Environmental engineering focuses on the interface between human society and the environment. Environmental engineers seek to make the environment safe for humans, while minimizing our impact on the environment. The field addresses a wide range of natural and manmade problems that exist in both undeveloped countries and highly technological societies. An environmental engineer must be technically competent and have the ability to analyze a problem, interpret the results, and synthesize a solution that is technically, economically, socially, and politically viable. Graduates that have specialized in environmental engineering are employed by industry, environmental agencies and consulting engineering firms, and may apply their skills to a broad range of challenges, including water and wastewater treatment, toxic and hazardous waste management, solid waste management, air pollution, contaminant transport modeling, and sustainability management. Within the Civil Engineering Program, students interested in environmental engineering may study water and wastewater treatment, environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology, contaminant transport, and green engineering. In addition, courses from complementary programs, such as environmental sciences, chemistry, and global development studies are encouraged to strengthen and broaden a civil engineer's preparation to successfully address the challenges facing our environment. Civil Engineering is the broadest of all engineering professions and encompasses the application of science and technology to the planning, design, analysis, construction, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure and natural environment. Civil engineers are the fabricators of modern society and the protectors of our environment. Civil engineering program emphasizes the complex interrelationships between infrastructure, social systems, and the environment. We develop civil engineers who will seek to sustainably and equitably design, management, and construct infrastructure systems, and who are prepared to innovate with new materials and create and use digital and virtual technologies. Civil infrastructure is diverse, including many subsystems such as stormwater and drinking water systems, waste management systems, neighborhoods, highways, railways, high-rise buildings, and bridges. We develop the insight to anticipate how changes in one subsystem may affect the others and ultimately the environment, energy systems, communities, and the quality of life.
