Utah State University’s Society of Women Engineers Section is committed to: Encourage women engineers to attain high levels of educational and professional achievement, serve as center of information for women in engineering, and promote the value of diversity.
Irrigation Engineering
Utah State University's (USU) greatest area of involvement has traditionally been the development and management of water and land resources. About 100 years ago in 1910 John A. Widstoe, then President at USU, wrote one of the earliest textbooks on irrigation. Widstoe established a research-based technical assistance and training program in Persia—now Iran, and that strong relationship in the Middle East has endured to today as well as locations in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Funding for these projects has come from a wide variety of diverse sources such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the Organization of American States, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, various foundations, and programs financed directly by host countries.
The Irrigation Engineering program encompasses the design, evaluation, and management of on-farm agricultural water application methods, including surface, sprinkler, and trickle systems, as well as the design, operation, and maintenance of water conveyance and delivery systems. The program also focuses on irrigation scheduling and crop water use topics, with strong ties to other academic departments and the agricultural extension services through the University and State of Utah. Dozens of domestic and international irrigation development and assistance projects have been implemented through the Irrigation Engineering program at USU over the past several decades. Many current and former USU students have participated directly in project activities.
Our program is at the forefront of irrigation engineering. We have state of the art laboratories and a worldwide recognized faculty.
Research projects in several areas of irrigation and drainage are currently being conducted by the Department. Graduate students thus have the opportunity to conduct research for the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs on projects which currently include:
hydraulics of surface flow
consumptive use
remote sensing
decision support systems
return flow of irrigation waters
water quality
soil system responses to various irrigation waters and irrigation methods
trickle irrigation
crop production
salt movement and irrigation system management
ground water quality protection and conjunctive use
Degrees Offered
M.S. Irrigation Engineering
Ph.D. Irrigation Engineering
A Bachelor of Science degree in Irrigation Engineering is not offered. The foundational program at the B.S. level is Biological Engineering, and students who are interested in Irrigation Engineering may select senior level elective courses in Irrigation Engineering and in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department (CEE). Student who complete a B.S. degree in Biological Engineering are qualified to pursue a graduate degree in Irrigation Engineering.
Careers
Depending on specific areas of interest, an irrigation engineer may be involved in a wide variety of pursuits related to water management. There are opportunities in design, sales, management, product development, quality control, research, and international development.
Utah State University has a Career Service Center which guides and orients students to identify job positions and internships in the USA and around the world.
