Online Master’s in Hydrology and Water Security
Impact today’s water challenges
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At a Glance
The online Master of Environmental Science in Hydrology and Water Security from OU Online equips professionals to tackle today’s most pressing water challenges across energy, government, and industry. This innovative, interdisciplinary degree blends science, policy, and management to prepare leaders who shape sustainable water solutions.
Students build a strong foundation through a dynamic core curriculum, then tailor their studies with one of three in-demand concentrations: Water Management, Water Quality, or Water Quantity.
100% Online
Time to Complete:
21+ Months
Credit Hours:
30
Time Commitment:
10 to 20 Hours Weekly
start dates
Fall, Spring
cost
The MES in Hydrology and Water Security delivers exceptional value, empowering you with the advanced skills and leadership expertise to drive meaningful impact and unlock higher earning potential in a growing field.
Tuition and fees total $30,450, based on $1,015 per credit hour. Costs for books and additional materials are not included.
YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE
Complete the form below to learn more about our online programs and how to get started.
About the Online Master’s in Hydrology and Water Security
The online Hydrology and Water Security master’s degree is a 30-credit-hour program developed through a groundbreaking collaboration between the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science in the Gallogly College of Engineering, the School of Meteorology, and the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability.
You will learn from expert faculty whose multidisciplinary hydrologic knowledge offers a rare, industry-relevant perspective not found in other graduate programs. This unique approach prepares professionals to lead water-focused sectors with confidence and clarity.
The program features a robust core curriculum and three specialized concentrations:
Water Management Concentration
Designed for professionals working with water across diverse industries, this concentration explores water’s influence on business, infrastructure, and society.
Water Quality Concentration
A data-driven focus on the fate and transport of water quality constituents throughout the hydrologic cycle, ideal for careers in environmental quality, waste load allocation, water reuse, and geo-environmental health.
Water Quantity Concentration
A technically focused path for those who want to deepen their understanding of water availability and movement across local, regional, and global scales.
MES in Hydrology and Water Security: Power Your Career with Purpose
Earning your online master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Security from the University of Oklahoma positions you for advancement in a wide range of high-impact careers across hydrology, environmental science, and water resource management. You will graduate ready to command roles that shape sustainable solutions and protect vital water systems. Accelerate your career in roles such as:
- Hydrologic Systems Analyst
- Water Resource Engineer
- Groundwater Hydrologist
- Conservation Scientist or Forester
- Water Quality Analyst
- Watershed Management Professional
- Environmental Consultant
- Geoscientist
Industry Insights
- Median Pay: $92,060
- Job Outlook: Employment for hydrologists is expected to grow 3 percent by 2033.
- Job Openings: 500 openings for hydrologists are projected each year, on average, over the next decade.
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Program Outcomes: Build Expertise That Sets You Apart
OU’s online master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Security meets the rising demand for professionals equipped to solve complex water challenges across energy, government, and industry. This program delivers the advanced knowledge and hands-on skills needed to lead today’s water-focused careers.
- Learn cutting-edge techniques for monitoring hydrologic storage and fluxes
- Use advanced platforms for global-scale, hyper-resolution hydrologic modeling
- Understand the dynamic interactions between biological, ecological, and human systems within the hydrologic cycle
- Step into leadership roles that shape the future of water resource management in the United States
Course Details
The master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Security delivers a comprehensive foundation in hydrology, hydroclimatology, water law, and hydrometeorology—equipping you with the essential knowledge to succeed in advanced, concentration-specific coursework. An additional 3-hour concentration elective and 3-hour free elective will also be chosen from approved lists for each concentration.
Course Structure
You’ll take 30 credit hours across 10 courses. All courses run the full length of the semester – 16-week courses in the Spring and Fall semesters and 14-week courses in the Summer semester. All courses feature mandatory live sessions once per week for each class from 6 to 9 pm CT. There are required live lectures via Zoom 1 or 2 weeknight evenings per week,
Core Courses
Fundamentals of Project Management
Credit Hours: 3
Foundational survey course that considers both technical and sociocultural aspects of project management across the full project life cycle.
Water Law
Credit Hours: 3
A course for non-lawyers that explores systems of water rights; riparian, appropriation, and prescriptive rights; stream, surface, and ground water; development of water supplies; nationwide conflicts; water pollution control; federal and Indian rights and federal water resource issues and problems, so that water managers, environmental scientists or policy makers can provide needed input to threats to and protection of water.
Hydroclimatology
Credit Hours: 3
Theory and concept of hydroclimatology across atmospheric science and hydrology. An in-depth study of the local to global climate of precipitation with a specific focus on drought, pluvial, and how they vary in a changing climate system. Data analysis and computational methods for hydroclimatology. A basic level of scientific programming is helpful but not mandatory.
Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems
Credit Hours: 3
Designed to help students learn introductory to intermediate concepts of geographic information science (GIScience) and become proficient users of geographic information systems (GIS). The course covers a variety of topics but focuses on GIS data models, data structures, and spatial analysis. Teaching formats include lectures, in-class exercises, and lab exercises.
Hydrometeorology
Credit Hours: 3
Hydrometeorology is part of meteorology directly concerned with hydrologic problems, such as forecasting and observing heavy precipitation and floods and how such features impact flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation and similar fields of engineering and water resource management.
