boundaries
- CEE 690G: Finite Element Methods for Compressible Flows
- CEE 643: Environmental and Engineering Geophysics
- CEE 690*: Geophysics and Sustainable Developments
- ECE 551D: Programming, Data Structures, and Algorithms in C++
- ME 531: Thermodynamics
- ME 555: Computational Materials Science
- ME 631: Intermediate Fluid Dynamics
- ME 632: Advanced Fluid Dynamics
Example Study Plans for Specific Focus Areas
Computational and Data Driven Engineering
- CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics
- CEE 501: Applied Mathematics for Engineers
- CEE 530: Introduction to the Finite Element Method
- CEE 531: Finite Element Methods for Problems in Fluid Mechanics
- CEE 623: Mechanics of Composite Materials
- CEE 627: Linear Systems Theory
- CEE 630: Nonlinear Finite Element Method
- CEE 635: Computational Methods for Evolving Discontinuities and Interfaces
- CEE 690A: Data Assimilation and Inverse Problems
- CEE 690B: Nonlinear Systems and Chaotic Data Analysis
- CEE 690C: Data Science and Machine Learning for Engineers
- CEE 690D: Deep Learning Applications in Engineering
- CEE 690F: Finite Element Methods with Moving and Immersed Boundaries
- CEE 690G: Finite Element Methods for Compressible Flows
Fall Offerings Spring Offerings CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics CEE 623: Mechanics of Composite Materials CEE 501: Applied Maths for Engineers CEE 630: Nonlinear Finite Element Method CEE 530: Intro to the Finite Element Method CEE 690: Nonlinear Chaotic Data Analysis CEE 627: Linear Systems Theory CEE 690: Assimilation & Inverse Problems CEE 690C: Data Science and ML CEE 531: Finite Element Methods for Fluids CEE 690F: FEM Moving & Immersed Boundaries CEE 690F: FEM Compressible Flows Hydrology and Fluid Dynamics
- CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics
- CEE 501: Applied Mathematics for Engineers
- CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena
- CEE 684: Physical Hydrology
- CEE 506: Environmental Spatial Data Analysis
- CEE 690A: Data Assimilation and Inverse Problems
- CEE 690B: Nonlinear Systems and Chaotic Data Analysis
- CEE 690C: Introduction to Micrometeorology
- CEE 690E: Turbulence
- CEE 643 Environmental and Engineering Geophysics
- CEE 690* Geophysics and Sustainable Developments
Fall Offerings Spring Offerings CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics CEE 684: Physical Hydrology CEE 501: Applied Maths for Engineers CEE 560: Env Transport Phenomena CEE 506: Env Spatial Data Analysis CEE 690: Nonlinear Chaotic Data Analysis CEE 690: Intro to Micrometeorology (Even) CEE 690: Assimilation & Inverse Problems CEE 690: Turbulence Mechanics of Porous Media
- CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics
- CEE 501: Applied Mathematics for Engineers
- CEE 525: Wave Propagation in Elastic and Poroelastic Media
- CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena
- CEE 621: Plasticity
- CEE 642: Environmental Geomechanics
- CEE 623: Mechanics of Composite Materials
- CEE 690D: Using X-ray Computed Tomography to Study Porous Materials
- CEE 643 Environmental and Engineering Geophysics
- CEE 690* Geophysics and Sustainable Developments
Fall Offerings Spring Offerings CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics CEE 560: Env Transport Phenomena CEE 501: Applied Maths for Engineers CEE 621: Plasticity CEE 525: Wave Propagation Elastic Media CEE 642: Environmental Geomechanics CEE 530: Intro to the Finite Element Method CEE 690: X-ray CT for Porous Materials CEE 627: Linear Systems Theory CEE 623: Mechanics of Composite Materials Computational Mechanics and Scientific Computing
- CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics
- CEE 501: Applied Mathematics for Engineers
- CEE 530: Introduction to the Finite Element Method
- ECE 551D. Programming, Data Structures, and Algorithms in C++
- CEE 531: Finite Element Methods for Problems in Fluid Mechanics
- CEE 627: Linear Systems Theory
- CEE 630: Nonlinear Finite Element Method
- CEE 635: Computational Methods for Evolving Discontinuities and Interfaces
- CEE 690F: Finite Element Methods with Moving and Immersed Boundaries
- CEE 690G: Finite Element Methods for Compressible Flows
Fall Offerings Spring Offerings CEE 520: Continuum Mechanics CEE 690F: FEM Moving & Immersed Boundaries CEE 501: Applied Maths for Engineers CEE 630: Nonlinear Finite Element Method CEE 530: Intro to the Finite Element Method CEE 690: Nonlinear Chaotic Data Analysis ECE 551D. Programming, Data Structures, and Algorithms in C++ CEE 690F: FEM Compressible Flows CEE 635: Computational Methods for Evolving Discontinuities and Interfaces CEE 531: Finite Element Methods for Fluids
Environmental Health Engineering
Protect human health by monitoring, predicting and managing our impact on air, water and more.
