phd at northeastern university

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Graduate Admissions

The Graduate School of Engineering at Northeastern is a top-ranked and highly selective R1 research university, with an innovative educational approach that combines rigorous academics with experiential learning, including our signature cooperative education program. We invite you to learn about the Graduate School of Engineering , and our MS, PhD and Certificate programs offered across our global network of campuses .

Apply today to join our community of talented engineering graduate students and begin your journey to advancing your career in your chosen field.

Graduate Application Fee Waiver

Applicants to the College of Engineering may use application fee waiver code GlobalCOE25 between August 15 and September 15, 2024  to waive their application fee. Note this waiver is only applicable to College of Engineering programs.  You’ll need to insert this in the Application Information Tab (not the payment page). There will be a question asking if you have a fee waiver. Select yes. Then a box will appear to insert the code. Please insert the code in the box. You will then submit the application without being asked for payment.

Applications received after the stated deadline dates will be accepted and processed when complete as quickly as possible; however it may not be possible to have a decision rendered in time for the applicant to begin taking classes for the desired term if admitted.

Applications submitted by the above referenced dates will receive full consideration for the referenced term. Applications received after the above referenced dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

In order to be minimally qualified to pursue admission through the Graduate School of Engineering, a candidate must have successfully completed or is in the process of completing an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in engineering or a technology degree in a closely related major from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent from a foreign college or university. Students with non-engineering bachelor’s degrees are eligible for some graduate engineering degree programs. View available programs and eligibility requirements.

Any offer of admission is contingent upon a candidate’s successful completion of an undergraduate bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent from a foreign college or university.

The application is to be completed online. (Paper applications are not accepted.)

$100 USD to be paid online by credit card

The application fee is waived for all applicants applying to the following programs for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 terms:

• MS in Internet of Things
• MS Wireless and Network Engineering
• MS Information Systems Bridge

Note to applicants from Iran: For inquiries related to difficulties and delays regarding payment of the application fee, please send an inquiry and include a copy of your resume/CV via email attachment to [email protected] .

Two letters of recommendation are required. Letters of recommendation may be either academic or professional in nature but should be from individuals familiar with technical, professional, and personal qualifications.

At the time of application submission, we require unofficial copies of your transcripts from all institutions in which you earned a Bachelor’s degree equivalent or higher. Official transcripts and degree certificates will be required if and after admission to the Graduate School of Engineering.

To upload unofficial transcripts to your application properly, follow the below steps:

• Create scanned versions of your transcripts in PDF format (up to 500 KB in size)
• When prompted to do so in the application, upload and attach transcripts to the online application
• Transcript Upload Requirements:
• Scanned transcripts must be readable and include all courses, grades, (i.e. marks, scores, etc.) and credits completed to date.
• If a transcript(s) and/or degree certificate(s) are issued in a language other than English, an English translation must accompany the native language documents. An English translation only will not be deemed sufficient. For those who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree program, a minimum of six semesters of course, grade, and credit information must be present; for those who have completed a three-year undergraduate degree program, a minimum of four semesters must be present.
• Include the reverse side of the transcript when uploading to your application. Any additional grading scale information or transcript legends included on the transcript should also be included in the scanned copy. Typically, such grading scale information is on the backside of the documents or is on a separate page.
• For students whose degree program is currently in progress, if the degree program is not indicated on the transcript provided, please upload an official Enrollment Verification. This will be a letter issued from your institution on letterhead that will include the following: Name, degree program currently enrolled in, and expected graduation date.
• For country specific document requirements, please visit this site .

Include a Statement of Purpose .

Include your resume .

Northeastern University is GRE test-optional for the 2023-2024 academic year and does not require applicants to submit standardized testing to be considered for admission. Northeastern is committed to partnering with you, your family, and your educational institution to support your individual needs. Please note if you decide to self-report the GRE on your application, it will be considered as part of the admissions review process, and you will need to submit official verified test scores to complete your application file.

As of fall 2023, the Department of Chemical Engineering will not accept or review the GRE if submitted.

Applicants who are non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. permanent residents, regardless of the applicant’s undergraduate language of instruction must submit official TOEFL, IELTS, and/or Duolingo scores. TOEFL iBT and TOEFL Home Edition are acceptable.

Waiver: Applicants are exempt from the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam requirement if they are citizens of, hold, or will hold a degree from an accredited institution located in Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Greenland, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica , Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, South Africa, Tobago, Trinidad, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, United States of America, or US Virgin Islands.

Minimum Score Requirement: TOEFL : 79 overall (internet-based) IELTS : 6.5. overall Duolingo: 105 Note: Applicants to the Electrical and Computer Engineering department are required to submit the minimum score requirement: TOEFL: 95 IELTS: 7.0 Duolingo: 115

Note: The Computer Science concentration of the Robotics program is offered jointly with Khoury College of Computer Sciences and follows Khoury’s English proficiency requirements.  The Computer Science concentration does not accept the Duolingo English Test and has higher thresholds for the IELTS and TOEFL.  Please visit Khoury’s Master’s Apply webpage for specific minimum score requirements.  Prospective students interested in the Robotics program who have taken the Duolingo English Test are encouraged to apply to the Electrical and Computer Engineering or Mechanical Engineering concentrations.

Sending Scores: TOEFL: Send scores via ETS, Institution code is 3665; no department code is needed. IELTS: Please have your official scores sent directly from the testing center to Northeastern University. Duolingo: Upon completion of the test, please select College of Engineering at Northeastern University to receive your scores

If you do not meet the minimum TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo requirements and you are intending to apply to a graduate engineering program at the Master of Science level, you are encouraged to apply first to Northeastern University’s Global Pathways Program , where you can boost your English language skills and academic knowledge before beginning your engineering coursework.

Note that every element of any applicant’s background is considered in the admissions process, that there is no single factor that determines whether or not a candidate is admitted, that there are no guarantees of admission for any applicant, and the decision rests solely with the appropriate faculty admissions committee.

The Graduate School of Engineering does not discriminate against, or consider students admissibility, based on race or ethnicity.