Water Quantity Concentration Courses
Water Resources Systems Modeling
Credit Hours: 3
An in-depth study of the theory of optimization, hydrologic modeling, reservoir and dams' operation. Data analysis and computational methods for hydrology and water resources management. Special emphasis on system modeling and parameter tuning using automatic calibration approaches. Basic level of scientific programming.
Hydrology
Credit Hours: 3
Hydrology is the study of water across the globe. This is an applied course on hydrology dealing with environmental water problems; principles of hydrologic systems, their structure and components; and methods of analysis and their application to various purposes of water resources planning and development.
Groundwater and Seepage
Credit Hours: 3
An applied course dealing with properties of aquifers, modeling of groundwater flow, groundwater hydrology, and its interrelation with surface water, well hydraulics, pumping tests, and safe yield of aquifers.
Water Management Concentration Courses
Water Policy and Institutions
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the evolution of water policy in the United States and the substantive roles that federal and state water resource institutions have played. Students will gain an understanding of the legal and institutional frameworks within which water resources are managed and the broader implications of climate change for water security.
Water Security
Credit Hours: 3
This course defines water security as existing at the water quantity-quality-equity nexus, looks at historical examples of water insecurity, discusses major water security challenges (e.g., natural disasters, global warming, the water-food-energy nexus, urbanization, transboundary issues) as well as responses to these challenges (e.g., water resilience plans, LID, desalination/reuse technologies, developing a water ethic) and evaluates pioneering water security initiatives.
Fundamental Hydrology
Credit Hours: 3
A science-based course for students who desire to be water managers, environmental scientists, or policy makers. The course provides a quantitative introduction to atmospheric, surface, and subsurface hydrology. Modules present the storage and movement of water between the environmental compartments, the effect of human activities on the natural water cycle, and the threats to and protection of water security.
Water Quality Concentration Courses
Water Management Chemistry
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides knowledge of water chemistry encountered in the management and assessment of water quality. Course goals are: 1) to become proficient in interpreting water chemistry data so as to be able to successfully evaluate the water quality status of a water resource, and 2) to know which specific water chemistry parameters are essential to measure for monitoring water quality problems.
Hydrology
Credit Hours: 3
Hydrology is the study of water across the globe. This is an applied course on hydrology dealing with environmental water problems; principles of hydrologic systems, their structure and components; and methods of analysis and their application to various purposes of water resources planning and development.
Aqueous Geochemical Modeling
Credit Hours: 3
Provides an interactive platform to improve our understanding of complex biogeochemical reactions and processes in natural systems. The course will cover the mathematical and thermodynamic basis for widely used geochemical modeling programs, including PHREEQC, Visual MINTEQ, and Geochemists Work Bench (GWB). Various types of modeling approaches will be explored using geochemical data representative of real-world applications.
Why OU Online Is the Smart Choice for Hydrology and Water Security
OU Online delivers high-quality, affordable undergraduate and graduate programs in a flexible, fully online format—backed by the reputation of a top-tier public research institution. Gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence to thrive in the fast-evolving field of hydrology and water security.
Faculty Expertise
The MES in Hydrology and Water Security is powered by the expertise of world-class University of Oklahoma faculty and seasoned professors of practice who bring real-world insight into every course. By connecting industry leaders with academic excellence, OU Online delivers an advanced, career-focused curriculum that prepares you to lead in the evolving water sector.
Robust Student Support
OU Online offers robust student support services, including academic support, online tutoring, mental health counseling, and an online career development center. The program accommodates the needs of working professionals, allowing you to expand your technical skills while maintaining full-time employment.
Global Alumni Network
With more than 250,000 alumni across the world, becoming a Sooner means you’ll have access to a strong network of hydrology professionals to accelerate your career. As a Sooner, you’ll be part of a powerful network of leaders working across the world, helping you expand your career in hydrology.
Flexible Format
The MES in Hydrology and Water Security is offered in a fully online, flexible format designed for working professionals around the globe. Earn your degree in as few as 21 months while maintaining full-time employment and personal commitments. Study from anywhere and gain specialized expertise that advances your career in hydrology and water security.
Tailored Experience
Move through the program with a small, focused cohort of professionals who share your passion for hydrology and water security. Engage in meaningful online discussions with expert faculty and peers, build lasting connections, and grow your professional network within the water industry—all while developing the skills to thrive in a collaborative, real-world environment.
Cost & Financial Aid
Earning your master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Security is an investment in your future—and OU Online is committed to making that investment accessible and transparent.
Students pay $1,015 per credit hour, totaling $30,450 for the program. Books and additional materials are not included.
Financial aid, scholarships, and employer tuition assistance may be available to help reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Our dedicated financial services team will guide you through every step of the funding process—so you can stay focused on your education and career goals.
If you have questions about financial aid for your online program, contact the Online Aid office at onlineaid@ou.edu or call 405-325-2929.
A nonrefundable deposit of $350 is required upon admission to secure your place in the program. This deposit guarantees your spot in your first semester of courses and will be applied toward your first semester’s tuition.
* Please be aware that tuition and fees may change, as determined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Transfer Credit
You can transfer up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level coursework per Graduate College policy and with approval of the department. You must provide a syllabus for each course you want to transfer.
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YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE
Complete the form below to learn more about our online programs and how to get started.
