Irrigation Engineering

Overview: Irrigation Engineering involves the management of water applied to agricultural and other developed lands for the growth of crops and other vegetation. This includes the design, operation, and management of on-farm irrigation systems and irrigation water distribution canal, pipline, and pumping systems and their relationship to water resources quantity and quality. Current research areas include precision irrigation management, remote sensing, crop water use, irrigation system performance, water use optimization, interactions between irrigation and hydrologic systems, and water use of alternative crops.

Core Courses

Fall

  • CEE 6800 CEE Seminar
  • CEE 5001/6001 Design and Evaluation of Pressurized Irrigation Systems (even years)
  • CEE 5005/6005 Design and Evaluation of Gravity Irrigation Systems (odd years)

Spring

  • CEE 5006/6006 Agricultural Water Management (even years)
  • CEE 5008/6008 Hydrology of Irrigated Agriculture (odd years)
  • CEE 6800 CEE Seminar

If any graduate core courses are not offered, a graduate elective course may be substituted, subject to approval of the graduate committee.

Core Technical Electives

(students must take 3 or more credits from the following courses)

Fall

  • CEE 5003/6003 Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces (Not offered 2025)
  • CEE 5500/6500 Open Channel Hydraulics with an Emphasis on Gradually Varied Flow

Spring

  • CEE 5550/6550 Hydraulics of Closed Conduits

Summer

  • CEE 5007/6007 Field Evaluation of Agricultural Irrigation Systems 2023 tentative

Note that with approval from the graduate committee, required courses can be waived if the student has successfully completed an equivalent course at Utah State University or elsewhere.

Electives

Students should choose courses from the following list to complete the program of study for their degree. Students may also choose from other courses available at USU in consultation with their graduate committee. All classes are offered yearly, unless otherwise specified.

Fall

Spring