Green Design Education

The Green Design Institute includes environmental education efforts targeting the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and life-long learning levels.

Information for Prospective Graduate Students

Prospective Ph.D. Students

We are always looking for students interested in pursuing doctoral (Ph.D.) study at Carnegie Mellon with interests similar to our ongoing research projects. Recent graduates from our research-based PhD program have accepted industry jobs, government agency appointments, and tenure-track academic positions at leading institutions in North America (see People page). Several students a year are chosen from new applicants to the engineering and business schools of CMU. While there is no formal or common doctoral program, students with such interests are encouraged to apply directly to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Tepper School of Business (including Economics). You should explicitly note your interest in working with GDI in your application materials and essays. GDI students must fulfill the admission and graduation requirements of their home college/department, take specialized courses on green design, and attend biweekly research seminars and discussions. Some offers of financial support in the form of tuition and stipend fellowships are available. Due to the limited amount of direct financial aid, we highly recommend that qualified students apply for NSF and EPA Graduate Fellowships (and other sources) to offset costs. We historically have been able to provide the difference between these fellowships and actual CMU tuition.

Prospective Masters Students

Students interested in graduate study, but not interested in a PhD, may apply to one of several graduate programs at Carnegie Mellon tied to the Green Design Institute. There are several relevant Master's-level programs to choose from that provide interaction opportunities with the students and faculty of GDI, and lead to accredited and highly-ranked graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon. These programs are:

Funding support for MS programs is more limited than for PhD students, but may be available. Contact us if you are interested in other majors. Students interested in an MS should also consider applying for outside fellowships (see note Ph.D. note above).

Information for Prospective Undergraduate/Internship Students

Undergraduates from Carnegie Mellon are welcome to attend GDI meetings. Undergraduates from any institution may inquire about prospective research assistant opportunities with the faculty and students of GDI. Note that funding for such positions is extremely limited and may not be available during all semesters or summer periods.

Typically during the summer, a limited number of sponsored fellowships will be available. This summer research program will allow several highly qualified students from the US to work with faculty and other students on pieces of existing GDI research projects. Examples of projects include assessing the benefits of an ethanol-based economy, environmental life cycle assessment of products, and tracking heavy metal flows. The intent of this program is to give undergraduate students an appreciation for the level of thought, effort, and reward of graduate education. A fixed stipend will be paid that can be used to cover living and travel expenses (approximately $4000 for June 1-August 15 period). These fellowships are funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Program Details 
Program Dates: June 1-August 15
Application Deadline: April 1 (cover letter plus resume to green-design@andrew.cmu.edu)
Minimum Requirements: 3.0 GPA
Number of positions available: 5

Undergraduate and graduate students at CMU are offered elective courses that provide a deeper understanding of scientific, engineering, economic, social, and policy issues relating to the environment.

Environment Across the Curriculum and Educational Modules

One major effort of the Green Design education effort is the development of an Environment Across the Curriculum program intended to offer all Carnegie Mellon students a basic introduction to environmental issues. Environmental modules and case studies have been developed for use both at Carnegie Mellon and anywhere across the world with the support of NSF Project 97-00568, Curriculum and Educational Materials for Environmentally Conscious Green Products and Processes. Here are some examples of Green Design instructional modules. Note that these are complete, but provided for educational use only:

Software for educational and professional use has also been developed by the Green Design Intiative. The economic input-output life cycle assessment software www.eiolca.net has been used in university classes at Carnegie Mellon, in the United States, and abroad.

Green Design Apprenticeship Program for Local High School Students

Through the Gifted and Talented Apprenticeship Program of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), Green Design has twice offered a Green Design Apprenticeship for local high school students to experience the issues and activities of Green Design engineers and researchers. Students meet one day per month over 5 months to learn about current research areas such as life cycle assessment, environmental impacts of energy consumption and electricity generation, and green building infrastructure.

Last updated May 12, 2007