Students with non-engineering bachelor’s degrees are eligible for some graduate engineering degree programs. View available programs and eligibility requirements.

To contact an International Recruitment Global Representative, use the following email addresses:

• [email protected] (China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia)
• [email protected] (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bhutan)
• [email protected] (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and the Philippines)
• [email protected] (anything south of the US/Mexico border)
• [email protected] (Middle East and North Africa)
• [email protected] (rest of world)

Lingyun Sun will host weekly drop-in office hours for admitted Chinese students (conducted in Mandarin) starting on Tuesday, May 14 th at 7:00-8:00pm Beijing Time.

Register for (Mandarin) Office Hours

Have questions on your application? View frequently asked questions and also please feel free to contact us through Graduate Student Support Center .

Special Programs

Are you interested in admissions consideration to more than one graduate level Master of Science program offered by the College of Engineering? Note that the graduate application will allow applicants to select their primary program of interest, but applicants can also indicate their interest in one to two additional, alternative programs.  Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our entire menu of Master of Science programs to determine your programs of highest interest so you can make the most appropriate selections within the application.

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PhD in Computer Science

The PhD in Computer Science program provides students with the advanced coursework and groundbreaking research opportunities they need to contribute at the forefront of the world’s fastest-growing fields. Forging knowledge in 15 core areas like artificial intelligence, data science, programming languages, and human-centered computing, you’ll gain significant expertise in conducting and presenting the results of your research. Ultimately, you’ll produce and defend original work that contributes to critical discourse in your chosen area.

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Khoury College doctorate students gain deep knowledge and invaluable experience—preparing you for a research career in academia or industry.

Khoury Computer Science PhD graduates have found prestigious positions across industry and academia.

Tenure-track faculty:

• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• University of British Columbia (UBC)
• Indiana University
• University of Maryland
• University College London
• NC State University
• UMass Boston
• City University of Hong Kong

Postdoc research scientists:

• University of Paris
• Virginia Tech
• Microsoft Research
• GE Global Research

Senior software engineers and industry leaders:

Students graduating with a PhD in Computer Science will:

• Gain a broad understanding of computer science fundamentals, spanning a substantial portion of the following core areas: artificial intelligence and data science, human-centered computing, software, systems, and theory
• Gain significant expertise in at least one research area in computer science
• Produce and defend original research in an area of computer science
• Be able to communicate research results effectively in both oral and written forms

Our flagship campus in Boston is just minutes away from esteemed universities, exciting start-ups, and leaders in tech, finance, health care, and more.

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Choose your degree

Northeastern University’s graduate degree programs are designed to empower students with advanced knowledge, critical skills, and real-world experiences that propel them to excel in their chosen fields. With a diverse array of programs spanning disciplines such as business, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and more, our graduate offerings cater to a broad spectrum of academic interests and career goals.

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Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Biology, phd.

The PhD program entails course work from a core biology curriculum along with advanced courses in the student’s area of research interest. This is complemented by intensive research and completion of a dissertation under faculty supervision. Faculty research includes biochemistry, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, neurobiology, regenerative biology, and the biology of reproduction. Two optional concentrations are available: cell and molecular biology and molecular microbiology. 

Students who have completed ​required coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or better may be eligible to receive ​an   MS Biology  degree.  In addition, students who ​do not qualify for the doctoral degree, but who have completed ​required coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or better, may be eligible to receive ​a terminal  MS Biology  degree. Note that no students will be admitted directly into the  MS Biology  to pursue a masterʼs degree.

• Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality.  
• Certain options within the program may be  required  at certain campuses or for certain program modalities.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality. 

Bachelor's Degree Entrance

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Qualifying examination Annual review Dissertation committee Dissertation proposal Colloquia (minimum of three) First-author publication Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

Concentration or Electives Option

A concentration is not required.   Students may complete the electives option in lieu of a concentration.

• Cell and Molecular Biology  Concentration
• Molecular Microbiology  Concentration

Dissertation

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

30 total semester hours required Minimum 3.000 GPA required

Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration

Molecular Microbiology Concentration

Electives Option

The biology PhD program seeks to provide a broad background knowledge base in conjunction with in-depth study of a specialized area of biology. The program emphasizes close interaction between graduate students and faculty members in developing the intellectual and experimental skills required for creative, independent research.

Students entering the PhD program with a related Master of Science degree typically have significantly reduced course loads. An individualized course of study is designed by the biology graduate curriculum committee in consultation with the student and the student’s advisor. The student can then focus on intensive research and completion of a dissertation under faculty supervision. Faculty research includes biochemistry, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, neurobiology, regenerative biology, and the biology of reproduction. Financial support (teaching assistantships or research assistantships) is normally provided for PhD students who are making satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree.

Approved Course Work

Consult your faculty advisor for acceptable courses.

Approved Electives

Consult your faculty advisor for acceptable electives.

Dissertation 

Variable total semester hours required Minimum 3.000 GPA required

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PhD in Bioengineering

The PhD in Bioengineering program at Northeastern University provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage in scientific research at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and biology. Students may pursue their Bioengineering PhD degree at either of our campuses in Boston, Massachusetts or Portland, Maine.

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Innovative Curriculum

The PhD in Bioengineering program is interdisciplinary by nature and reflects the department’s significant strengths across four areas of bioengineering research: biomechanics and mechanobiology; biomedical devices and bioimaging; molecular, cell, and tissue engineering; and systems, synthetic, and computational bioengineering. Students accepted to the program will work with and learn from our outstanding faculty who are leaders in their field. Students complete a rigorous foundational curriculum in bioengineering science and mathematics, complemented by an immersion into individualized coursework tailored to their area of interest.

Unique Features

Welcomes applicants from diverse academic backgrounds, including those with bachelor’s degrees as well as advanced-degree holders.

The PhD in Bioengineering can be combined with a  Gordon Engineering Leadership  certificate.

Students specialize in one of four research areas.

