The core principle of sustainable engineering is to enable long-lasting improvement of the human experience. One key goal toward this mission is avoiding any serious or irreparable damage to the environment. Similarly, sustainable engineers strive to complete work that supports the availability of natural resources in the future. Incorporating sustainability into engineering from the ground up is an increasingly common strategy in many engineering professions.
The topics covered in this program may sound similar to the goals of a master’s in environmental engineering program. However, engineering professionals with a sustainability focus consider a wider variety of concerns for every project. Along with the environment, they also consider a project’s potential influence on societies, economies and local governments.
The skills you’ll gain in this master’s program
Sustainable engineering roles typically require at least a bachelor’s degree with many senior positions preferring applicants who have a graduate degree as well. This program can prepare you to advance within your current sustainable engineering career or equip you to make a career change. In this program, you’ll develop the technical knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this industry. You can expect to build expertise with:
- Core sustainable engineering principles.
- Engineering and technological systems.
- Essential tools, such as life cycle assessment and design for sustainability.
- Key environmental and social considerations and how they can be integrated into technology design.
- Natural and human-made system modeling, dynamics and adaptive behavior.
- Technical communication.
Who’s a good candidate for this program?
This program builds on engineering fundamentals while incorporating an emphasis on sustainability to help you develop specialized knowledge in this field. The ideal candidate for this program is someone with a technical background in the natural sciences or engineering from an undergraduate degree or previous work experience. You may also qualify if you have educational and career experience in physics, chemistry or environmental-related fields. However, you may need to take a few additional courses to complete the degree and gain the technical expertise required for the advanced courses in this program.

Arizona State University’s Master of Science in Engineering in sustainable engineering can empower you to make a difference in our world. This multidisciplinary online degree gives you the flexibility to chart your own path for a range of engineering careers by focusing on sustainable principles that integrate social, environmental, political and economic concerns into engineering theory.
This sustainability in engineering master’s degree is a multidisciplinary program that includes an engineering core curriculum with sustainability focus. The coursework focuses on how to incorporate environmental and social factors into your engineering practice to achieve more sustainable solutions. In addition to developing this broad expertise, you’ll also select a professional elective track to gain specialized skills.
Of the 350+ faculty members in Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the majority have been honored with the highest awards in their fields. Faculty milestones include:
- National Academy of Engineering members.
- National Academy of Sciences member.
- National Academy of Inventors members.
- National Academy of Construction members.

The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is dedicated to providing a dynamic learning environment and supporting all students on the paths to their degrees. We’ve received numerous peer-reviewed programmatic honors from U.S. News & World Report.
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Applicants to the Master of Science in Engineering sustainable engineering program must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's degree or master's degree in engineering or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- Graduate admission application and application fee.
- Official transcripts.
- Personal statement.
- Three letters of recommendation.
An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) must provide proof of English proficiency.
The three letters of recommendation should be from professional or academic sources.
Students with a degree in civil engineering, environmental engineering, construction engineering, mechanical engineering or with an engineering degree other than these listed may be admitted, with deficiencies as identified by the sustainable engineering faculty, if appropriate.
If the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree in any of these programs, additional course requirements may be necessary based upon the applicant's background, including sufficient courses in mathematics that include calculus, differential equations and linear algebra. A faculty committee determines which required courses are needed on a case-by-case basis.
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”