Education Programs in Global Engineering

Education

The Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience at the University of Colorado Boulder trains engineers to solve the hardest problems on the planet - clean water access, climate adaptation, food security, disaster resilience and sustainable infrastructure.

What is Global Engineering?Ìý

Global Engineering is the practice of applying engineering skills to improve quality of life world wide and particularily for communities facing poverty, climate stress and infrastructure gaps. It is interdisciplinary: technical design meets public health, economics, policy and community engagement.

Where can I work with a degree in Global Engineering?:

  • Consulting firms like Tetra Tech, AECOM and Jacobs
  • International development with the World Bank, UNICEF and Care
  • Government with EPA, USGS, NASA
  • Carbon Markets
  • Social Enterprise
Student standing by a latrine project

ÌýÌýThe past two years at the Mortenson Center have been absolutely transformative!Ìý

I have grown, learned, and developed my skillset through coursework, extracurricular activities, and my practicum. These experiences have taught me to ask big questions, think critically, and reimagine what I consider to be a meaningful life.Ìý

I see the world and my place in it so much more clearly. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn from professors with such rich experience and deep care for and commitment to their students.ÌýÌýÌý- Z. Schaad '26

Pathways to Global Engineering Education

Global Residential Academic Program

Global Engineering RAP
Ìý

Undergraduate Minor

Undergraduate Minor in Global Engineering

Online & On-Campus Graduate Certificate

Earn a certificate in Global Engineering

Professional Master's: Resilience & Sustainability

Climate, geospatial analytics, hazard-resilient infrastructure.Ìý

Professional Master's: Global Environmental Engineering
Scholarship & Support

Apprenticeships, graduate research assistantships, tuition support, fellowships, practicum scholarships

Ìý

Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.Ìý

- Henry David Thoreau

Ìý

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ UsÌýÌý

Men and women outside in Africa standing around equipment they are fixing.

Online Global Engineering Graduate Certificate

Overview Course Examples Who's It For? Scholarship Details
Overview

Online Graduate Certificate Overview:

  • 12 credits | 100% onlineÌý
  • Per credit: $1,293/in-state or $1,662 out-of-state
  • Merit scholarships available that can reduce the total program cost to $3,000
  • 9 credits transfer into the Professional MS programs
  • Complete in one calendar year from anywhere in the world!

You will get:

  • Access to CU Faculty, advising and career services
  • Connection to 80+ international practicum partners

Course Examples:

  • Global Development for Engineers: Understand the legacy of colonization, become familiar with the stakeholders that shape the global development agenda, explore development sectors, increase awareness of global development problems and improve critical thinking in order to produce policy memos, technical briefs and present evidence-based analysis.
  • Global Development Practicum: Engage in a significant field-based experience in a low- or middle-income context. Synthesize and integrate knowledge and skills gained in our other courses.Ìý
  • Introduction to Humanitarian Aid: Understand the opportunities and challenges of the humanitarian-development nexus,Ìý
    Introduction to Humanitarian Aid: Learn how humanitarian aid is organized and delivered around the world, how emergency response and long-term development efforts work together, and what it takes to prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises.
  • Data Analytics for Development: Learn to use common data science tools—including R, RStudio, tidyverse, and Quarto—to analyze data and communicate solutions to challenges in water, sanitation, air quality, and global health. They will also develop skills in open and collaborative research practices by using Git and GitHub to manage, share, and reproduce data analysis projects.

    View all courses

Who's It For?

  • Working engineers seeking sustainability credentials
  • International professionals preparing for a US graduate degree
  • Career changers pivoting into climate, water or carbon markets
  • Anyone who wants to test graduate school before committing, not just engineers

Scholarship Details

  • Merit scholarships can reduce tuition to as low as $250/credit or $3,000 total for all 12 credits
  • Applicants will be invited to apply after their application is reviewed and accepted.

