MS in Sustainable Engineering - USC Viterbi | Prospective Students (2024)

Sustainable Engineering is a highly interdisciplinary degree program that emphasizes green systems and the environment, energy technology and efficiency, and sustainability and society. The discipline seeks opportunities for alternative sourcing, conservation, efficiency, and repurposing through an understanding of product life cycles from origins to recycling or inevitable disposal. Sustainability technologists will design products, processes, and complex infrastructure systems to promote sustainable attributes of importance to the environment and the global community.

The interdisciplinary nature of this program allows students to form plans-of-study that accommodate diverse engineering perspectives in support of unique and challenging career opportunities. Students also benefit from numerous green and sustainable projects throughout the Los Angeles region.

• This program requires completion of 27 units of coursework
  
• Eligible for the OPT STEM extension
• USC Catalogue
• USC Schedule of Classes

Visit our Ready to Apply page for more information

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants to the master's of science programs in Sustainable Engineering are required to have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree. Degrees in any engineering or engineering-related disciplines are frequently represented among our program applicants, including but not limited to the following:

• Civil Engineering
• Engineering
• Environmental Science

Applicants without a Bachelor’s degree in the preferred majors listed above will only be considered with coursework and demonstrated proficiency in the acceptable courses listed below (or equivalent).

Applications are reviewed holistically; simply taking these courses does not guarantee admission.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following materials are required to be included with your online application:

• Transcripts
• Resume/CV
• Personal Statement
• Letter of Recommendation (2 required)

NOTE:The GRE isnot requiredfor 2025 applications.

The following link will take you to an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students, including payment information. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition

Use the link below to download theCost of Attendanceto see a summary of tuition and fees by semester. The document is a typical example and the number of courses, and time to complete the program, will vary by student.

Estimated Cost of Attendance - 27 Unit Program

AYTEN KAHYA

How has living in Los Angeles impacted your experience as a Green Technologies student?
It is great to be in L.A. as California pioneers the country in sustainability. So, it is a great opportunity to follow up with recent technologies, implementations, and progress. In my experience, I have seen and learned about great green tech solutions here and have been able to follow up with some of the efforts for sustainability. I have also seen that there are a lot of improvements to be done as green tech and sustainability approaches are not broadly adopted.

As a Green Technologies student, what do you see as two of the most pressing changes our businesses and society must make in the coming years?
I believe that the most important thing that needs to change is the awareness of climate change threat; society and business have to realize how serious the problem is. Businesses that are focused on short term returns should stop viewing it as an external issue that needs a few adjustments to handle. Instead, they should include it in their strategy for long term viability. The most difficult one but probably one of the most important things that can aid the situation is changing consumer behavior.

Why did you choose to enroll at USC?
I had visited before as a tourist and really liked the campus. Also, the program content of Green Tech met my interests.

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ALEXANDER HENDRICKS

How has living in Los Angeles impacted your experience as a Green Technologies student?
Living in LA has greatly impacted my experience as a Green Technologies student. Los Angeles is one of the most innovative cities in terms of Green Technologies and there are countless companies and groups that are moving towards more sustainable energy in the city. Being able to see these different companies and their work firsthand has really inspired me in my classes. In addition, a lot of the professors draw on data and events in the LA area, which really makes the classes much more interactive and applicable.

Why did you choose to enroll at USC?
I chose to enroll at USC as it had a program that uniquely fit my interests. After finishing undergrad, I knew I wanted to go into the renewable energy field and USC's Green Technology program precisely prepares students for work in the field while also allowing for flexibility in pursuing other interests, such as environmental policy or green buildings.

Looking back, what is an experience at USC that you'll never forget?
An experience during my time at USC that I won't forget was going to a USC Women's soccer game with my dad in the Fall. My dad is a high school soccer coach and had two players playing in the game, so it was fun to both cheer on my school and share a fun experience at USC with my dad.

What are some personal achievements or experiences you'd like to share?
While at USC, there are a couple of personal achievements that I have made. First, I have become accredited as a LEED Green Associate and earned my engineer-in-training certification, thanks to the education I have gotten through my graduate program thus far. In addition, I recently accepted an internship with ENGIE, the 6th largest energy company in the world, to work on renewable energy projects in Southern California.

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PRISCILA OLIVEIRA

What has been your favorite Green Technologies project that you worked on at USC and why?
My favorite Green Technologies project was the one I worked on in my Renewable Energy in Power Systems course for a few reasons. This was the first course I've taken on renewable energy and on electric power systems and I really enjoyed all the topics that I learned there. I am also very curious about the development and deployment of clean energy technologies toward a sustainable future, which I was able to learn throughout this course. I worked on a team of six students of diverse backgrounds which was an enjoyable experience and a great opportunity to learn from my teammates and exchange ideas with them.

