From assessing a new development site for the potential for flooding, earthquakes or other ground instability to shoring up a site after it closes down, demand for engineering geologists is only expected to grow in the next decade. With PSU's graduate certificate in Engineering Geology, you can upgrade your engineering credentials and take your career to the next level.
Our flexible certificate is designed for both practicing geologists looking to gain additional skills and expertise in engineering geology as well as post-baccalaureate students who are working toward a graduate degree.
Our location gives you unparalleled opportunities to study natural hazards and the impacts they have on people and the environment, as floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis have all occurred in Oregon within the past century.
You’ll learn from and work alongside our faculty who are leading researchers in the field of geology. Their areas of expertise include volcanology, geochemistry, structural geology, urban systems, glaciology, hydrogeology, meteorites and planetary science, and active tectonics. PSU's research computing unit can provide you with access and support to geospatial servers and mapping software. PSU’s geology research facilities include surveying equipment, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, a teaching laboratory with sensors and data loggers, and a web-based data clearinghouse with regional geoscience data.
You can get involved with our student clubs, including CoRiBa and chapters of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists and the Association of Petroleum Geologists. Learn about geology and related topics outside the classroom, listen to invited speakers, explore careers in geology, and go on field trips and hikes.
Our location gives you unmatched opportunities to get out into the field and explore our dynamic geologic environment.
In the core Engineering Geology course, you'll learn to apply geological information to engineering problems, including soil mechanics, rock mechanics, construction materials, groundwater and construction, instrumentation, exploration, terrain models, and landslide analysis. For your three electives, you can choose from more than a dozen topics that range from earthquake site assessment to safety analysis in highway engineering and transportation planning.
Portland State's chapter of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists also provides you with opportunities to network with local agency and industry professionals.