Beginning in the fall of 2024, Vanderbilt will offer an environmental engineering major for undergraduates through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).
The B.E. in environmental engineering – which is in addition to the department’s civil engineering major – will require a minimum of 122 hours and will prepare students for positions in many specialty areas of environmental engineering, as well as a variety of other careers, such as business, government, and law.
The major will also provide students with the tools necessary to develop effective solutions to solve emerging and existing issues such as water resources, quality, and treatment; aging infrastructures; climate change and carbon neutral innovations; energy and material resources; wastes and pollution; and other environmental challenges.
“The new environmental engineering major very well aligns with the new Vanderbilt initiative on sustainability, energy, and climate,” said Çağlar Oskay, CEE department chair and Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering. “Together, they will place Vanderbilt at the forefront of discovery and education in addressing the most critical challenges facing humanity today.”
Additionally, qualified students will have the opportunity to enroll at the start of the second semester of their junior year in an integrated 4+1 undergraduate-graduate program to earn their B.E. and M.Eng. (professional track) degrees in environmental engineering in five years. An accelerated B.E. / M.S. program is also available for the most advanced students. Exceptional junior and senior students also may participate in the environmental engineering Honors Program, recognized with a specialty diploma designation.
The new major has been in development for nearly three years with input from department faculty as well as others within the School of Engineering.
“Overall, we have seen significant interest from students as well as companies, almost all of which are working on incorporating environmental and sustainability plans to their business operations,” Oskay said.
He added that there will likely be an increase in the number of faculty and class offerings, such as Environmental Engineering Design as well as an Environment Engineering Laboratory class. Oskay also pointed to new research and learning opportunities that will be offered by the recently launched Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate (VSEC), part of the broader Discovery Vanderbilt initiative.
“Given the grand engineering challenges associated with our environment, we want to ensure that our students have access to courses and a major in environmental engineering,” said Cynthia Paschal, senior associate dean for undergraduate education in the School of Engineering. “This new major will equip our graduates to contribute innovative solutions to some of the world’s most challenging environmental problems.”
Contact: Lucas Johnson, lucas.l.johnson@vanderbilt.edu