Environmental Engineering Degrees

For anyone passionate about the environment and the development of a healthier and more sustainable future, environmental engineering is a great choice. It is a forward-thinking subject, heavily involved in the production of many new systems, products and technologies with some excellent career outcomes. Read our guide to studying environmental engineering at university, including an overview of common course topics, specialisations and career options. 

Course content 

Environmental engineering programmes tend to focus on the construction and maintenance of systems that have an impact on the environment. As a result, it can have a lot of cross over in terms of the course content with other subjects such as maths, chemistry, geography, technology, biology, economics and other branches of engineering such as civil engineering and public health. An environmental engineering programme will have both elective and compulsory modules which may cover topics such as: 

• Mechanics 

• Energy transfer 

• Engineering mathematics 

• Thermodynamics 

• Basic chemistry 

• Sustainability 

• Materials 

Entry requirements 

As with most university courses, students are required to have basic qualifications in both maths and English, or the national equivalent, in order to study environmental engineering. 

Alongside these qualifications, the sciences: biology, physics and chemistry are also highly valued as well as subjects such as geography and design technology which may also be useful in providing background knowledge. 

Course content and assessment methods 

An environmental engineering programme will consist of both compulsory and elective modules. Compulsory modules may include topics such as environmental systems, environmental models, sustainability, system engineering and system management. 

Students can expect to be assessed in a variety of ways while studying environmental engineering, including traditional written exams, research projects, collaborative projects and work experience. 

Specialisations

Students of environmental engineering can choose from a wide range of specialisations and elective modules. These may include: 

• Air quality – this specialisation looks at the effects of air quality on public health, both indoors and outdoors. It studies the most common pollutants and airbourne particles and consider ways to limit them. 
• Environmental systems engineering – looks at sustainable design strategies in natural and built environments. Specific content will usually cover coastal and urban environments as well as freshwater sources. 
• Water resources engineering – an introduction to the key elements, structures, and processes of water engineering. Water supply, irrigation and waste disposal is often an important part of this module. 
• Waste management – often combined with the study of pollution control, waste management studies three main areas: solid waste, water waste and soil conservation. It considers the systems that we use to manage each of these types of waste and how we prevent pollution with these systems. 
• Climate change – focuses on weather and climate changes and how these affect the environmental systems used today. Infrastructure, air pollution, natural disaster prevention and waste management are common topics of study. 
• Renewable energy – the current climate makes sustainable energy sources increasingly important. This specialisation looks at the different kinds of renewable energy, how they work, and which type is optimal for different environments. 
• Sustainable development – considers ways to make existing systems and structures more sustainable by using sustainable materials, reducing waste and converting to renewable energy sources. 
• Environmental microbiology – the study of microorganisms in the air, soil and water which may have an effect on public health. Looks at how these microbes respond to and shape the world around them. This is a rapidly evolving field with plenty of emerging research. 
• Environmental laws and regulations – teaches students about national laws regarding sustainability and the environment, the impact they have had on society and how they can be continuously optimised to deal with climate change. 
• Environmental analysis – analyses the current systems and regulations that are in place and considers where these systems are working well, and which areas need improvement. 

Career options

There are plenty of career options for graduates of environmental engineering programmes. They are: 

• Environmental engineer – works to find solutions to environmental problems and innovates new solutions. This could include designing processes and systems or machinery and using resources and materials which will increase sustainability. The role of an environmental engineer may include site assessment, analysing the current impact of climate and population change, and reviewing new research. 
• Air quality specialist – uses specialised knowledge to ensure that petroleum emissions and other airbourne pollutants are limited to comply with local laws and regulations. They may be assigned to review a factory or another location where there is an increased chance of air pollution emissions to treat polluted air with contaminant removal technologies. 
• Environmental manager – responsible for managing the environmental impact of an organisation. They will assess different elements of the business to ensure that environmental legislation is complied with and to make improvements where possible. 
• Water engineer – supply, control and conserve clean water as well as managing the sewage system. The role could be on a large scale, regarding the water supply and use in a country or locality, or on a small scale in a corporation. Here, you may be in charge of writing reports and liaising with local authorities to make sure that water pollution is kept to a minimum and adheres to local laws. 
• Environmental consultant – this role is similar to that of an environmental manager but, instead of working within a company or organisation, they will work within a consultancy firm and aid corporate clients in making sure that their environmental impact is kept to a minimum and that all local laws and regulations are abided by. 
• Environmental scientist – they study the impact of environmental factors such as pollution, population and climate change on society and use this data to come up with new ways of improving existing systems and reimagining policy to keep up with the changing environmental landscape. 
• Climate change analyst – conducts research into various aspects of climate change and uses the data to inform new legislation and advertise solutions to companies in order to decrease our negative impact on the environment. 
• Sustainable infrastructure engineer – looks at the design and construction of buildings and large structures, advising companies on how they can reduce their environmental impact by creating more sustainable designs, using sustainable building materials and adjusting their practices and use of machinery to become more environmentally friendly.