Hydrologic Science and Engineering
Graduate Program at Colorado School of Mines
BUILD YOUR FUTURE TODAY
As we all know, water is essential to life. This core truth drives the research and academics performed each day in the Hydrologic Science and Engineering graduate program at Colorado School of Mines. Our interdisciplinary program provides students with a solid background in quantitative hydrology and explores specialties within related fields through water-focused coursework and research.
Meaningful research connections and industry and government collaborations allow graduates to identify the most pressing current and unknown water challenges, both on local and global scales, and find innovative solutions that will change the world for the better. Earn your MS or PhD in Hydrology at Mines. If you’re a creative problem solver who has a passion for tackling the greatest water challenges on Earth and beyond, our dynamic graduate program will prepare you for that next step.
$65.69M in research
awards (FY2018)
~$72,000 average
starting salary (master’s)
2019-20
#1 Best College in Colorado (Niche, 2024)
Requirements and Costs
Master’s Non-Thesis
- Bachelor’s degree: Required
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation: Required – two letters. Letters of recommendation are not required for current Mines students.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
- Statement of Purpose: Required
- Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
Master’s Thesis
- Bachelor’s degree: Required
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation: Required – three letters
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
- Statement of Purpose: Required
- Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
- For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not English, please review the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY requirement.
Doctorate
- Bachelor’s degree: Required
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation: Required – three letters
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
- Statement of Purpose: Required
- Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
- For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not English, please review the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY requirement.
| View Annual Cost of Attendance |
*Allowance for fees based on mandatory fees charged to all students. Does not include fees for orientation, library, yearbook, refrigerator rental, voice messaging, etc.
At less than 4.5 credit hours, you may be ineligible for financial aid.
WHY STUDY HYDROLOGY AT MINES?
As one of the nation’s leading applied science and engineering universities, Mines provides students with rigorous academic training, valuable research opportunities and a unique student life unlike any other. As one of the few hydrology-specific graduate programs, you’ll receive a focused and comprehensive hydrology curriculum that goes deeper and broader than most other programs. And with a diverse and experienced faculty in our interdisciplinary program, you’ll have the opportunity to explore all the unique paths within the world of hydrology.
Hands-on research is a core component of our graduate program, and with our location at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, we have the ideal environment for a variety of water-related research projects. As part of our coursework, we work on the survey field for hydro-geophysics examining ground water, perform physics water chemistry experiments at nearby Clear Creek, and tour federal partners, like the USGS, for hands-on modeling. Upon graduation, our students have the foundational knowledge, research experience and passion to thrive in their next step.
“I chose Mines because of its reputation as a leader in geological sciences, and I have enjoyed the professional but unassuming attitudes of the faculty and staff.”
Max Silver
PhD Candidate, Hydrologic Science and Engineering
Career Outcomes
- Contaminant characterization and remediation
- Groundwater or watershed modeling
- Water resource assessment
- Ecological restoration
- Environmental restoration
- Colorado Division of Water Resources
- Essential Management Solutions
- National Park Service
- Neptune and Company
- Sciex
- Tetra Tech
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- U.S. Geological Survey
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
DR. RYAN VENTURELLI
Earning her PhD in Marine Geology from University of South Florida in 2021, Dr. Ryan Venturelli joins Mines as an assistant professor in Geology and Geological Engineering. Dr. Venturelli is an isotope geochemist, focusing her research on projects to connect the timing and rates of past cryospheric change with the modern observational record to gain a process-based understanding of ice mass loss.
With an extensive collection of publications and conference presentations, Dr. Venturelli brings a wealth of experience and insight to our department. She currently teaches courses in Earth and Environmental Systems and will soon teach a course in Paleoclimate and Biogeochemical Cycles.
Degree Options
Master’s Non-Thesis
- Hydrology
Master’s Thesis
- Hydrology
PhD
- Hydrology