• To develop and demonstrate rigorous knowledge in relevant areas of Bioengineering.
• To develop and demonstrate an ability to plan and perform creative and impactful Bioengineering research.
• To develop and demonstrate and ability to perform critical analysis of scientific journal articles.
• To develop and demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills.

In addition to Boston, the Bioengineering PhD program is offered at the Roux Institute at Northeastern in Portland, Maine .

Situated in the vibrant heart of the city, our Boston, Massachusetts campus is strategically positioned within the biotechnology hub of the Greater Boston area, adjacent to Cambridge, Massachusetts start-ups and the Longwood Medical Area.

Nestled within the Roux Institute, our Portland, Maine campus boasts a sweeping view of Casco Bay. The Roux Institute fosters a dynamic entrepreneurial culture with many programs tailored for start-up founders and a dedicated emphasis on AI and technology-driven innovations.

• Vineel Kondiboyina, PhD'24
• Kevin Bardon, PhD’23
• Suzanne Stasiak, PhD'23
• Jason Derks’ PhD’22
• Lauren Cole, PhD'22
• Learn more.

The Biomedical Devices and Bioimaging research area reflects Northeastern University’s outstanding research profile in developing transformative and translational instrumentation and algorithms to help understand biological processes and disease.  Our department has active federally funded research spanning a broad spectrum of relevant areas in instrument design, contrast agent development, and advanced computational modeling and reconstruction methods. Example research centers include the Institute for the Chemical Imaging of Living Systems , the  Translational Biophotonics Cluster , and the  B-SPIRAL signal processing group .

See Associated Faculty

Motion, deformation, and flow of biological systems in response to applied loads elicit biological responses at the molecular and cellular levels that support the physiological function of tissues and organs and drive their adaptation and remodeling. To study these complex interactions, principles of solid, fluid, and transport mechanics must be combined with measures of biological function. The Biomechanics and Mechanobiology track embraces this approach and leverages the strong expertise of Northeastern faculty attempting to tie applied loads to biological responses at multiple length and time scales.

See  Associated Faculty

Principles for engineering living cells and tissues are essential to address many of the most significant biomedical challenges facing our society today. These application areas include engineering biomaterials to coax and enable stem cells to form functional tissue or to heal damaged tissue; designing vehicles for delivering genes and therapeutics to reach specific target cells to treat a disease; and, uncovering therapeutic strategies to curb pathological cell behaviors and tissue phenotypes. At a more fundamental level, the field is at the nascent stages of understanding how cells make decisions in complex microenvironments and how cells interact with each other and their surrounding environment to organize into complex three-dimensional tissues. Advances will require a multiscale experimental, computational and theoretical approaches spanning molecular-cellular-tissue levels and integration of molecular and physical mechanisms, including the role of mechanical forces.

Research groups in systems, synthetic, and computational bioengineering apply engineering principles to model and understand complex biological systems, including differentiation and development, pathogenesis and cancer, and learning and behavior. This involves designing and implementing methods for procuring quantitative and sometimes very large data sets, as well as developing theoretical models and computational tools for interpreting these data. Deciphering the workings of a biological system allows us to identify potential biomarkers and drug targets, to develop protocols for personalized medicine, and more. In addition, we use the design principles of biological systems we discover to engineer and refine new synthetic biological systems for clinical, agricultural, environmental, and energy applications.

Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real world engineering challenges. Co-op and internships are available. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a co-op program for graduate students. Through this program students gain industry experience in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, building their resume and a professional network. In addition to co-op, students can participate in the university’s Experiential PhD program . Northeastern is located in the nation’s biotech and academic hub and among the most renowned hospitals in the world.

Program Goals

Career outlook.

Biology can inspire engineering. Increasingly, discoveries in the life sciences reveal processes, complexity, and control without analogy in the world of traditional engineering. Current methods of producing nanoscale control over molecules cannot reproduce the organization found in even the simplest organisms. Energy capture, robust control, remediation, and self-assembly are all employed by biosystems with efficiency unparalleled by anything in today’s laboratories. At the same time, traditional engineering disciplines struggle to find new approaches to the complex challenges of 21st-century technology.

he last 50 years of basic life science research have gradually revealed the layers of complexity intrinsic to biological processes, unmasking the fundamental underpinnings on which biological systems are constructed. Bioinspired engineering has the potential to transform the technological landscape of the 21st century. Astonishingly, it represents merely one of the myriad opportunities presented at the interface of biology and engineering.

The field of bioengineering is broad and includes all research at the interface of engineering and biology—this includes bioprocesses, environmental microbiology, biomaterials and tissue engineering, bioelectricity, biomechanics, biomedical and biological imaging, nanotechnology in medicine and the environment, and engineering design for human interfacing.

Post-graduation

Our graduates pursue careers within industry, academia, and beyond, and hold positions at:

• Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Broad Institute
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute
• Massachusetts General Hospital
• MIT Lincoln Laboratory
• Parallel Squared
• Start-up companies
• Takeda Pharmaceuticals
• Harvard Medical School
• Northeastern University
• Rockefeller University
• University of Denver
• University of Pennsylvania
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

• Graduate Student Services

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

Student News

PhD Spotlight: Vineel Kondiboyina, PhD’24, Bioengineering

Vineel Kondiboyina, PhD’24, bioengineering, focused his research on the mechanobiology of limb growth. Using mechanical testing, computational modeling, and biochemical characterization, he explored the dynamics of tissue stiffness and composition changes during limb development.

Cell Nuclear Force Probe Reveals Mechanomemory That May Impact Cell Memory and Health

BioE Professor Ning Wang published research in Cell Reports that demonstrates a process of mechanomemory within a cell’s nucleus. This discovery prompts a prolonged period of activation of a protein complex responsible for gene expression, which can lead to making new proteins and potentially healthier cells.

BioE PhD Student Earns Prestigious IBSA Foundation Doctoral Fellowship

Helna Mary Baby, a BioE PhD student, advised by BioE Associate Professor Ambika Bajpayee, is one of only six students worldwide to earn the prestigious IBSA Foundation for Scientific Research Doctoral Fellowship to continue her work on developing novel gene delivery system to treat osteoarthritis. Her project was selected from a group of 248 project entries from 47 countries.

