Environmental Engineering (BS)
Environmental Engineering Degree
The Environmental Engineering curriculum is designed for students interested in environmental protection and sustainability. The curriculum provides students with a foundation in the science and mathematics required to observe, understand, model, and analyze environmental systems, as well as engineering skills to design critical components of society鈥檚 infrastructure. Upon graduation, students are prepared to work in such areas as water treatment, water resources management, air pollution control, solid waste management, and sustainable energy systems. The curriculum emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of environmental engineering with courses in engineering, earth, and life sciences, including specialized courses on energy and climate, pollution control, waste management, and water and sanitation in developing countries.
Specific curriculum requirements are available on the听Office of Undergraduate Courses and Curricula .
Educational Objectives in Environmental Engineering
Within a few years of graduation alumni of the Environmental Engineering program will:
- Function successfully in a professional environment by utilizing and enhancing their technical, critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills.
- Continue learning through graduate or other professional education and obtaining licensure where appropriate.
- Function in team-oriented, multidisciplinary open-ended engineering activities considering the societal, economic, public health, and environmental impacts of engineering decisions, and the professional and ethical responsibilities of environmental engineers.
- Provide mentoring to those under their supervision, and provide leadership in their employment organizations, industry associations, and professional societies.
Plan Requirements
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| 贰听101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 | 1 |
| 贰听115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 2 | 4 |
| 惭础听141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH听201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 2 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Fundamentals of Economics | ||
| MA听241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY听205 &听PY听206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| E听102 | Engineering in the 21st Century | 2 |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CE听214 | Engineering Mechanics-Statics 2 | 3 |
| CE听250 | Introduction to Sustainable Infrastructure 2 | 3 |
| CHE听205 | Chemical Process Principles | 4 |
| MA听242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| CSC听111 | Introduction to Computing: Python | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIO听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| CE听373 | Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering 2 | 3 |
| SSC听442 | Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| MA听341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| CE听282 | Hydraulics | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CE听378 | Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology | 4 |
| TDE听220 or GIS听280 | Civil Engineering Graphics or Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| PY听208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II | 3 |
| PY听209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 1 |
| ST听370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| COM听110 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CE听381 | Hydraulics Systems Measurements Lab | 1 |
| CE听383 | Hydrology and Urban Water Systems | 3 |
| CE听339 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
| MAE听201 | Thermal-Fluid Sciences | 3 |
| PS听320 or PS听336 | U.S. Environmental Law and Politics or Global Environmental Politics | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 13 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CE听476 or CE听479 | Air Pollution Control or Air Quality | 3 |
| CE听484 | Water Supply and Waste Water Systems | 3 |
| CE听488 | Water Resources Engineering | 3 |
| ENE Elective I | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 12 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CE听477 | Principles of Solid Waste Engineering | 3 |
| CE听481 | Environmental Engineering Project | 3 |
| ENE Elective II | 3 | |
| ENE Elective III | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 12 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 117 |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C- or higher is required.
