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Hydrological Science and Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy

Delivery Options

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Fall 2026 Deadline

Priority: December 15th
Domestic: July 1st
International: March 1st

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Department

Hydrological Science and Engineering

Program Overview

The Hydrological Science and Engineering PhD is an on-campus, interdisciplinary doctoral program drawing on faculty and resources across Mines. It is designed for you to pursue original research that advances hydrologic science while remaining connected to engineering applications.

This program builds on your bachelor’s degree or master’s degree by shifting your role from applying existing tools to developing new theory, models or measurement approaches. You will strengthen your foundation in hydrology, mathematics and physical science while tailoring coursework to support your dissertation research.

Why study this degree at Mines?

Water challenges are among the most urgent and intellectually rich problems in science and engineering today, spanning floods and droughts, groundwater depletion and the long-term impacts of climate and land-use change. Understanding and predicting these systems requires more than established tools. It demands new models, new data-driven approaches and researchers who can work across physical science, computation and engineering.

A Doctor of Philosophy in Hydrological Science and Engineering from Colorado School of Mines prepares you to do that work. This interdisciplinary program is designed for you if you want to generate new knowledge about how water moves, interacts and responds to human and natural influences. Mines’ applied science and engineering focus shapes the PhD experience. Your research will emphasize physical understanding, quantitative analysis and relevance to real hydrologic systems. You will gain the depth needed to advance the field and the independence required to lead complex research efforts.

You and Mines PhD: A right fit?

You may be a strong fit for this program if you:

  • Enjoy combining field data, models and theory to understand water systems
  • Are motivated by uncertainty and complex, open-ended problems
  • Have strong preparation in engineering, hydrology, geoscience or a related field

Key Program Research Groups

Hydrological Science and Engineering research at Mines spans physical processes, modeling and system-level analysis.

Surface water hydrology

This area focuses on rainfall–runoff processes, streamflow dynamics and watershed behavior. Research integrates field observations with modeling to understand system response. Coursework supports physical hydrology and modeling methods. Careers include research, water resources analysis and technical leadership roles.

Groundwater flow and transport

Research here examines how water and solutes move through subsurface systems. Topics include porous media flow and aquifer behavior. Methods blend laboratory studies, field data and numerical modeling. Graduates pursue roles in research, consulting and applied water systems analysis.

Integrated surface–subsurface systems

This field studies interactions between surface water and groundwater. Research emphasizes system coupling and feedbacks. Coursework supports system modeling, while research methods include simulation and data integration. This expertise supports careers requiring system-level hydrologic understanding.

Hydrologic modeling and computation

Research focuses on developing and evaluating models used to predict hydrologic behavior. Work emphasizes numerical methods, uncertainty and model performance. Graduates often move into roles involving modeling, decision support and research.

Interdisciplinary hydrologic systems

Many projects integrate hydrology with engineering, geoscience and data analysis. This area emphasizes collaboration and translating hydrologic insight into applied outcomes.

Faculty Expertise

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Eric Anderson

Associate Professor

Adrienne Marshall profile picture

Adrienne Marshall

Assistant Professor

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Kamini Singha

Professor-ADEAN

Application Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree

  • GRE: Not Required

  • Letters of Recommendations (3 letters).

  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

  • Statement of Purpose

  • Transcripts

  • International students please review the English proficiency requirements

Program Curriculum

View Academic Catalog

World-Class Labs, Centers and Facilities

Mines students train in state-of-the-art labs focused on water treatment, geophysics, environmental chemistry and hydrologic modeling and collaborate on fieldwork across Colorado and beyond, including on campus:

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Colorado Center for a Sustainable WE2ST Water Technology Hub

The WE2ST Water Technology Hub promotes academic-industry collaboration to solve municipal and industrial water problems across scales. Led by Professor Tzahi Cath, the hub provides an environment to develop, test and validate technologies for global water challenges.

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Marshall Lab

The Marshall Lab is united by a desire to understand how climate change is altering water in the western U.S. and beyond. Led by Assistant Professor Adrienne Marshall, the lab utilizes primarily computational methods, using physically based modeling and data science approaches to advance knowledge of the role water plays in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Marshall Lab
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Mines Glaciology Laboratory

The Mines Glaciology Laboratory uses remote satellite sensing techniques in combination with field-based and airborne geophysical methods to understand physical processes of Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets. Led by Associate Professor Matt Siegfried, the lab collects and synthesizes ground-, air-, and space-based datasets to span the spatial (centimeters to hundreds of kilometers) and temporal (minutes to centuries) scales on which these processes occur.

Salary Outlook

Average starting salary for recent program graduates is $81,450. Learn more about Mines' comprehensive career development resources and this degree's salary potential.

Explore Mines Career Center

Employers who seek Mines graduates include:

Research organizations and national laboratories

Companies such as U.S. Geological Survey, National Laboratory of the Rockies, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Engineering and water resources consulting, AECOM, Jacobs, HDR, Stantec, WSP

Public agencies and utilities

Companies such as State and local water agencies, River basin authorities, Municipal water utilities

Environmental and scientific organizations

Companies such as Research institutes, Applied science organizations

Fully equipped laboratory facility designed for pharmaceutical or biotechnology research

Frequently Asked Questions

Why pursue a PhD in Hydrological Science and Engineering?

A PhD prepares you to develop new understanding of how water systems behave. You learn how to design rigorous studies, integrate data and models and defend conclusions with evidence.

How interdisciplinary is this program?

The program is explicitly interdisciplinary. Coursework, advising and research often span multiple departments, allowing you to build the expertise your dissertation requires.

What career paths are available after graduation?

Graduates pursue careers in research institutions, consulting, public agencies, utilities and academia. Many move into roles requiring deep technical judgment.

Do you need a master’s degree to apply?

A master’s degree is helpful but not required. Strong preparation in a related technical field is essential.

How does Mines’ applied focus shape the PhD experience?

Mines emphasizes research grounded in real systems and measurable processes. Hydrologic research here is expected to be rigorous, defensible and relevant beyond academic study alone.

Meet Nadia Schreiber '21, '25

Nadia Schreiber earned her M.S. in Hydrologic Science and Engineering at Colorado School of Mines, where she applied quantitative hydrologic methods to real-world water challenges. As a Fulbright Scholar, she conducted research in Morocco with the High Atlas Foundation on sustainable tree planting and groundwater recharge to combat desertification.

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