The program is designed to enhance students' professional abilities in engineering and the geological sciences. Although often equated with geotechnical engineering, a discipline closely aligned with civil engineering, geological engineering is more correctly characterized as a program focused on geologic hazards mitigation and natural resources characterization.
In one sense, geological engineering is a form of environmental engineering. The MS program emphasizes the professional nature of the geological engineering discipline. Consequently, students are required to be excellent in both geology and engineering core subjects. If they are deficient in the core courses they must be taken. Geological engineering plays a vital role in engineering with natural materials (rock, soil, water and even snow). Geological engineers are unlike other engineers who use manmade materials like steel, concrete, asphalt and composites to design and construct. Geological engineers are intimately involved with our environment in assessing and designing ways to alleviate the effects of geologic hazards like landslides, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions or by mitigating or mediating potential man-made hazards including contaminated ground water and poorly sited landfills. They design foundations for structures, tunnels and open pits for large excavations. Geological engineers design facilities for mitigating the flow of groundwater pollution, for the location of sanitary municipal landfills and for the storage of hazardous waste.
Today, there is a critical national need for geological engineers in the heavy construction industry, the minerals industry, the energy industry, and for fundamental research at national laboratories. On graduating, a GE is capable of being professionally registered as an engineer on passing the relevant State Examinations.