Environmental engineers apply their knowledge of math, physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering problem-solving skills for the protection of human health and the environment. Environmental engineers design and maintain systems that provide safe drinking water, treat and properly dispose of wastes, maintain or improve air quality, control water pollution in rivers and lakes, cleanup contaminated land and water resources, and help industry minimize pollution, among many other activities.
Fortune Magazine (March 21, 2005) selected environmental engineering as the fastest growing professional job in the next decade (over 54 percent increase in jobs)!
Environmental engineers look at
- drinking water, wastewater treatment, and waste management
- management and ecological restoration of lakes and rivers
- watershed planning and restoration
- air quality engineering and regional planning
- brownfield restoration and soil/groundwater remediation
- pollution prevention, recycling, green engineering, and sustainability
- education, research, environmental policy, law school, and business
Environmental engineers have a wide range of employment opportunities. They may work as a design engineer in a consulting firm; work for industry; work for local and city government; work for government agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, US Army Corps, US Geological Survey, US Forest Service, or Department of Interior; become managers, become high school teachers of science or math; go on to law school; or go directly on to graduate school. The choices are endless!
Student Groups—National Society for Black Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Associated General Contractors, Chi Epsilon, Society for Environmental Engineering, Society of Women Engineers, Students for Environmental Sustainability
Minor—Municipal Engineering
Rankings—The environmental engineering program is one of the largest programs in the Nation in terms of number of graduates and is also nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
Several Study Abroad Opportunities Available