Bioengineering PhD Develops and Commercializes Breakthrough MRI Technology

Codi Gharagouzloo, PhD’16, bioengineering, co-founded Imaginostics, commercializing a novel technology called QUTE-CE MRI, which is a platform technology for non-invasive imaging that transforms any MRI machine into a powerful quantitative diagnostic tool. Imaginostics was recognized as a finalist among more than 4,500 participants of Hello Tomorrow, a prestigious competition for deep tech startups.

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PhD in Cybersecurity

A research-based, interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in  Cybersecurity  combines a strong security technical foundation with a security policy and social sciences perspective.   It seeks to prepare graduates to advance the state of the art of security in systems networks and the internet in industry, academia, and government.   The interdisciplinary nature of the program distinguishes it from traditional doctoral degree programs in computer science, engineering, or social sciences and makes it unique in the Boston area.

Innovative Curriculum - Cybersecurity PhD

Students who choose the PhD in  Cybersecurity  program have a strong desire to purse academic research solving critical cybersecurity challenges facing today’s society.   The PhD program is a natural path for students in the  Master of Science in Cybersecurity program who want to pursue research and students with bachelor’s degrees and an interest in research-focused careers.   Students who pursue careers in advancing the state of the art of cybersecurity have an opportunity to gain:

• A strong technical foundation in cybersecurity and an interdisciplinary perspective based on policy and social science
• A path to a research-focused career coupled with depth in information assurance research at a leading institution, one of the earliest designees by NSA/DHS as a   National Center of Academic Excellence   in Information Assurance Research, Information Assurance/Cyber Defense, and Cyber Operations
• The opportunity to work with and learn from faculty who are recognized internationally for their expertise and contributions in information assurance from Northeastern’s  Khoury College of Computer Sciences , the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities
• The   Institute of Information Assurance (IIA) , an interdisciplinary research center overseen by both the  Khoury  College of Computer  Sciences  and the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant to train the country’s next generation of cybercorps
• The   International Secure Systems Lab , affiliated with Northeastern, a collaborative effort of European and U.S. researchers focused on web security, malware and vulnerability analysis, intrusion detection, and other computer security issues
• The   ALERT Center , where Northeastern is the lead institution, a multiuniversity Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence involved in research, education, and technology related to threats from explosives
• Learn more.

Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real-world engineering challenges. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a Co-op Program for Graduate Students. Through this program students gain industry experience in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, while helping to finance their education. Students also have the option to participate in the university’s Experiential PhD program .

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

• Graduate Student Services

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

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PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD program at Northeastern University is flexible and may be adapted to any subject area in civil and environmental engineering. The Graduate School of Engineering also offers an interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy degree involving substantial work in two or more academic departments or disciplines ( Interdisciplinary Engineering, PhD ).

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Innovative Curriculum

Students admitted to the program are involved in cutting edge research, often interdisciplinary, in all areas of civil and environmental engineering. Awarding of the Doctor of Philosophy degree is based on ability to formulate, execute, and communicate original research as well as have strong performance in course work.

For more information on the structure and requirements of the doctoral program, please see the  Graduate Catalog or contact the Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

• Ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems.
• Ability to explain and apply engineering principles.
• Ability to identify, motivate, formulate, and solve important problems, through original, independent, use-inspired scholarly research.

Funding is available for graduate students focused on research in the form of graduate research assistantships, graduate teaching assistantships, and fellowships.

• CEE Chair’s Select Stipend for Professional Development Awarded for merit, incoming Ph.D. students have the opportunity to receive for their personal professional development one-time  stipend funds of $5,000. These funds provide agency for the students to pursue significant professional development at key junctures in their program.
• CEE Professional Development Fund Once enrolled, all Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD students have the opportunity to apply to receive funds for reimbursement of allowable professional development expenses. These funds provide agency for the students to pursue additional professional development during their program.
• PhD Network Travel Funding Match The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering provides matching funding to the Ph.D. Network and research project for travel support, up to $500/student per year.
• CEE Department Graduate Awards and Ceremony Departmental awards for excellence in research, teaching, and leadership, with monetary honorariums, are awarded to selected MS and PhD students at the conclusion of each academic year at the CEE Graduate Awards Ceremony.

The department offers  Graduate Fellowships  to PhD and MS/PhD applicants. These prestigious Graduate Fellowships include integrated research and teaching to foster a comprehensive graduate education. All applicants are considered automatically for the fellowship program. It is strongly recommended that applicants interested in funding within the department via fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

• R. Bailey Bond, PhD'24
• Tyler McCormack, PhD'24
• Nicholas Briggs, PhD'22
• Nishant Yadav, PhD'23
• Sadia Khan, PhD'22
• Andrew Summerfield, PhD'21
• Learn more.
• Scholarship Report

Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real world engineering challenges including industry experience as part of the co-op program or an internship. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a Co-op Program for graduate students. Through this program, students gain professional experience employed in their field of interest as part of the academic curriculum. Northeastern has over 3,000 co-op employer partners in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups. Students can also participate in the university’s Experiential PhD program .

CEE PhD Workshop

To celebrate the outstanding work of our students, each year a workshop for PhD students is hosted by the department that includes a research expo, professional development presentations, panel discussions on academic and industry careers, and related topics.

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

• Graduate Student Services

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

Student News

PhD Spotlight: R. Bailey Bond, PhD’24, Civil and Environmental Engineering

R. Bailey Bond, PhD’24, civil and environmental engineering, developed a novel predictive model for headed shear stud strength in concrete-filled steel composite decks. He also created data enhanced methods of modeling structural resilience against seismic hazards.

Annual Cochrane Fellowship Luncheon Celebrates Academic Excellence and Research Innovation

CEE University Distinguished and CDM Smith Professor and Chair Jerome Hajjar, along with CEE faculty and the development and alumni relations team, hosted the annual Cochrane Fellowship Fund luncheon. The event brings together past and current recipients of the Cochrane Fellowship and provides a unique opportunity for fellowship donors and recipients to engage in meaningful dialogue about their work and academic pursuits.

