The MSc in Water Resources Engineering is a two-year postgraduate Civil Engineering program offered at Pulchowk Campus under the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University.
The 60-credit curriculum combines advanced hydrology, hydraulics, water resources systems, sedimentation, water-induced disaster engineering, hydraulic structures, specialized electives, project work, and thesis research. Elective areas include river engineering, water resources modelling, climate change and water security, water resources planning and management, glacier modelling, groundwater, underground structures, remote sensing, contract management, and fish passage engineering.
Students complete core and elective coursework during the first three semesters and undertake a 16-credit thesis in the fourth semester.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | MSc in Water Resources Engineering |
| Degree award | MSc in Water Resources Engineering (Civil Engineering) |
| Level | Master’s degree |
| Campus | Pulchowk Campus – Institute of Engineering |
| Academic field | Civil Engineering |
| University | Tribhuvan University |
| Institute | Institute of Engineering (IOE) |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Academic structure | 4 semesters |
| Total credits | 60 |
| Eligibility | BE in Civil Engineering |
| Major components | Core courses, electives, project, thesis |
Water Resources Engineering at Pulchowk Campus is structured as an advanced Civil Engineering specialization focused on the analysis, development, planning, design, and management of water-related systems.
The curriculum begins with advanced hydrology, hydraulics, water resources system engineering, and sedimentation engineering. The second semester adds water-induced disaster engineering and hydraulic-structure design before students begin choosing specialized electives.
The third semester is largely specialization-oriented, with two electives and a 4-credit project. The fourth semester consists entirely of a 16-credit thesis.
At Pulchowk Campus – Institute of Engineering (IOE), Water Resources Engineering is part of the Civil Engineering postgraduate portfolio under Tribhuvan University.
Eligibility: BE in Civil Engineering.
The program is therefore designed as postgraduate specialization after a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
Admission operates through the Institute of Engineering postgraduate framework. IOE conducts a postgraduate entrance examination, and candidates who pass become eligible for admission through the applicable campus process.
Program-specific eligibility, intake, fees, scholarships, and annual admission arrangements are governed through the corresponding IOE admission cycle.
The MSc in Water Resources Engineering is organized over two academic years.
The credit distribution is:
The complete curriculum carries 60 credits.
The structure moves from common technical foundations in the first year toward specialized electives, project work, and thesis research in the second year.
| Semester | Main Academic Components | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Year I, Part I | Advanced Hydrology; Advanced Hydraulics; Water Resources System Engineering; Sedimentation Engineering | 16 |
| Year I, Part II | Water Induced Disaster Engineering; Design of Hydraulic Structures; Elective I; Elective II | 16 |
| Year II, Part I | Elective III; Elective IV; Project | 12 |
| Year II, Part II | Thesis | 16 |
The first semester contains four compulsory 4-credit courses.
Advanced Hydrology develops postgraduate-level hydrological analysis with an applied engineering orientation.
The course includes watershed delineation and characterization, hydro-climatic data, water balance, inflow estimation, hydrological modelling, and watershed analysis.
Students work with concepts required for assessing hydrological behaviour and applying hydrological knowledge to water-resources engineering problems.
Advanced Hydraulics emphasizes computational approaches to hydraulic problems.
The course includes:
Students also work with programming and numerical hydraulic or hydrological models.
Water Resources System Engineering is a compulsory 4-credit first-semester course.
Its placement alongside hydrology and hydraulics establishes water-resources systems as part of the program's common technical foundation before students move into planning- and management-oriented electives.
Sedimentation Engineering is also a compulsory 4-credit course in the first semester.
Its inclusion gives sediment-related engineering a dedicated place within the core curriculum rather than treating it only as an optional area.
The second semester combines two compulsory subjects with two electives.
Students complete:
Water Induced Disaster Engineering brings disaster-related water problems into the core curriculum.
Its position as a compulsory course makes water-induced hazards part of the common postgraduate study undertaken by all students before further specialization.
Design of Hydraulic Structures is another compulsory second-semester course.
