School of Science and Engineering
Online River-Coastal Science and Engineering Graduate Programs
Experience Future-Focused Learning, Wherever You Log On
Study Water at the Edge of Change
A graduate degree from the Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering (RCSE) equips students to address critical challenges in coastal resilience, flooding, and environmental change through interdisciplinary training and applied research. Located in the Mississippi River Delta, Tulane offers a unique living laboratory and close faculty mentorship that prepare graduates for impactful careers in engineering, environmental science, and policy.
We’re training current and future water professionals. Will you join us?
Program Overview
Designed for non-resident, early-career professionals and available to resident students, this flexible certificate can be tailored to river science, coastal science, or both. All certificate credits may be applied toward a graduate degree in River-Coastal Science and Engineering, including the non-resident Master of Science program.
Designed for working professionals, this fully remote Master of Science program provides the same academic experience as the residential degree while allowing students to remain employed. Students complete a thesis that often builds on their professional work, creating research with real-world impact. Many begin with the Graduate Certificate in River-Coastal Science and Engineering before continuing into the master's program, providing time to secure employer support and develop a research focus.
Advance Your Career in River-Coastal Science and Engineering
Designed for working professionals, Tulane's non-resident Master of Science and Graduate Certificate programs prepare students to address complex challenges in coastal resilience, flooding, water resources, and environmental change. Through interdisciplinary coursework and applied research, you'll study the interconnected river, delta, and coastal systems that shape communities around the world while learning from faculty in one of the nation's most dynamic coastal environments.
Whether you pursue the Graduate Certificate or the 30-credit Master of Science, you'll gain practical knowledge you can immediately apply in your career while building expertise in river and coastal science, engineering, and policy.
Designed for Working Professionals
Complete your degree entirely online while continuing to work full time. The non-resident Master of Science offers the same rigorous curriculum as the residential program, with flexible full-time and part-time enrollment options to fit your schedule.
Highlights of the non-resident experience include:
- Complete your coursework entirely online from anywhere.
- Study part time or full time while remaining employed.
- Pursue a thesis that can be connected to your professional work and career goals.
- Begin with the Graduate Certificate and apply those credits toward the master's degree.
- Learn alongside a network of professionals from government agencies, industry, and consulting organizations.
What Will You Learn?
The Master of Science in River-Coastal Science and Engineering prepares students to understand and address the complex challenges facing river, delta, and coastal systems. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates engineering, geoscience, ecology, and environmental policy, students gain the knowledge and practical skills needed to improve coastal resilience, manage water resources, reduce flood risk, and support sustainable communities.
Beyond core coursework, students can tailor their degree through electives and research that align with their professional interests and career goals, including:
Coastal Resilience
River and Delta Systems
Water Resources Engineering
Flood Risk and Hazard Mitigation
Sediment Transport and Coastal Processes
Environmental Modeling and Data Analysis
Ecosystem Restoration
Coastal Policy and Management
"Our students are already working on some of the most complex river and coastal systems in the country. The goal of the program is to give them deeper scientific understanding while allowing them to continue doing the work.”
Increase Your Earning Potential in a Growing Field. Start by applying to the Online Graduate Programs from River-Coastal Science and Engineering today.