CEE Students Receive NCSEA Foundation Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship

Baiyu Chen, PhD’27, civil and environmental engineering, Shun Lei Yee, E’25, civil engineering, and Santa Flores Alvarez, MS’24, civil engineering, were named recipients of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) Foundation Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarships.

COE Research Expo Displays Promising Work of PhD Students

The College of Engineering held a research expo to highlight the work of PhD students. Participants presented their research to a panel of judges and gained critical presentation and communication skills. They also displayed their research during the poster showcase and students were recognized with awards.

Shantanu Khanna’s Paper on female labor participation in India published

People in this story.

Shantanu Khanna

Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics Shantanu Khanna's paper "An Indian Enigma? Labour market impacts of the world’s largest livelihoods program" has been published in the Journal of Population Economics.

An Indian Enigma? Labour market impacts of the world’s largest livelihoods program

  j popul econ   37 , 64 (2024).

We examine the labour market impacts of the largest livelihoods programs in the world, India’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). A key aspect of this program is to mobilize rural women into self-help groups (SHGs). We combine administrative data on SHG membership across districts in India with survey micro-data on labour force and employment outcomes of rural women between 2011 and 2019. Using a generalized difference-in-differences approach, we find that SHG membership is positively associated with labour force participation and employment of rural women. We also find evidence that SHG membership is associated with a shift towards self-employment and a crowd-out of casual work among the employed. Our supplementary analysis based on large primary survey data from Maharashtra allows us to examine the relationship between SHG membership and economic activity at the individual level. The results confirm our main result of a positive association between SHG membership and economic activity. Further, we show that longer duration of SHG membership is associated with higher participation rates.

Link to publication

Ashwini Deshpande

Head of the department, economics and professor of economics, ashoka university, assistant professor of public policy and economics.

Shantanu Khanna is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Department of Economics. Shantanu is an applied microeconomist with research interests in labor, development, and public economics. His research explor…

Daksh Walia

Department of economics, university of oxford, oxford, uk, more stories, recent faculty publications, summer phd workshops.

John Kwoka on Google’s antitrust defeat

PHRGE Announces Its Fall 2024 Scholars

The Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy (PHRGE) at Northeastern University School of Law is pleased to welcome its fall scholars, Kaitlyn Dehais ’26 and Hannah McCormick ’26.

• Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy

08.02.24 — The Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy (PHRGE) at Northeastern University School of Law is pleased to welcome its fall scholars, Kaitlyn Dehais ’26 and Hannah McCormick ’26. Every quarter, PHRGE provides financial support to outstanding JD and LLM students who have chosen to work with co-op organizations that protect and promote human rights.

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,100 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

For more information, contact [email protected].

Northeastern completely reinvented itself. Here’s what that could mean for higher ed as a whole.

Richard D’Amore was a typical Northeastern student in the 1970s. One of six children from a working-class family in Everett, he didn’t care much about academics in high school. He married young, started college at night, drove a cab, and sold newspapers between classes. His co-op, or paid internship, at an accounting firm helped him afford tuition and support his family.

Today D’Amore is the chairman of Northeastern’s board of trustees, most of whom, he said, “like myself, often joke [that] we love Northeastern, but we couldn’t get in today.”

These days, Northeastern admits students more like Neoli Das, the daughter of Indian immigrants living in Silicon Valley, who finished high school with a 3.8 GPA and a resume of internships. She fell in love with Boston during a summer Harvard Extension School program, and with Northeastern because of its distinctive co-op program and cosmopolitan vibe.

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“I feel like I fit right in,” Das said after her July orientation program for incoming first-year students.

In the space of one generation, Northeastern University has undergone a complete metamorphosis. The former commuter school that used to admit nearly everyone — 88 percent of applicants in 1990 — is now as hard to get into as Amherst or Bowdoin College. Demographic declines in college-age students and crushing financial pressures have forced dozens of higher education institutions to close in recent years, and many more are on the brink, but Northeastern has been gobbling up struggling schools and expanding its holdings, across the country and around the world. The total cost of attending, before financial aid, has ballooned from less than $16,000 in 1990 to more than $90,000 this year, but that hasn’t slowed demand for spots: the applicant pool has grown tenfold over that period.

Why did the old Northeastern have to go and this new one rise in its place? Survival.

The school faced an existential crisis 30 years ago, a budget gap of $17 million in 1991, and saw that drawing more students from high-income families willing to pay top-dollar for tuition would offer a huge boost to the bottom line.

Change was essential, university administrators past and present say. And as its focus has shifted to attracting brand-conscious consumers willing to pay tuition rates on par with more established schools, Northeastern needed to look and feel more like MIT and less like a community college.

School officials also felt Northeastern needed to appeal to students outside the Boston area, and to become a more diverse academic community. Both goals have been met. Where 30 years ago, the vast majority of Northeastern students came from Massachusetts, now the university recruits from all over the world, with 67 percent of its graduate students from other countries, and 14 percent of undergraduates, according to the university.

And the makeup of students has significantly changed; more than half of undergraduates are students of color.

“Northeastern is a university in tune with reality, which means that we constantly are thinking about what’s changing in the world and how it’s impacting us, and how we are impacting this change ourselves,” said Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern.

But something of great value was lost in the university’s transformation: a private university that generations of working-class students of all academic stripes could once count on. It was affordable, and attainable, a giant force on the local higher-education scene that offered something special: a route into the heart of Boston’s economy for many who otherwise might not have found one.

“People used to think of Northeastern as a community, Boston-oriented school, then a safety school if you’re going to [Boston College] or [Boston University],” said Mimi Doe, chief executive of the college counseling company Top Tier Admission. “Now, good luck getting in, with a single-digit acceptance rate.”

In a curious way, Doe said, Northeastern’s elite status makes it less distinguishable from the other big name schools in Boston on one front: Many students who are set on attending college in the Boston area but lack the scores for competitive schools apply to smaller, less selective ones, such as Curry College, Lesley University, or Emmanuel College.

