Safeguarding the future

Environmental engineering applies scientific principles and engineering tools to improve the natural environment, address pollution problems, and advance environmental sustainability.

Environmental engineers protect and restore the quality of our land, water, and air resources. Through our strong core curriculum, students are provided with rigorous training needed to apply scientific principles in natural and engineered systems to provide safe drinking water, manage solid and hazardous wastes, clean up contaminated soil and groundwater, and otherwise prevent and control environmental contamination. Students learn about the sources and fate of environmental contaminants and analyze and design solutions to real-world environmental problems. Our curriculum also provides students with the flexibility to secure their future in an environmental profession through selection of technical electives toward a chosen professional goal, graduate study, or a minor in sustainability, energy, policy, or related fields.

Our faculty, active in research and professional societies, ensure that the content of the curriculum is current and maintained at a technically challenging level. Discovery learning is integrated into the program through discussion of current issues, course projects centered on today’s environmental challenges, and participation in undergraduate research opportunities. Around 30% of environmental engineering undergraduates are paid research assistants; though juniors and seniors typically participate in research, students can begin even earlier in their academic careers.