It connects the hydrology, hydraulics, and water-resources foundations of the first semester with engineering design involving hydraulic infrastructure.
Students may choose from:
These electives provide different specialization directions.
River Engineering concentrates on river-related engineering, while Water Resources Simulation and Modelling adds a stronger modelling component. Climate Change, Water Security, and Nexus connects water-resources study with climate and water-security issues.
Elective offerings depend on the availability of resource persons.
Students may select from:
This group extends the program into planning, mountain engineering, and glacier-related hydrology.
Water Resources Planning and Management provides a planning and management route, while Glacier and Glacio-hydrological Modelling introduces a specialized high-mountain water-resources area.
The third semester contains:
This stage gives students greater control over their specialization and introduces substantial applied project work.
Options include:
These courses allow specialization in groundwater, underground engineering, or geospatial and remote-sensing applications.
Remote Sensing in Water Resources covers satellite and sensor concepts together with practical water-resources applications.
The course includes remotely sensed data from sources such as NASA and the European Space Agency and addresses applications involving:
It also introduces cloud-based platforms such as Google Earth Engine for water-resources applications.
Students may select from:
These options provide two different final-stage specializations.
Water Resources Contract Management introduces a management-oriented route, while Fish Passage Engineering focuses on a specialized area connected with water infrastructure and aquatic movement.
The third semester includes a 4-credit project.
The project is approximately three months of full-time work.
Possible project approaches include:
The project gives students an opportunity to apply the technical and analytical knowledge developed through coursework to a focused water-resources problem.
The fourth semester consists of a 16-credit thesis.
Although the thesis appears formally in Year II, Part II, the research work begins from the beginning of the third semester. The thesis may also be associated with the project.
Students may undertake the thesis with one or more supervisors.
The structure therefore allows the project and thesis stages to develop as connected research activities rather than completely separate assignments.
The listed core and elective courses generally carry 4 credits each.
Their examination scheme consists of:
Final examinations are three hours.
The third-semester project carries 100 marks without a separate final written examination.
The fourth-semester thesis also carries 100 marks.
The program therefore combines assessed coursework, written examinations, project work, and independent research.
Across the core and elective curriculum, students can study:
This gives the program a broad technical base while allowing later specialization.
Water Resources Engineering is part of Pulchowk Campus's wider Civil Engineering postgraduate environment.
The Department of Civil Engineering also supports postgraduate study in areas such as Structural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geo-Technical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Disaster Risk Engineering and Management, Construction Engineering and Management, and Hydropower Engineering.
Civil Engineering facilities at Pulchowk include hydraulics-related laboratory infrastructure alongside structural, geotechnical, transportation, materials, surveying, and environmental facilities.
The Institute of Engineering also includes the Center for Water Resource Studies among its research and service centers.
Through core subjects, electives, modelling, project work, and thesis research, students may develop abilities related to:
The depth of these abilities depends on elective selection, project work, thesis topic, and academic engagement.
The MSc in Water Resources Engineering is intended for Civil Engineering graduates seeking advanced study in water-related engineering systems.
It may be relevant to students interested in combining:
The later stages of the degree are strongly oriented toward specialization and research, with two third-semester electives, project work, and a substantial final thesis.
Applicants must hold a BE in Civil Engineering.
The course is organized over two academic years.
The complete curriculum carries 60 credits.
The first semester includes Advanced Hydrology, Advanced Hydraulics, Water Resources System Engineering, and Sedimentation Engineering.
Yes. Students complete four elective components across the second and third semesters.
Electives include river engineering, water-resources modelling, climate change and water security, planning and management, glacier modelling, groundwater, underground structures, remote sensing, contract management, and fish passage engineering.
Yes. The third semester contains a 4-credit project of approximately three months of full-time work.
Yes. The fourth semester contains a 16-credit thesis. Thesis work begins from the start of the third semester and may be associated with the project.
The degree awarded is MSc in Water Resources Engineering (Civil Engineering).