Northeastern is “another shiny apple along with Tufts, Harvard, BU, BC, and MIT,” Doe said.

Still, several higher-education watchers said, Northeastern figured out early where much of US higher education had to move — toward a more career-focused curriculum that prepares students for the jobs they need to make it in a globalized, brutally competitive knowledge economy — and to pay off the student debt they accumulate along the way.

“It’s a much less secure world than it was in the 1950s and 1960s,” said Richard Freeland, former president of Northeastern and author of “Transforming the Urban University.” “Kids today are legitimately concerned about how they’re going to finance their lives. Northeastern really has an answer to that.”

Northeastern has managed this feat largely because of the strategic, and sometimes counterintuitive, decisions two successive presidents made over the last three decades. The school has sought to stay closely attuned to the cultural zeitgeist and economic realities of the moment, when undergrads and their parents are obsessively focused on job prospects after graduation, and increasingly value travel and globalism over the once-beloved tradition of spending four years away from distractions in a protective setting. The university’s approach turns off some in a sector that remains deeply skeptical about the melding of higher education with the business world. Some even compare Northeastern’s shift in values to the unrelenting bottom-line focus of Amazon.com.

Northeastern isn’t offended.

Amazon “moves fast and accomplishes a lot,” said D’Amore. He doesn’t “mind the comparison.”

Career preparation has always been part and parcel to the school’s mission. Northeastern first opened in 1898 as a night school at the Boston Young Men’s Christian Association to educate working men, mostly immigrants, looking for new skills to support their families. It took the name Northeastern University in 1922 and received authority to grant its own degrees in 1935, according to Freeland.

Enrollment grew dramatically through the 1960s and 1970s as the baby boomer generation entered college. By 1975, Northeastern said it was the largest private university in the nation, according to “Coming of Age: The Ryder Years,” by Antoinette Frederick.

“Its claim to fame was not so much academic quality as it was accessibility,” Freeland said. “Affordable, solid education for local kids who didn’t have the wherewithal to go to one of the area’s fancy private schools at a time when there was very little public higher education.”

Enrollment began to fall off, however, in the early 1990s amid regional demographic declines and competition from the University of Massachusetts Boston, which opened in 1965 as an even more affordable option. Financial constraints similar to those many residential colleges are facing today soon forced Northeastern to reevalute its place in Boston’s higher-education landscape.

“Those two things came together in a very unfortunate way,” Freeland said about Northeastern in the early 1990s, before his tenure began in 1996. “This was a big crisis.”

To survive, Northeastern leaders, beginning with Freeland’s predecessor, John A. Curry, decided the school needed to follow in the footsteps of BC and BU, which were also once primarily commuter schools. The goal was to be more selective, more expensive, and smaller. The student population dropped by about 40 percent between 1980 and 1995, according to federal enrollment data.

One decision Freeland made early in his tenure set Northeastern apart from other private universities in the area — he doubled down on the university’s co-op program, despite some who questioned whether the work-study strategy was holding Northeastern back. The co-op had long been associated with blue-collar, vocational education and was not “in fashion” at the time, Freeland said.

Freeland, though, was personally a fan of students gaining “real world experience” while pursuing academic work. Rather than walking away from the corporate world, Freeland decided to “find a way to transform the way the world thinks about co-op,” and brand it as a “high status thing,” he said. He cut frivolous co-op options, such as handing out towels in a gym, and added new opportunities, especially in technology industries. Ten years after graduating, Northeastern alums today earn an average of $92,538 a year, compared to the median earnings of four-year college graduates of $53,617, according to the US government’s college scorecard.

“You leave Northeastern with a diploma and a resume, and typically a really good job option,” said Rob Swisher, the father of a Northeastern student studying finance. “As a parent paying tuition, it’s a nice deal.”

There was another more controversial element of Freeland’s turnaround plan: He set his sights on breaking through the top 100 “best colleges” rankings published annually by U.S. News & World Report. The list’s many critics say it has prompted schools to focus on wealth, prestige, and image at the expense of social mobility and access. Freeland and his team decided to ignore the naysayers; unabashed, they studied how the publication compiled the annual rankings and made changes accordingly, including increasing faculty compensation, improving graduation rates, and marketing their efforts to improve their peer evaluation scores.

Freeland said he’s slightly embarrassed about his legacy being tied to improving Northeastern’s standing in the rankings, but he saw the list as a tool to improve the school’s reputation in short order and lure more academically excelling students, including more from families that could pay higher tuition bills. The rankings “gave us a playing field on which to compete,” he said.

During his 10-year tenure, which ended in 2006, applications more than doubled to 25,500; the acceptance rate fell to 47 percent; research spending more than doubled; and graduation rates rose. Just after he retired, Freeland received word that Northeastern had broken through into the national top-100 “best colleges” list. He was thrilled. Today it ranks 53 on the national list.

Aoun, an energetic linguist from Lebanon, ushered in a new era for Northeastern when he arrived in 2006 from the University of Southern California. His vision was ambitious, focusing on domestic and international expansion — with its new prestige and confidence on the rise, Northeastern was now growing — while offering an education that would “robot-proof” students, that is, prepare them to succeed in a world where artificial intelligence may replace tens of millions of jobs. He envisioned a global university system that allows students to bounce between campuses with ease while learning and working in different cultures.

“The world is too interesting to ignore,” Aoun said.

Working closely with business leaders has been critical for Northeastern’s physical expansion in recent years. Early in his tenure, Aoun saw an opportunity to grow its graduate and certificate offerings by leasing space in busy downtown areas, including in Charlotte, San Jose, Toronto, and Vancouver — places with big employers looking to develop local talent. Opening Northeastern outposts in other cities has also turned out to be rocket fuel for the co-op program, Aoun said. Applications and prospective co-op employers from those cities tend to increase once Northeastern establishes itself in a new place, he added. Students can now apply to 4,700 employers in 149 countries for co-ops. Graduate enrollment has also skyrocketed, thanks in large part to the physical expansion. Northeastern enrolled about 24,000 graduate students in the most recent academic year, nearly eight times the number of students enrolled in 2007.

