The Department of Environmental Science and Engineering (DESE) is a pioneer department of the School of Science, Kathmandu University which started few programs first in Nepal. As such graduate studies program in Environment and Natural Resources (M.Sc. ENR) was started in 2000. This program is updated with a specialization in glaciology as M. Sc. in Environmental Science Specialization in Glaciology (MScES-GL) in 2020.

The program was conceived in response to the growing societal need for professionals in the fields of an environment capable of dealing with the wide variety of complex and interrelated issues at institutional, industrial and community levels. It emphasizes both scientific competency as well as applied skills like planning, management, policy analysis and information technology for re-designing the environment emphasizing glaciology for sustained enhancement of its quality.