Explore Our Grad Programs
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Flexible Programs, Plenty of Options
With 18 areas of study and a range of degree types — from research-intensive doctorates to flexible professional master’s programs — the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech offers multiple paths to meet the needs of today’s diverse graduate students. Whether you're preparing for a career in research, advancing in industry, or exploring a new area of expertise, there’s a program designed to support your goals. As you explore the options below, consider what energizes you — the kinds of challenges you want to solve, the environments you enjoy working in, and the impact you hope to make through engineering. There’s more than one path to success, and the right program can help you shape it.
As you explore, use the list below to find the right fit — and if online learning is your preference, discover more at Virginia Tech Engineering Online.
The aerospace engineering curriculum includes the areas of aerodynamics, flight dynamics and controls, propulsion, and aerospace structures. The program culminates in a nationally recognized senior-level design sequence including analysis and design of aircraft, spacecraft, and their related technologies.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg Campus and Online
Graduate Program Director: Olivier Coutier-Delgosha
Graduate Program Coordinators: Audri Cunningham
The mission of the Biological Systems Engineering Department is to develop and disseminate engineering knowledge and practices that protect natural resources and improve sustainable production, processing, and utilization of biological materials.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Cully Hession
Graduate Program Coordinator: Liza Spradlin
The Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering & Sciences (SBES) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional graduate program that bridges engineering, science and medicine.
Degrees: MS, Ph.D.
Locations: Blacksburg, Roanoke, Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Graduate Program Director: Miguel Perez
Graduate Program Coordinator: Kelsey Wall
At the Master's degree level, the Building Construction curriculum prepares students with the professional capabilities to critically address present and evolving needs of the construction industry.
Degrees: MS
Locations: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Josh Iorio
Graduate Program Coordinator: Brandy Barrow
Graduate plans of study in chemical engineering are heavily oriented toward synthesis as well as analysis. There are strong threads of physics, chemistry, mathematics, biochemistry, and microbiology in much of the research in the department. Active research areas include polymer chemistry, polymer science and engineering, colloid and surface chemistry, solid state chemistry and physics, nanotechnology, applied thermodynamics, molecular modeling, biochemical and tissue engineering, biomaterials, nanomedicine, catalysis and surface science, design for sustainability, green engineering, computer-aided design, and supercritical fluid science and technology.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Chang Lu
Graduate Program Coordinator: Carrie Hopkins
Graduate Catalog page
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The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, which is ranked in the top 10 accredited civil and environmental engineering departments by the US News and World Report, is one of the largest programs in the United States.
For the civil engineering graduate degrees, students may emphasize one or more of 10 discipline areas within the Department: civil engineering materials, civil infrastructure engineering, construction engineering and management, environmental engineering, geospatial engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrosystems engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Locations: Blacksburg, Hampton Roads, Roanoke, Richmond, Southwest Virginia, Online
Graduate Program Director: Carin Roberts-Wollmann
Graduate Program Coordinator: Sarah Martin
The graduate program in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech is on its way to becoming one of the top programs in the country. The resources and facilities for research areas such as human-computer interaction, bioinformatics, and high-end computing are state of the art, and the growing list of specialized masters and doctoral degrees in a variety of areas provides opportunities for students to concentrate their research and study on the specific aspects of computer science in which they are most interested.
Degrees: MS, MEng, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area
Graduate Program Directors:
Graduate Program Coordinators:
As the fourth largest Electrical and Computer Engineering department in the United States, we offer strong education and research opportunities in diverse areas, including computers, control systems, communications, electronics, electromagnetics, and power.
A collaborative atmosphere and interdisciplinary efforts are hallmarks of the department's research programs, and the 35+ research groups, centers, and laboratories grow in reputation each year.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Locations: Blacksburg, Hampton Roads, Greater Washington D.C. metro area, Roanoke, Richmond, Southwest Virginia, Online.
Graduate Program Directors:
- Blacksburg: Paul Plassmann
- Academic Building One in Alexandria, Va.: Lamine Mili
Graduate Program Coordinators:
- Nicole Sutphin - MS non-thesis students
- Rebecca Stevenson - MEng students
- Lisa K. Burns - MS Thesis, Direct-Ph.D. & Ph.D. Advisor (Last names N-Z)
- Laura Villada - MS Thesis, Direct-Ph.D. and Ph.D. Advisor (Last names A-M)
From pervasive computing to smart power systems, Virginia Tech Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) faculty and students delve into all major areas of electrical and computer engineering. As one of the country's larger ECE departments, we offer strong education and research opportunities in diverse areas, including computers, control systems, communications, electronics, electromagnetics, and power.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg, Hampton Roads, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area, Richmond, Roanoke, Southwest Virginia, and online
Graduate Program Directors:
- Blacksburg: Paul Plassmann
- Academic Building One in Alexandria, Va.: Lamine Mili
Graduate Program Coordinators:
- Nicole Sutphin - MS non-thesis students
- Rebecca Stevenson - MEng students
- Lisa K. Burns - MS Thesis, Direct-Ph.D. & Ph.D. Advisor (Last names N-Z)
- Laura Villada - MS Thesis, Direct-Ph.D. and Ph.D. Advisor (Last names A-M)
We are one of the first departments in the country to offer graduate programs in Engineering Education. Our graduate program incorporates theory with real life application so our students are prepared to be teachers and scholars in the evolving field of Engineering Education.