“The mission of education is to provide education for life,” Aoun said. “And so that’s what we did, because otherwise we can become ourselves obsolete.”

As Northeastern has expanded outside of Boston, it’s also invested enormously in its Fenway campus, adding dorms for thousands of students once burdened by the local rental market, to the relief of neighbors, and building modern academic facilities, including an eight-story science center.

Early in Aoun’s tenure, many high-achieving high school students had viewed Northeastern as a backup school to more competitive peers such as BC or Tufts University, said John Boozang, director of college counseling at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. No more.

“Northeastern is no longer defined as such,” Boozang said.

David Roux, a Silicon Valley investor from Maine, said it is rare for universities to be so amenable to meeting the needs of corporate America. Roux visited more than a dozen research universities across the country in 2018 to find a partner willing to accept a gift from him of $100 million to build a graduate school and research program focused on artificial intelligence and advanced computing — ideally, located in a city lacking technology jobs. To his astonishment, the other university leaders were cagey.

“Every one of them said, ‘Why don’t you just give me some money and I’ll give you a fancy tie that you can wear to alumni reunions, and we’ll take care of this,’ ” Roux said in an interview. Aoun, however, listened carefully, and then made a decision on the spot. Northeastern launched the Roux Institute, a futuristic-looking graduate school and research center in Portland, Maine, in early 2020.

Northeastern’s undergraduate expansion has also been fueled by opportunistic mergers and acquisitions, said Edward Galante, a member of the university’s board of trustees, and 1973 graduate. It’s not unusual for the university to field inquiries from colleges under pressure asking if Northeastern is interested in merging, he said. To date, Northeastern has taken over three struggling colleges in desirable markets including Oakland, Calif., London, and, most recently, the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

The new campuses give Northeastern more physical space to house more undergraduates as its enrollment grows. Undergraduate enrollment was more than 22,400 students in the most recent academic year, up from 15,195 in 2007. Some students at Mills College in Oakland, though, bemoaned the takeover , which they said resulted in the loss of progressive culture at the former women’s school. Galante holds a different view. The merger with Mills was a “win-win,” he said, because the college had announced its closure due to financial pains before the deal with Northeastern.

“It’s not a David versus Goliath battle,” Galante said. “We’ve been able to demonstrate it’s been a good thing for [Mills’s] mission.”

Still, some wonder: Does Boston really need another elite and pricey educational institution? What about those that the remaking of Northeastern left behind?

Many of them are aiming their ambitions elsewhere.

“Honestly, we’ve seen our college-going rate decline over the last five years,” said Matt Wilkins, a high school counselor in Lynn, adding that more students are joining the workforce, or opting for community college or vocational schools. Some of Lynn’s most competitive students, though, pursue Northeastern’s “Torch Scholars Program,” for first-generation students, Wilkins said.

Northeastern, however, says it still embraces its Boston identity, and points to its popularity among high-performing high school students from the area, including low-income students who qualify for generous financial aid. Northeastern spent $450 million on financial aid in 2024, up from $14.4 million in 1990. Students, on average, pay $28,521 a year to attend the school, according to the college scorecard. About 13 percent of its students are eligible for federal Pell Grants, in line with many of its peers but lagging the average among private, four-year schools at 33 percent.

Ailton Teixeira, a rising fourth-year student studying mechanical engineering from Roxbury, said Northeastern was his “dream school,” but he wasn’t sure how his family, recent immigrants from Cape Verde, could ever afford tuition. He still remembers the feeling of elation when he learned he had been awarded the Northeastern Valedictorian Scholarship, which meant all of his expenses would be covered.

“I was screaming,” Teixeira said. “I told my favorite teacher and by the next morning, everyone knew. This was huge. Everyone was so excited and happy for me.”

For D’Amore, Northeastern’s board chair, the fact that he and many other students with average academic records wouldn’t be admitted to his alma mater today is a small price to pay. Colleges need to offer students, families, and employers what they are looking for, he said, and Northeastern, in his view, has mastered that puzzle.

“Universities are going to evolve and meet the needs of their customers, or fail,” D’Amore said.

Hilary Burns can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @Hilarysburns .

Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Computer science.

Are you a software engineer, software development engineer, related computer science professional, or recent CS graduate looking to make your next career move? Prepare to take on new projects, learn new technologies, hold a leadership role, and help advance the field of computer science in a program known for industry connections and diverse work opportunities.

Experience more. The Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences prepares computer science (CS) professionals in approximately two years to tackle diverse challenges and build the latest technologies. Refine your knowledge and gain expertise in three breadth areas: 1) systems and software, 2) theory and security, and 3) artificial intelligence and data science.

• Prepare for more complex roles, research, or specialized positions with your current company—or take part in experiential co-op and internship opportunities with one of our 700+ partner companies
• Increase your earning potential with a degree from Northeastern, an R1 research institution
• Contribute to the dynamic field of CS with innovative project work across industries

Develop your professional network in Boston

Northeastern’s storied Boston campus, established in 1898, gives you direct access to cutting-edge research and projects in collaboration with other colleges at Northeastern—and other top universities, businesses, governmental agencies, laboratories, and more. 

Boston has a rich research and development environment. The city leads in healthcare, education, finance, business, biotechnology, and the life sciences. The combination of internationally recognized institutes and centers in the #5 Best Startup Ecosystem in the World creates exciting opportunities for graduates (Startup Genome, 2021).

Learn More About the Boston Campus

More Details

Unique features.

• Opportunities for paid, full-time co-ops or internships with diverse organizations like Amazon, AWS, Google, Fidelity, Outcomes4Me, Boston Children’s Hospital, Vor Biophamra, and more
• Work with world-leading multinational corporations, creative startups disrupting entire industries, renowned medical institutions developing breakthrough technologies, and governmental organizations working on matters of national security
• Interdisciplinary curriculum incorporates elements of web development, network security, and machine learning
• Faculty with connections to top Boston companies like Action for Boston Community Development, The Jackson Laboratory, Anti-Defamation League, Massachusetts General Hospital, Raytheon, Intel, PwC, Fire Eye, and more

Career Outlook

Positions requiring a master’s in computer science are expected to have a job growth rate of +22%, compared to the average job growth rate of 7–8% (2020–2030, USBLS).