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEP Courses | |||
| GEP Humanities | 3 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | ||
| GEP Elective | 3 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Total Hours | 11 | ||
ENE Elective I
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE听435 | Engineering Geology | 3 | |
| CE听476 | Air Pollution Control | 3 | |
| CE听478 | Energy and Climate | 3 | |
| CE听479 | Air Quality | 3 | |
| CE听487 | Introduction to Coastal and Ocean Engineering | 3 | |
| CE听578 | Energy and Climate | 3 | |
| MEA听479 | Air Quality | 3 |
ENE Elective II
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE听435 | Engineering Geology | 3 | |
| CE听476 | Air Pollution Control | 3 | |
| CE听478 | Energy and Climate | 3 | |
| CE听479 | Air Quality | 3 | |
| CE听499 | Undergraduate Research Thesis in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering | 1-3 | |
| CE听487 | Introduction to Coastal and Ocean Engineering | 3 | |
| CE听578 | Energy and Climate | 3 | |
| MEA听479 | Air Quality | 3 |
ENE Elective III
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARC听521 | Daylighting and Passive Energy Systems for Architecture | 3 | |
| ARC听522 | Building Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy | 3 | |
| ARC听590 | Special Topics in Architecture | 1-6 | |
| CE听435 | Engineering Geology | 3 | |
| CE听476 | Air Pollution Control | 3 | |
| CE听478 | Energy and Climate | 3 | |
| CE听479 | Air Quality | 3 | |
| CE听487 | Introduction to Coastal and Ocean Engineering | 3 | |
| CE听578 | Energy and Climate | 3 | |
| MEA听479 | Air Quality | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| 贰听101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 1,2 | 1 |
| 贰听115 | Introduction to Computing Environments 1,2 | 1 |
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 1,2 | 4 |
| 惭础听141 | Calculus I 1,2 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH听201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science | 3 |
| EC听205 | Fundamentals of Economics 1 | 3 |
| MA听241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY听205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 3 |
| PY听206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| E听102 | Engineering in the 21st Century | 2 |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CE听214 | Engineering Mechanics-Statics | 3 |
| CE听250 | Introduction to Sustainable Infrastructure | 3 |
| CHE听205 | Chemical Process Principles | 4 |
| MA听242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| CSC听111 | Introduction to Computing: Python | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIO听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| CE听373 | Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| Earth System Chemistry Elective | 3 | |
| Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry | ||
| MA听341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| CE听282 | Hydraulics | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CE听378 | Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology | 4 |
| TDE听220 or GIS听280 | Civil Engineering Graphics or Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| PY听208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II | 3 |
| ST听370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| COM听110 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| PY听209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 1 |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CE听381 | Hydraulics Systems Measurements Lab | 1 |
| CE听383 | Hydrology and Urban Water Systems | 3 |
| CE听339 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
| MAE听201 | Thermal-Fluid Sciences | 3 |
| PS听320 or PS听336 | U.S. Environmental Law and Politics or Global Environmental Politics | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CE听488 | Water Resources Engineering | 3 |
| CE听476 or CE听479 | Air Pollution Control or Air Quality | 3 |
| ENE Elective I | 3 | |
| CE听484 | Water Supply and Waste Water Systems | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CE听477 | Principles of Solid Waste Engineering | 3 |
| CE听481 | Environmental Engineering Project | 3 |
| ENE Elective II | 3 | |
| ENE Elective III | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 128 |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C- or higher is required.
Career Opportunities
Society will always need constructed facilities to live, work, and sustain their lives and environment, and civil, construction, and environmental engineers will always be needed to plan, design, and construct these facilities. Civil, construction, and environmental engineering comprise such diversified fields that graduates have a wide choice in types and locations of employment. Jobs range from federal, state, or municipal agencies to a variety of manufacturing and processing industries, consulting firms or construction companies. The work may be performed partially or wholly in an office or in the field and may be located in a small community, a big city, an industrial center, or even in a foreign country. Careers in either professional practice or teaching and research are common for many graduates who complete advanced degrees.
Career Titles
- Environmental Engineer
- Air Quality Engineer
- Coastal Engineer
- Energy Engineer
- Environmental Engineer
- Industrial Safety and Health Engineer
- Municipal Engineer
- Product Safety Engineer
- Process Enginer
- Project Manager
- Solar Energy Systems Designer
- Water/Wastewater Engineer
- Engineering Professor
Learn More About Careers
Explore North Carolina鈥檚 central online resource for students, parents, educators, job seekers and career counselors looking for high quality job and career information.
Browse the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to view state and area employment and wage statistics. You can also identify and compare similar occupations based on your interests.
View videos that provide career details and information on wages, employment trends, skills needed, and more for any occupation. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
(NC State student email address required)
This career, major and education planning system is available to current NC State students to learn about how your values, interests, competencies, and personality fit into the NC State majors and your future career. An NC State email address is required to create an account. Make an appointment with your to discuss the results.
听(Available to prospective students)
A career assessment tool designed to support prospective students in exploring and choosing the right major and career path based on your unique personality, interests, skills and values. Get started with Focus 2 Apply and see how it can guide your journey at NC State.