Apply NowÌýÌý

On-Campus Graduate Certificate in Global Engineering

Overview Course Examples Global Practicum Who's It For? Funding Opportunities
Overview

Overview

  • Open to all ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ engineering graduate students
  • 12 credit hours (these fulfill the option area credits in Mechanical Engineering)
  • Includes a hands-on, field-based global practicum


    Ìý

CVEN 5919: Global Development for Engineers (required) Understand the legacy of colonization, become familiar with the stakeholders that shape the global development agenda, explore development sectors, increase awareness of global development problems and improve critical thinking in order to produce policy memos, technical briefs and present evidence-based analysis.
CVEN 5939: Global Engineering & Hazard Resilience Practicum (required) A true understanding of global engineering requires students to engage in a significant field-based experience in low- or middle-income context.
Option Areas: One-credit modules in Humanitarian Aid, Disaster Risk Reduction, Global Health, Study Design and Impact Evaluation, Data Analytics for Development and much more!

The Global Practicum is an important component of our program and provides students with an opportunity to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in Mortenson CenterÌýcoursework and other learning experiences, and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice in engineering and international development.Ìý The practicum is designed to help students:

  • Understand the meaning and importance of global engineering practice
  • Understand the purpose of field methods including community-based needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and household surveys
  • Understand and observe common elements among planning models and be able to develop a plan for an engineering intervention addressing a global issue, e.g. water supply, housing, energy
  • Understand major implementation issues, common barriers to implementation, and strategies for minimizing barriers to implementation
  • Identify and observe strategies for scaling up and sustaining engineering solutions
  • Apply planning, monitoring and evaluation skills to real-world problem solving; and
  • Enhance practice skills of leadership, effective teamwork, and the mastery of competencies in global engineering

The Global Engineering Graduate Certificate is for engineering students who want to expand their skill set, become more marketable, work globally, work in low-resource settings.Ìý

dsadf

Professional Master's in Global Resilience & Sustainability Engineering (Civil)

Overview Course Examples Who's It For? Funding Opportunities
Overview

Overview

  • 30 total credit hours
  • 9 credits from the Online Global Engineering Certificate can transfer into the PMP and reduce the total program cost
  • Paid master's projects are available | 3 credits with an average of $5,000-$15,000 stipend
  • Work with world-class faculty with real-world experience

Ìý

**

Who's it For?

  • Students who want career-ready skills employers are looking for in: carbon markets, climate adaptation, WASH systems, GIS, data analytics, AI tools, project management
  • Students who want access to our network of industry partners such as Tetra Tech, AECOM, Jacobs, Arcadis, WSP, Deloitte, government agencies and NGOs including. Open more doors with access to our alumni network.Ìý

***

Professional Master's in Global Environmental Engineering (Environmental)

Overview Course Examples Global Practicum Who's It For? Funding Opportunities
Overview

sdaf

dsfads

sfadsfdsa

asdf

***

Example Education Pathway

  1. student on laptop outside at dawn

    STEP 1

    Online Global Engineering Graduate Certificate

    • 12 credits | 100% Online
    • Complete from anywhere in the world in one calendar year
    • Offered through Continuing Education
    • Per credit: $1,293/in-state or $1,662 out-of-state
    • Scholarships available
  2. student with graduation cap and tassle

    STEP 2

    Choose Your Global Professional Master's Degree

    • Choose Professional Master's in Global Resilience & Sustainability Engineering (Civil) or Global Environmental Engineering (Env.)
    • 18 additional credits on campus you can complete in 2 semesters
    • Gain Industry connections through our direct partnerships, alumni and networks
    • Live in beautiful Boulder, Colorado! With world-class outdoor recreation and a thriving sustainability job market.Ìý
    • ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ ranked #1 for start-up creation in 2025 and launched it's 11th unicorn start-up in 2026 (APLUTM)
      Ìý
  3. student assembling water monitoring equipment be a resevoir

    STEP 3

    Paid Master's Project

    Earn While You Learn!
    Industry or research placement. Real-world engineering project. Stipend & tuition offset

  4. Desi Beardmoore stands atop a recently completed pedestrian bridge

    STEP 4

    Land Your Dream Job - Advance Your Career

    Our alumni work in.....

Leaders in Global Development and Climate Resilience Education, Research & Practice

Professional Master's Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Global Engineering
Online Graduate Certificate in Global Engineering
Practicum Program
Learn More and Apply
Undergraduate Programs

APPLY NOW

Ìý

Ìý