The top employer of graduates of the MSCS program is Amazon. Our graduates also find employment with companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, F5, Nordstrom, GoDaddy, McKinsey, Zillow, Snowflake, Salesforce, Carfax, and Coinbase.

MSCS program graduates hold positions such as:

• Software development engineer
• Software engineer
• Full-stack developer

Industry-aligned Program

Develop expertise across three breadth areas: systems and software, theory and security, and artificial intelligence and data science. You’ll choose from a range of electives to tailor your program to your interests.

Master’s core courses:

• Programming Design Paradigm

Electives in a range of areas:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer-Human Interface
• Data Science
• Game Design
• Information Security
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Theory View full curriculum

Testimonials

– amit shesh, professor and director of mscs boston, looking for something different.

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Program Costs

Paying for the MSCS program We offer a variety of resources, including scholarships and assistantships.

How to Apply Learn more about the application process and requirements.

Requirements

• Online application and application fee
• The Foreign Credential Evaluation (FCE) is a required assessment of all transcripts and documents from non-U.S. accredited post-secondary education institutions. (Review the FCE requirements by country.)
• Statement of purpose that should include career goals and expected outcomes and benefits from the program
• Recent professional resumé listing detailed position responsibilities
• Three letters of recommendation
• GPA minimums: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, 8.0 on a 10.0 scale, or 80 on a 100 scale
• Official TOEFL (100 minimum) or IELTS (7.5 minimum) examination scores (international students only)
• GRE Optional

Questions?: [email protected]

View full application instructions .

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Global Engagement Learn how our teaching and research benefit from a worldwide network of students, faculty, and industry partners.

Admissions Dates

Applicants must submit the online application and all required admission materials no later than the stated deadlines to be considered for admission. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.

Industry-aligned courses for in-demand careers.

For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

View curriculum

Your curriculum is designed to give you advanced theoretical knowledge that you can immediately apply to real-world situations. Experiential learning takes place in the form of project work, research opportunities, and paid co-op and internship opportunities.

Work in software development at a top tech firm. Explore the junctions of computer science and bioinformatics, economy, education, language, defense, and more. Think about AI in the context of human-centered computing and apply it to assistive technologies. Research neural networks with the capability to calculate the origins of an epidemic. Make a difference in your work.

Experiential Learning in Boston

Research at Northeastern

Get a roadmap to reach your goals

Your experiential opportunities are closely integrated with both your course curriculum and the advising system. Our career services staff will support you in finding and succeeding in your experiences. A team of academic advisors will also help guide you.

Our Faculty

Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

Kathleen Durant

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll be connected to students at our 13 campuses, as well as 300,000-plus alumni and more than 3,500 employer partners around the world. Our global university system provides you with unique opportunities to think locally and act globally and serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

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Researching Data for Life-Cycle Assessments and Chemical Sustainability

CEE Associate Professor Matthew Eckelman and Abhijeet Parvatker, PhD’21, chemical engineering, collaborated on research about how the health care industry contributes to national and global emissions. This research later led Parvatker to pursue a consultant managing role at Sphera Solutions.

This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Alena Kuzub. Main photo: Abhijeet Parvatker, PhD’21, researched the contribution of the health care industry to national and global emissions while at Northeastern. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

When it comes to sustainability and environmental impact, this Northeastern Ph.D. grad is at the ‘forefront of innovation’

Before arriving at Northeastern University to pursue a doctoral degree, Abhijeet Parvatker worked as a research engineer at one of the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers.

He was a part of a team that measured sustainability of the company’s products, primarily produced from natural gas.

“There is generally a lot of pressure from stakeholders to understand the environmental impacts that the products have,” Parvatker says.

He used one of the most common methodologies — life-cycle assessment — that evaluates how a product or service impacts the environment over the course of its life cycle, from the moment raw materials are extracted to manufacture the product, to when it is discarded.

Although the life-cycle assessment methodology was standardized, Parvatker says, it was challenging to find the data needed to determine consumed energy, carbon dioxide emissions or toxicity.

“I soon realized that there are a lot of gaps in this,” he says. “The methods to get to the data are not as evolved, and I wanted to do a Ph.D. with that focus.”

Abhijeet Parvatker, PhD’21, now manages a team of five sustainability consultants at Sphera Solutions, helping companies with large product portfolios address their sustainability challenges and automate calculations and reports with software. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Looking at doctorate programs, Parvatker found Northeastern and  Matthew Eckelman , a professor of civil, environmental and chemical engineering, who was doing research in the exact area he was interested in.

From then on, his life’s work started to take on a larger meaning.

“It was a really good fit for a research project that I had just gotten funded from the National Science Foundation,” Eckelman says. “I felt like he had the experience to carry out this project.”

Parvatker’s research looks at developing new methods and models for generating data for life-cycle assessments and evaluating the sustainability of different chemicals and chemical manufacturing processes.

“There’s something like tens of thousands of chemicals in commerce,” Eckelman says. “We have inventory information on maybe a couple thousands.”

It was a big and ambitious project, he says, but Parvatker has made a lot of progress. And it’s been extremely useful, Eckelman says, to the global community.

“I am always getting questions about papers that Abhijeet and I wrote together,” Eckelman says. “People wanting to use the data, wanting to adapt the techniques that we use to generate the data.”

Another project Parvatker worked on was analyzing the environmental impact of intravenous anesthetic drugs used by medical institutions. The health care sector makes a considerable contribution to America’s GDP, Eckelman says, which means that to reduce the country’s carbon dioxide output into the atmosphere, health care must become more sustainable.

However, pharmaceutical companies don’t share much data about the inputs of chemicals they use in a drug, Parvatker says, for proprietary or other reasons.

Read full story at Northeastern Global News