Major in Environmental Engineering

The undergraduate environmental engineering program prepares students to solve global environmental challenges by designing systems to provide clean air and water, recover valuable resources, remediate contaminated sites, and produce renewable energy. Students choose from a range of technical electives to specialize in their field of interest, providing the scientific tools and practical knowledge they need to improve human health and the environment. Required courses that are specific to the Environmental Engineering major come from several engineering and science disciplines, including organic and environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology, hydrology, statistics, and water treatment. Technical electives provide specialization in a particular area of interest. The program culminates in a year-long, term-based, senior capstone design experience. Graduates who pursue advanced studies are prepared for higher-level technical responsibilities.

Participation in student professional societies, other campus organizations, internships, and volunteer activities is highly recommended to foster personal growth and professional development. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is the first step toward registration as a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), an important professional credential for environmental engineers. Students are encouraged to take the FE exam prior to graduation. The educational outcomes and objectives for the Environmental Engineering program, along with additional information on this major, are given at Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering website. The Environmental Engineering major is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

1. Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. 

Potential Occupations

Environmental engineers typically are employed in designing pollution prevention equipment and systems, designing environmental monitoring systems, implementing both government and industry environmental regulations, designing water and wastewater treatment systems, reclaiming degraded land, remediating existing air, water, and soil pollution, and restoring ecosystem health.

Graduates of the Environmental Engineering degree program from CSU are qualified for entry-level positions with regulatory agencies, engineering consulting firms, and environmental divisions of large corporations, particularly in the energy and manufacturing industries. Some possible career paths for graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering include, but are not limited to:

Effective Fall 2026

 Earth Science Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
ATS 150	Science of Global Climate Change (GT-SC2)	3
ATS 350	Introduction to Weather and Climate	2
GEOL 120	Geology and Society (GT-SC2)	3
GEOL 122	Geoscience--Climate and Environmental Change (GT-SC2)	3
GEOL 446	Environmental Geology	3
GEOL 452	Hydrogeology	4
GEOL 454	Geomorphology	3
NR 130	Global Environmental Systems (GT-SC2)	3
NR 150	Oceanography (GT-SC2)	3

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Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 124 credits, of which at least 42 credits must be upper-division (300-level or higher). 

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
TO DECLARE MAJOR: Engineering is a controlled major: students are admitted into the major only if they meet established academic standards. Please see competitive major requirements or the advisor in the Department for more information.
TO PREPARE FOR FIRST SEMESTER:  The curriculum for this major assumes students enter college prepared to take calculus. To qualify for graduation, Environmental Engineering majors must achieve a minimum 2.000 grade point average at CSU in all courses in engineering, mathematics, computer science, statistics, physics, and chemistry.