How has living in Los Angeles impacted your experience as a Green Technologies student?
Green Technologies is a highly interdisciplinary degree program that emphasizes green systems and the environment, energy technologies and efficiency, and sustainability and society. I benefit from multiple green energy and sustainable projects throughout the Los Angeles region. I have either studied some of them in my classes at USC or learned about them during my previous internship experience at the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board. In addition, many of the engineering consulting and energy firms that I would like to work for after I graduate have offices in Los Angeles, and I have had the opportunity to meet and network with some of them at professional events on campus.

Looking back, what is an experience at USC that you'll never forget?
An unforgettable experience at USC was being a student delegate at the 2019 Climate Forward Conference, which brought together international experts to discuss productive paths for action. I heard from state senators, a former governor, a UN Ambassador, CEOs, journalists and more. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the U.S. in global Paris Agreement negotiations, delivered the keynote speech, and Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered a powerful lunch address on city-level action. Student delegates then went to the post-conference retreat at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, where we distilled key takeaways from the panel discussions and participated in workshops. Ultimately, we came away with a resolution outlining actions that are key for seizing our individual climate power.

2022 First Destinations Survey - Outcomes*

Alumni Employment - 2022*
(Companies & Job Titles)

• Agility - Site Engineer

• Air Astana – Commercial Pilot

• ARAMCO - Lead Project Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Engineer III, Projects Management, Project Engineer

• Arcadis Inc. - Environmental Engineer

• BeaconFire Solution Inc. - Software Engineer

• Boeing - EE System Design Engineer 

• Charles Abbott Associates Inc. CAA - Assistant Engineer

• City of Los Angeles - Assistant Division Manager

• Clinpharma Consulting Global Group LLC - Engineer Intern

• Dow Chemical - Civil/Structural Engineer

• Dreyfuss Construction - Assistant Project Manager

• Emerald City Homes, Inc. - CEO - Founder

• Fehr & Peers - Engineer/Planner I

• FTF Engineering, Inc. - Engineering Designer

• Google - Software Engineer

• Hathaway Dinwiddie - Preconstruction Engineer, Project Engineer

• HSA & Associates, Inc. - Structural Designer

• JCE structural Group - Structural Designer

• KAFD Development Management Company - Prevention and Risk Manager

• KPFF Consulting Engineers - Civil Engineering

• Lily, Inc. - Vice President

• Los Angeles Department of Water & Power - Civil Engineering Associate 

• MainStreet Property Group LLC - Assistant Development Project Manager

• Michael Baker International - Civil Associate I Water/Wastewater Engineer

• MTM Construction, Inc. - Project Engineer

• National Grid - Graduate Development Program (Associate Engineer) 

• Onshore Maintain Potential Projects Dept. Saudi Aramco - Project Engineer

• Pinnacle Structural Engineers, Inc. - Graduate Engineer

• PMI KSA Chapter - VP of Marketing

• Propel Engineering, Inc. - Transportation Engineering Specialist I

• Saudi Aramco - Project Engineer

• Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries SAEI - Facility and Equipment Planning Manager

• Secretariat International – Associate

• Southwest Value Partners - Senior Asset Manager

• TEKsystems - Quantity Surveyor Engineer

• Turner Construction - Field Engineer

• University of Southern California - Web Developer I, Resource Employee

• Webcor Construction LP - Project Engineer

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Internships (Previous Years)

Aperture LLC; Barry & Wynn Architects, Inc.; Condon Johnson & Associates; Corgan Associates; DPR Construction; Mark G. Anderson Consultants, Inc.; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Structural Focus; Tipping Structural; San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency; VINCI Construction LLC; W.E. O'Neil; Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc.; West Power Energy; WSP USA Inc.

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* Information is based on a voluntary survey and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive view of the 2022 graduating class.

This program is also available online to professional engineers through DEN@Viterbi. Because the DEN@Viterbi program provides a fully equivalent academic experience, the degree a USC engineering student earns is the same whether they are on-campus or online.

If you are interested in beginning classes as a DEN@Viterbi student next semester, explore the requirements and steps to enrolling as a Limited Status Student.

Learn More About DEN@Viterbi

Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of Classes

DEN@VITERBI ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS

The following courses and program requirements serve as program planning for DEN@Viterbi students. Course offerings and availability are subject to change. Please consult with advisor if you have any questions.

Please complete the following form for more information.