Our students benefit from our research relationships with the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke.
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MS students may substitute a core area course with another course in that area and should obtain permission from the Director or Assistant Director of Master’s Studies prior to enrollment.
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PhD students can modify their course plan from these guidelines and should consult with their PhD exam committee chair.
Note that PhD students will be tested on their proficiency in the core areas during their exams.
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Select at least five (5) courses, with at least one (1) course in each of three core areas.
Core Areas
Chemical Principles
- CEE 561L: Environmental Aquatic Chemistry – Fall
- CEE 563: Chemical Fate of Organic Compounds – Fall
Physical Processes
- CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena – Spring
- CEE 584: Physical Hydrology – Spring
Microbiological Principles
- CEE 566: Environmental Microbiology – Fall
- CEE 562L: Biological Processes in Environmental Engineering – Spring
Additional Electives
- CEE 501: Applied Mathematics for Engineers – Occasional
- CEE 502: Engineering Data Analysis – Occasional
- CEE 506: Environmental Spatial Data Analysis – Fall
- CEE 530: Finite Elements Methods
- CEE 551: Risk and Resilience in Engineering – odd Fall & odd Spring
- CEE 564: Physical and Chemical Treatment Processes in Environmental Engineering – Spring
- CEE 565: Environmental Analytical Chemistry – alt. Spring
- CEE 574: Remote Sensing – odd Fall semesters
- CEE 575: Air Pollution Engineering – Spring
- CEE 581: Numerical Methods in Environmental Transport – Spring
- CEE 643: Engineering and Environmental Geophysics – Fall/Spring
- CEE 661L: Environmental Molecular Biotechnology – Spring
- CEE 666: Aquatic Geochemistry – Spring
- CEE 667: Chemical Transformations of Environmental Contaminants – alt. Spring
- CEE 683: Groundwater and Vadose Zone Hydrology – alt. Fall
- CEE 684: Hydrometeorology and Land-Atmosphere Interactions – even Fall
- CEE 686: Ecohydrology – occasional
- CEE 690: Introduction to Turbulence – Fall
- CEE 690: Numerical Optimization – odd Spring Semesters
- CEE 690: Modeling of Environ., Chem., and Biol. Processes – Fall
- CEE 690: Data Science and Machine Learning in Applied Science and Engineering – Fall
- CEE 690: Introduction to Deep Learning – Fall
- CEE 690: Environmental Cheminformatics – alt. Fall
- ENVIRON 501: Environmental Toxicology – Fall
- ENVIRON 710: Applied Data Analysis in Environmental Sciences – Fall (limited enrollment)
- EOS 520: Introduction to Fluid Dynamics – Fall
- BIOL 665: Bayesian Inference for Environmental Models – Spring
- ME 631(226): Intermediate Fluid Mechanics – Fall
- ME 632(227): Advanced Fluid Mechanics – Spring
- PHARM 733: Experimental Design and Biostatistics for Basic Biomedical Scientists – Fall & Spring (limited enrollment)
Systems, Risk & Decision
Receive specialized training in risk assessment, analyzing hazard mitigation technologies, and designing resilient systems—all while deepening expertise your core engineering discipline.
