Why Study Environmental Engineering?
Are you the kind of person who enjoys solving big problems that are at the forefront of society? Do you think about clean air and water, sustainability, renewable energy, and ways to protect the environment for improved ecological and human health? If so, then environmental engineering may be for you. Environmental engineers are conscious of societal needs and eagerly seek to solve some of the most challenging emerging problems in society today.
Vanderbilt’s B.E. in environmental engineering prepares graduates 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 provides 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.
Curriculum
Recognizing that environmental solutions cannot be realized without consideration of social, cultural, economic, and political factors, Vanderbilt environmental engineering students will extend the breadth of their studies with courses in data science and global perspective courses in social sciences, economics, political sciences, and the humanities. These courses are in addition to foundational courses in the basic and applied sciences, mathematics, engineering, and advanced courses in fate, transport, and treatment of contaminants in the environment.
Program Structure: Engineering problem-solving is intentionally interwoven in the first-year classes and throughout a student’s four-year experience. Building on a solid foundation in math and basic sciences, students learn about sustainable design, geological sciences, and biological systems in their second year. The junior year involves core courses in environmental and water resources engineering with hands-on laboratory experiences. The senior year allows maximum flexibility for students to tailor their courses to their selected interest while they undertake a real-world senior design project mentored by a practicing engineer. These design efforts draw on and integrate data science and global perspectives with the science and engineering knowledge they gained in the major. Recent senior design projects include designing stream rehabilitation, solar deionization of groundwater, a pedestrian bridge in Honduras, and accessibility improvements on the Vanderbilt campus. Some of the innovative courses offered are:
- Sustainable Design in Civil Engineering
- Energy Systems Engineering
- Environmental Engineering Analysis
- Risk, Reliability, and Resilience Engineering
See our website to review recent interesting class projects.
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate students have opportunities to hone their research skills while working with nationally and internationally recognized faculty research groups. Our summer research program has been popular and beneficial. Examples of faculty research in environmental engineering include:
- Evaluating water system sustainability and resilience
- Hydropower optimization
- Micro-and nanoplastics identification, treatment, and removal
- Nano-modified more environmentally friendly concrete
- Nuclear environmental systems
- Water security
- Mitigating impacts of plastics and forever chemicals on the environment
- Cyber-physical systems for smart cities
Other Special Opportunities
Study Abroad
Many of our students arrange their courses so that they can study abroad one semester during their undergraduate years in such places as Australia, Denmark, France, and Ireland. Study abroad is encouraged because it adds breadth to the educational experience.
Experiential Learning
Students may travel to Sterling Ranch, Colorado to study the design and construction of a new master-planned, sustainability-oriented community. New courses are now offered that include travel to places such as Rome, Venice, and Milan.
Internships
Summer internships are encouraged and fostered by our department faculty. Most students participate in internships after their sophomore and junior years. Students engage in internships in water resources engineering, environmental engineering, site design, and more.
Student Organizations
An active chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) creates a close community. Students gain real-world knowledge through weekly guest speakers and travel to competitions. ASCE also helps students connect with the local civil and environmental engineering community through its annual career fair. Many of our engineering students are active in other organizations such as Engineers without Borders.
Other Majors and Minors
The major in environmental engineering offers an opportunity to double major in our closely related field of chemical engineering, plus other areas such as computer science, mathematics, climate studies, architecture and the built environment, and economics. Minors in these same areas plus engineering management are feasible and popular. A minor in environmental engineering is available to students in other majors. In addition, the civil engineering major offers a specialization within environmental engineering.
Careers
Nearly 100% of our graduating seniors from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for the last twelve years knew their post-graduate plans as they walked across the graduation stage. Although the major in environmental engineering is new in 2024, we expect our environmental engineering graduates will follow a similar trend where approximately 25–35% of our graduates from our department will begin work on advanced degrees soon after graduation, while 65–75% go directly into full-time employment. Because of the breadth and depth in the environmental engineering undergraduate degree, we expect a vast majority of our students to pursue an advanced degree sometime during their successful careers.
Leading civil and environmental engineering consulting firms, energy companies, business consulting firms, graduate engineering programs, and business and law programs across the U.S. and internationally clamor to attract our department graduates.
Visit our website for more specifics about some of the great accomplishments and exciting work of our alumni. A lifetime of learning is a recurring theme throughout our program because learning does not stop upon graduation, and our graduates continue to be successful while making a difference in society.
Faculty
Nearly 30 teaching and research faculty together provide a stimulating teaching and research balance. Our professors are caring and knowledgeable and consistently rank among the School of Engineering’s most highly respected educators.
Clean water using recycled materials, multifunctional materials, green energy sources and green concrete, sustainability, reliability, resilience, infrastructure improvements, 3D printing of infrastructure (some of which even store energy), smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and other exciting innovations are the focus of research and teaching efforts for our faculty. Our graduates will be leaders in advancing these innovations and discovering new ones.
Contact
Eugene J. LeBoeuf, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, BCWRE, F.ASCE
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Jacobs Hall, Room 278
VU Station B 351831
Phone: (615) 343-7070
Email: eugene.j.leboeuf@vanderbilt.edu