Coastal Engineering Institute

Coastal engineering is the study of near-shore processes and the application of engineering principles to development in coastal environment. The research in the field is multidisciplinary and has overlapping interests with oceanography, marine geology, and several branches of engineering.

Coastal scientists are involved in research on processes in natural bodies of water such as surface waves, sediment transport, dynamics of stratified flows, physical-biological interactions, as well as engineering management and public policy. Coastal engineers are typically involved in the design and construction of coastal structures, ports and harbors, beach nourishment, and ocean energy.

Research

Studies include ocean surface waves and their interactions with coastal sediments and structures, dynamics of stratified flows in ocean and estuarine environment, and more.

Learn More
Aerial view of Norfolk, Virginia

Academics

Structural engineer and architect working with blueprints discuss at the outdoors construction site
Civil & Environmental Engineering (Engineering, Ph.D)
The PhD degree is awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed all of the requirements of a doctoral degree program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The doctoral program involves taking coursework as well as conducting research of significant importance. The PhD degree program focus areas include Biofuels, Coastal Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering.
Civil Engineering (M.S.)
In this rapidly changing and increasingly competitive technological world, graduate degrees are highly desirable and most often master’s degrees are required to hold higher-level professional civil engineering positions in the industry, and in federal, state and municipal government agencies.
Crane on coast of Madeira island in Funchal port
Coastal Engineering (Graduate Certificate)
The Coastal Engineering Certificate allows students to understand the physics, engineering, economics, environmental, institutional and aesthetic constraints that influence coastal engineering design.

College of Engineering

Contact

College of Engineering

757-683-4245 office
757-683-4898 fax
Directory
Apply Now

Faculty

Gangfeng Ma
757-683-4732
Research Interests
Estuarine and Coastal Hydrodynamics, Coastal Hazard Assessment, Sediment Transport Dynamics, Wetland Hydrodynamics, Sea Level Rise Impacts, Computational Fluid Dynamics
Navid Tahvildari
757-683-3549
Research Interests
Coastal Engineering, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Impacts on Coastal Flooding, Natural and Nature-Based Mitigation of Coastal Hazards, Computational Modeling and Field Observations of Coastal ProcessesRefer to my personal website for up-to-date information on my research grants and publications.