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Select at least five (5) courses, with at least one (1) course in each of three core areas and two (2) in any one application are:
Core Areas
Mathematical Modeling & Optimization
- CEE 530 Finite Elements
- CEE 531 Finite Elements for Fluids
- CEE 627 Linear System Theory
- CEE 690 Numerical Optimization
- COMPSCI 565 Modern Optimization for Statistical Learning
- 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 757 Linear Programming
Uncertainty Quantification & Statistical Modeling
- CEE 506 Environmental Spatial Data Analysis
- CEE 551 Risk and Resilience Engineering
- ECE 555 Probability for Electrical and Computer Engineers
- ECE 555. Probability for Electrical and Computer Engineers –each Fall
- CEE 690 Data Science and Machine Learning for Engineering
- MATH 641 Probability
- MATH 742 Stochastic Models
- STA 502 Bayesian Inference & Decision
- STA 521 Predictive Modeling
- STA 523 Statistical Programming
- STA 561 Probabilistic Machine Learning
- STA 571 Advanced Machine Learning
- STA 602 Bayesian Statistical Modeling
- STA 621 Applied Stochastic Processes
Valuation, Assessment & Decision Making
- CEE 679 Environmental Engineering Project Management
- CEE 690 Env Sys Analysis & Adaptation
- ECON 506 Macroeconomic Policy
- ECON 530/531 Resource and Environmental Economics
- ECON 572 Asset Pricing and Risk Management
- ECON 620 Game Theory with Applications
- ECON 642 Development Economics
- ECON 671 Financial Markets and Investments
- ECON 751 Political Economy and Institutions
- ECS 568 Integrated Assessment Modeling
- ENERGY 572 Impact Evaluation of Energy and Development
- ENERGY 578 ESG Investing
- ENERGY 590 Applied Energy Economics
- ENERGY 620 Energy Finance
- ENERGY 635 Energy Economics and Policy
- ENVIRON 539 Human Health & Ecological Risk Assessment
- ENVIRON 563 Cost-Benefit Analysis for Health and Environmental Policy
- ENVIRON 638 Environmental Life Cycle Analysis
- ENVIRON 717 Markets for Electric Power
- ENVIRON 640 Climate Change Economics
- 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
Application Areas
Water & Environment
- CEE 531 Finite Elements for Fluids
- CEE 560 Environmental Transport
- CEE 561 Environmental Aquatic Chemistry
- CEE 584 Physical Hydrology
- CCEE 666 Aquatic Geochemistry
- CEE 683 Groundwater Hydrology
Environmental Engineering
- CEE 562 Applied Biological Principles in Environmental Engineering
- CEE 563 Chemical Fate of Organic Contaminants
- CEE 564 Physical and Chemical Processes in Environmental Engineering
- CEE 566 Environmental Microbiology
- CEE 575 Air Pollution Engineering
- CEE 661 Environmental Molecular Biotechnology
Materials & Structures
- CEE 520 Continuum Mechanics
- CEE 525 Wave Propagation in Elastic Media
- CEE 530 Finite Elements
- CEE 621 Plasticity
- CEE 622 Fracture Mechanics
- CEE 623 Mechanics of Composite Materials
- ECS 570 Geohazards and Disaster Risk
Energy and Climate Systems
- ECS 511 The Climate System
- ECS 617 Advanced Climate Dynamics
- ENERGY 588 Introduction to Solar Project Development
- ENERGY 630 Transportation and Energy
- ENERGY 631 Energy Technology and Environmental Impacts
- ENERGY 711 Energy and the Environment
- ENERGY 716 Modeling for Energy Systems
- EOS 512 Climate Change and Climate Modeling
- ENVIRON 717 Markets for Electric Power
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Glossary
- MMO = Mathematical Modeling and Optimization