Graduates of the program will be able to conduct and direct research in engineering education; develop, review, and critique effective research designs; effectively teach engineering subjects; design and assess engineering courses; and address critical issues facing engineering education.
Degree: Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Andrew Katz
Graduate Program Coordinator: Mara Knott
The Engineering Mechanics (EM) program provides a strong foundation and sturdy framework for the discovery, development, transfer, and implementation of new knowledge in the areas of mechanics of materials and material systems, fluid mechanics, dynamics and vibration, biomechanics, and computational and experimental methods.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Mark Stremler
Graduate Program Coordinator: Renee Cloyd
The Environmental Design and Planning program prepares students with the professional and academic skills to address the challenges of creating and maintaining tomorrow's built environment. The degree offers the opportunity for advanced study and research in specialized areas relating to building design, construction, operations, and end-of-life-cycle, providing the basis to contribute to the construction field from positions in either industry or academia.
School: Myers-Lawson School of Construction
Degree: Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Josh Iorio
Graduate Program Coordinator: Brandy Barrow
The Environmental Engineering program goals are to educate and prepare engineers for careers in the various fields of environmental engineering design, water supply management, site remediation, environmental modeling, pollution control engineering, water resources engineering, and public health protection.
Degree: MS
Location: Blacksburg, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area
Graduate Program Director: Carin Roberts-Wollmann
Graduate Program Coordinator: Sarah Martin
The Environmental Science and Engineering program is designed to prepare students with a science background to work with engineers in various fields, including water supply, wastewater management, public health, watershed management, stream protection, groundwater remediation, and air resource management
Degree: MS
Location: Blacksburg, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area
Graduate Program Director: Carin Roberts-Wollmann
Graduate Program Coordinator: Sarah Martin
Industrial engineering is concerned with the design, development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated work systems comprised of people, information and knowledge, equipment, energy, materials, and processes. The industrial and systems engineering department utilizes innovative and creative practices and technologies to achieve the highest quality of instruction and student learning.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg, Leesburg, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke, Southwest Virginia, online
Graduate Program Director: Maury Nussbaum
Graduate Program Coordinator: Hannah Parks
The Materials Science and Engineering programs offer emphasize teaching and research in metals, ceramics, polymers, electronic materials, biomaterials, and composites.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: William Reynolds
Graduate Program Coordinator: Kim Grandstaff
The program seeks to engage outstanding graduate students and faculty researchers to expand the range of knowledge in the mechanical engineering discipline.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area, Hampton Roads
Graduate Program Directors: Danesh Tafti and Allison Jones
Graduate Program Coordinator: Mary Beth West
The Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering offers advanced graduate degrees designed to educate students for high-level challenges in industry, academia, and government. Graduate work may be pursued in several areas of specialization, including rock mechanics, ground control, systems analysis, health and safety, mineral and coal processing, applied surface and colloid chemistry, conservation and the environment, mining ventilation, computer modeling/simulation, automation and control, and reservoir/natural gas/shale gas engineering.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg
Graduate Program Director: Emily Sarver
Graduate Program Coordinator: Michelle Crotto
The nuclear engineering program at Virginia Tech is a multi-disciplinary program with activities in nuclear power, nuclear nonproliferation and security, radiation therapy and diagnostics, and nuclear policy. The program utilizes its main campus in Blacksburg, and campuses at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Virginia, and the Center for Advanced Engineering in Lynchburg, Virginia, for offering education, research and outreach activities.
Degrees: MS/ME, Ph.D.
Location: Blacksburg, Greater Washington, D.C. metro area, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Southwest Virginia
Graduate Program Director: Alireza Haghighat
Graduate Program Coordinator: Lisa Lawson
Ocean engineering deals with the design of ships of all types. The field is often called naval architecture. It involves fluid mechanics, propulsion, structures, vehicle dynamics, and marine engineering. The curriculum culminates in an international award-winning design sequence in which students design a complete ship.
Degree: MS
Location: Blacksburg, online
Graduate Program Director: Olivier Coutier-Delgosha (ocoutier@vt.edu)
Graduate Program Coordinators: Rachel Saville and Audri Cunningham