Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSEnvE) degree program is designed to provide students with comprehensive training in environmental engineering fundamentals. The program has been designed with the goal of receiving accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.  Accreditation can be sought once the program has had its first graduates; the program was launched at the start of the 2018-19 spring semester. The EnvE degree requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 126 units as indicated in the BSEnvE Requirements table below. Of the courses listed in that table, the humanities and social sciences courses (except Engr 450X courses) may be taken pass/fail. A sample year-by-year BSEnvE curriculum is also shown below.

The program of study consists of 26 units of physical and biological sciences (i.e., biology, chemistry and physics); 21 units of mathematics and engineering computing; 43 units of core environmental engineering courses; 21 units of humanities, social sciences and technical writing; and 15 units of environmental engineering and science electives. The environmental engineering electives permit students to tailor their studies toward specific goals. Some of these 15 units may be taken in other engineering departments, and one course is explicitly required to be chosen from a set of natural science options. Students, in collaboration with their advisors, design a course of study (subject to certain requirements) for the environmental engineering and science electives. Consult the EECE department website for more details, including the requirements that must be satisfied by these environmental engineering and science electives.

BSEnvE Requirements

(The BSEnvE Requirements table can also be viewed on a page by itself.)

Total Units Required: 126

Physical Sciences Units
General Chemistry (Chem 111A or Chem 105, Chem 112A or Chem 106) (111A and 112A Recommended) 6
General Chemistry Laboratory (Chem 151, Chem 152) 4
General Physics (Physics 191, Physics 192) 6
Physics Laboratory (Physics 191L, Physics 192L) 2
Organic Chemistry I (Chem 261) 4
Unit Subtotal 22
Biological Science Units
Principles of Biology I (Biol 2960) 4
Unit Subtotal 4
Mathematics & Computing Units
Calculus II, III (Math 132, Math 233) 6
Differential Equations (Math 217) 3
Engineering Mathematics A (ESE 318) 3
Introduction to Computer Science (CSE 131) 3
Engineering Statistics with Probability (Engr 328) or Probability and Statistics for Engineering (ESE 326) 3
Computational Modeling in Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (EECE 202) 3
Unit Subtotal 21
Environmental Engineering Core Units
Introduction to Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (EECE 101) 3
Process Analysis and Thermodynamics (EECE 205) 4
Thermodynamics II in EECE (EECE 204) 3
Introduction to Environmental Engineering (EECE 210) 3
Environmental Engineering Fate and Transport (EECE 309) 3
Transport Phenomena I: Basics and Fluid Mechanics (EECE 301) 3
Green Engineering (EECE 311) 3
Environmental Biotechnology (EECE 407) 3
Air Quality Engineering with Lab (EECE 314) 4
Environmental Engineering Laboratory (EECE 425) 3
Environmental Chemistry Selection (EECE 505 or EECE 531) 3
Physical and Chemical Processes for Water Treatment (EECE 533) 3
Process Design, Economics and Simulation (EECE 409) 2
Environmental Engineering Capstone (EECE 404) 3
Unit Subtotal 43
Other Units
Environmental Engineering electives (some of these courses can be taken outside the EECE department) 12
Natural science elective 3
Engineering Ethics and Sustainability (Engr 4501) 1
Engineering Leadership and Team Building (Engr 4502) 1
Conflict Management and Negotiation (Engr 4503) 1
Environmental humanities or social sciences elective 3
Other humanities and social sciences electives 12
Technical Writing (Engr 310) 3
Unit Subtotal 36

BSEnvE Sample Curriculum

(The BSEnvE Sample Curriculum table can also be viewed on a page by itself.)

CourseFall UnitsSpring Units
First Year
Physics I, II (Physics 191, 192)33
Physics I Laboratory (Physics 191L)1
General Chemistry I or Introductory General Chemistry I (Chem 111A or Chem 105) (111A Recommended)3
General Chemistry Laboratory I, II (Chem 151, 152)22
Calculus II, III (Math 132, 233)33
Introduction to Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (EECE 101)3
Physics II Laboratory (Physics 192L)1
General Chemistry II or Introductory General Chemistry II (Chem 112A or Chem 106) (112A Recommended)3
Introduction to Computer Science (CSE 131)3
1515
Second Year
Process Analysis and Thermodynamics (EECE 205)4
Organic Chemistry I with Lab (Chem 261)4
Differential Equations (Math 217)3
Humanities/social sciences elective3
Environmental humanities and social sciences elective3
Engineering Mathematics A (ESE 318)3
Computational Modeling in Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (EECE 202)3
Thermodynamics II in EECE (EECE 204)3
Introduction to Environmental Engineering (EECE 210)3
Transport Phenomena I: Basics and Fluid Mechanics (EECE 301)3
1715
Third Year
Environmental Engineering Fate and Transport (EECE 309)3
Green Engineering (EECE 311)3
Air Quality Engineering with Lab (EECE 314)4
Engineering Statistics with Probability (Engr 328)*3
Humanities/social sciences elective3
Environmental Engineering Laboratory (EECE 425)3
Technical Writing (Engr 310)3
Principles of Biology I (Biol 2960)4
Physical and Chemical Processes for Water Treatment (EECE 533)3
Environmental engineering elective3
1616
Fourth Year
Process Design, Economics and Simulation (EECE 409)2
Environmental Biotechnology (EECE 407)3
Engineering Ethics and Sustainability (Engr 4501)1
Engineering Leadership and Team Building (Engr 4502)1
Aquatic Chemistry or Environmental Organic Chemistry (EECE 505 or EECE 531) (Environmental chemistry elective)3
Environmental engineering elective36
Humanities/social sciences elective33
Natural science elective3
Conflict Management and Negotiation (Engr 4503)1
Environmental Engineering Capstone (EECE 404)3
1616
*

ESE 326 Probability and Statistics for Engineering can be substituted.

Program Educational Objective

The Program Educational Objective for the BSEnvE degree program is that, within a few years of graduation, graduates will do the following:

  1. Engage in professional practice, and/or
  2. Attain advanced knowledge through graduate education or professional training in environmental engineering or their chosen field.

All will use their knowledge, skill, and abilities to serve society in a way that promotes equity and sustainability and additionally pursue activities that promote professional growth and fulfillment.