Environmental Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Environmental engineering combines civic and structural design with natural resource management and sustainable development. Environmental engineering at Michigan Tech addresses emerging challenges in public and environmental health on a local, national, and global scale.

A bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering at Michigan Tech prepares you to develop a prosperous and more sustainable future for all. Environmental engineers are the Earth’s engineers, working to better the health of communities and ecosystems around the globe. Develop sustainable materials and practices for infrastructure advancement. Increase the efficiency of waste management systems. Conduct critical natural resource research to influence environmental laws and regulations. 

Work closely with experienced faculty developing environmental solutions for communities around the world. At Michigan Tech, your classroom is all around you—get ready to learn among the abundant freshwater resources, national and state forests, and geological wonders around campus. Conduct research that directly impacts local communities and develop sustainable solutions in a discovery-based curriculum. 

Expand your education by joining professional organizations like the Society for Environmental Engineering or Engineers Without Borders. Collaborate with your classmates in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering's Student Success Center and receive guidance from dedicated department advisors.

  • No. 13
    Best Public College for Engineering in America (Niche)
  • No. 2
    Best Public School for Internships (The Princeton Review)
  • No. 3
    Best Public College in the US for High Salaries (The Wall Street Journal)
  • No. 9
    for Career Placement (The Princeton Review)

What Will I Study?

As an environmental engineering major at Michigan Tech, you'll build on a foundation of engineering and design principles, mathematics, and biological, chemical, and physical sciences. In the lab and in the field, you'll develop hands-on expertise working with state-of-the-art equipment on groundbreaking research and product development.

Before you graduate, put your environmental engineering skills to the test in either an industry-sponsored Senior Design capstone project or collaborative Enterprise team. Specialize your environmental engineering degree with advanced coursework in the following areas:

  • River and Floodplain Hydraulics
  • Solid and Hazardous Waste Engineering
  • Global Biogeochemistry
  • Sustainable Engineering
  • Air Quality Engineering and Science
  • Geosynthetics Engineering

Tomorrow Needs Clean Environments

Around the Earth, more than 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. More than 2 billion are without adequate sanitation. According to the National Weather Service, each year air pollution costs the United States as much as $150 billion. Healthcare and lost economic productivity can be expensive.

Data from National Weather Service accessed April 2025.

As an environmental engineer, you will learn to treat and dispose of wastes. Help communities access safe drinking water and maintain or improve air quality. Clean up contaminated land and water resources and help industry reduce pollution.

Environmental engineers at Michigan Tech are ready for what tomorrow needs. Are you?

Engineering Enterprise Concentration

You can pursue an Enterprise concentration by taking part in Michigan Tech's award-winning Enterprise program. It's a great way to enhance your undergraduate degree. Enterprise is when students work in teams on real projects, with real clients, in an environment that's more like a business than a classroom. Choose from among 25 Enterprise teams on campus to invent products, provide services, and pioneer solutions. Tackle real-world design projects for industry sponsors or take part in a national competition (or both). This concentration can add courses in business and entrepreneurship.

All Enterprise teams are open to all majors, including environmental engineering-focused teams such as Built World Enterprise, Green Campus, or Alternative Energy Enterprise. Tackle real-world design projects for industry sponsors or take part in a national competition (or both). This concentration can add courses in business and entrepreneurship.

Be Career Ready

Graduate with a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from Michigan Tech. You will be well prepared to transition to an entry-level job in industry. You could also become a high school teacher of science and math or go on to law school. Our degree provides excellent preparation for graduate school. An advanced degree is desirable for a career in academia.

Explore Career Opportunities for Environmental Engineers:

  • Environmental and Safety Engineer
  • Water Resources Engineer
  • Design Engineer
  • Field Coordinator
  • Project Engineer
  • Air Quality Engineer
  • Groundwater Quality Engineer
  • Solid and Hazardous Waste Manager
  • Surface Water Quality Engineer
  • Water and Wastewater Processing Engineer

$63,391 mean entry-level salary
Figures from payscale.com, accessed April 2025.

My story: Kathryn Krieger, MTUengineer

"In my first summer, I worked in [the Michigan Department of Transportation’s] materials and testing laboratory, doing gradations, concrete strength testing, and aggregate sampling. The next summer, I became a statewide soil erosion and sedimentation control inspector."

Kathryn Krieger
Kathryn Krieger ’25
BS Environmental Engineering

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying environmental engineering at Michigan's flagship technological university.

 

"I chose Michigan Tech mostly because of the incredible reputation of the Environmental Engineering Department."Christine Wood, environmental engineering

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Michigan Tech integrates structural engineering, design principles, and natural resources management to build a better, more sustainable future. Study and collaborate with faculty experts in infrastructure, railroad engineering, urban redevelopment, natural hazard management, wastewater treatment, and more. Become a leader in sustainable engineering practices to improve life on the local, national, and global scale.

  • Practice your skills in the environmental simulation lab.
  • Gain hands-on construction experience on the Built World Enterprise team.
  • Participate in undergraduate research with world-renowned faculty.
  • Collaborate with leading research centers, like the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute and Great Lakes Research Center.
  • Develop real solutions in an industry-sponsored Senior Design capstone project.

MTU engineering

Real Engineering. Meaningful Work.

Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering is committed to inspiring students, advancing knowledge, and innovating technological solutions to create a sustainable, just, and prosperous world. With an entering engineering class of about 1,000 students, 18 degrees to choose from, and 160+ engineering faculty alone, our students take part in a world-class education with the trusted reputation of Michigan Tech.

Collaborate and innovate as part of Michigan Tech’s discovery-based learning environment. Explore the endless possibilities of your engineering education in Engineering Fundamentals. Work closely with world-renowned faculty as a research assistant or develop real solutions with industry partners on an Enterprise team or Senior Design capstone project. 

Join the pack and find the support you need. Map your academic career with the help of an academic advisor. Transition to University life with the support of the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success or receive academic support in any of the Learning Centers across campus. 

Study abroad, with engineering opportunities ranging from a few weeks to a full year. Focus on problems facing disadvantaged communities in countries around the world. Michigan Tech’s Global and Community Engagement program offers a range of options.

A degree in engineering from Michigan Tech can take you anywhere. After graduating, 95 percent of our alumni find successful employment within six months. Tech engineers work at NASA, Whirlpool, General Motors, Dow, Lockheed Martin, and other noteworthy organizations around the globe. With multiple annual Career Fairs and one-on-one advising from Career Services, you can find an internship, co-op, or full-time job where your engineering expertise can make a difference.

Tomorrow Needs Every Engineer

Michigan Tech engineers are at the forefront of change. Using creative ideas and technologies to solve problems in healthcare, energy, transportation, space exploration, climate change, and beyond, Tech engineers are prepared to help people and their communities adapt toward an equitable future. Become an engineer who is ready for what tomorrow needs.

College News

"Going out on the research boat to take water samples was one of the best experiences I've had as a student."Christa Meingast ’14 ’16 ’20,
BS MS PhD Environmental Engineering