- UQS = Uncertainty Quantification and Statistical Modeling
- VAD = Valuation, Assessment, and Decision Making
- AA = Application Area
- ELE = Elective
Water & Environment
Fall 1 Spring 1 Fall 2 Spring 2 CEE 690: Modeling of Environ., Chem., and Biol. Processes (MMO) CEE 644. Inverse Problems in Geosciences & Engineer’g (UQS) CEE 684: Physical Hydrology and Hydrometeorology (AA) Elective ECON 530. Resource & Environmental Economics (VAD) Elective (e.g., LAW 320: Water Resources Law) CEE 683: Groundwater Hydrology & Contaminant Transport (AA) Elective Elective (e.g., CEE 675: Remote Sensing of the Environment) Elective (e.g., CEE 686: Ecohydrology) Elective Elective Environmental Engineering
First Fall First Spring Second Fall Second Spring CEE 561: Environmental Aquatic Chemistry (AA) CEE 690. Numerical Optimization (MMO) CEE 560: Environmental Transport Phenomena (AA) Elective CEE 690: Risk and Resilience in Engineering (UQS) PUBPOL 607. Cost-Benefit Analysis for Health & Environ. Policy (VAD) Elective (e.g., CEE 563 Fate and Behavior or Organic Contaminants) Elective Elective (e.g., CEE 564: Physical Chemical Processes in Environ. Eng.) Elective (e.g., CEE 566: Environmental Microbiology) Elective (e.g., CEE 571: Control of Hazardous and Toxic Waste) Elective Materials & Structures
First Fall First Spring Second Fall Second Spring CEE 530. Finite Element Analysis (AA) or CEE 520. Continuum Mechanics (AA)
PUBPOL 607. Cost-Benefit Analysis for Health and Environ. Policy (VAD) Elective MATH 551: Applied Partial Differential Equations (MMO) Elective (e.g., ME 742. Nonlinear Mechanical Vibration) CEE 690. Risk and Resilience in Engineering (UQS) Elective Elective (e.g., ME 527. Buckling of Engineering Structures) Elective Elective (e.g., Math 541. Applied Stochastic Processes) Elective Energy Systems
First Fall First Spring Second Fall Second Spring CEE 690. Risk and Resilience in Engineering (UQS) CEE 690. Numerical Optimization (MMO) Elective (e.g., ECON 527. Regulation and Deregulation in Public Utilities) Elective ENERGY 716: Modeling for Energy Systems (AA) ENVIRON 590. Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Analysis (VAD) Elective (e.g., ENVIRON 717: Markets for Electric Power) Elective Elective (e.g., ENERGY 729. The Water-Energy Nexus) ENERGY 631: Energy Technology and Impact on the Environment (AA) Elective Elective -
- CEE 571: Control of Hazardous and Toxic Waste
- COMPSCI 571: Machine Learning
- COMPSCI 579: Statistical Data Mining
- DECISION 614. Forecasting
- DECISION 611. Decision Models
- ECON 527. Regulation and Deregulation in Public Utilities
- ECON 753. Natural Resource Economics
- ECE 581: Random Signals and Noise
- ECE 585: Signal Detection and Extraction Theory
- ENRGYENV 625. Energy, Markets & Innovation
- ENVIRON 531: Economic Valuation of the Environment
- ENVIRON 539. Human Health & Ecological Risk Assessment
- ENVIRON 640: Climate Change Economic
- ENVIRON 717: Markets for Electric Power
- LAW 590: Risk Regulation
- MATH 541: Applied Stochastic Processes
- MATH 577: Mathematical Modeling
- 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
- STA 601: Bayesian and Modern Statistics
- STA 611: Introduction to Modern Statistics
- STA 623: Statistical Decision Theory
Important Note
Course waivers require documentation of previous knowledge and written permission from the CEE Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
Master’s Contacts
PhD Contacts
