Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering is a profession that gives-back to society every day. The water you drink, the lakes you swim in, the air you breathe, are all affected by the work of Environmental Engineers.

Environmental Engineers are responsible for the protection of public health, and for the protection, restoration and conservation of environmental systems. Environmental engineers are concerned about such areas as water quality control systems, wastewater collection and treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, air pollution, air quality in buildings, environmental restoration, and pollution prevention.

For more than 130 years, WPI has prepared engineers to lead the way. Our innovative, project-based curriculum ensures that our students not only understand the theory of their discipline, but also can put that theory into practice through professional-level projects with real-world implications and applications. WPI is the only school in the nation that provides this unique educational experience. Not only can students explore environmental problems in great depth, they can also study the interrelationships between society and technological environmental solutions through the Interactive Qualifying Project.

Programs

The Environmental Engineering (EVE) program at WPI is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the interrelationships between human activities and their surrounding environment. Environmental Engineering students at WPI build on a solid foundation in mathematics, basic sciences (chemistry, physics and biology), engineering science, and design principles. These principles are applied in advanced courses covering water quality and resources, air and land environmental systems, and environmental management.

Students also have the opportunity to gain extensive laboratory experience. The program encourages coursework in the humanistic and social aspects of engineering decisions, public health management and environmental preservation.

The projects program at WPI offers environmental engineering students a unique opportunity to explore the complex humanistic, economic, legal and political issues surrounding environmental engineering problems. In a capstone design project, students bring an environmental engineering design from concept to completion.

Graduate School Opportunities

Students may pursue advanced degrees in a number of different fields including Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy and many more.

Students may wish to consider integrating their undergraduate and graduate studies through WPI's five-year combined B.S. /M.S. program. Students who are interested in this option should begin curriculum planning during the third year to ensure that requirements for both the B.S. EVE and the graduate degree are met.

Projects

Project work is integrated throughout the environmental engineering program - both in classes and through the Major Project. The Major Project is usually completed in the senior year, and allows students to explore a topic in the EVE discipline in great depth. Projects range in scope from hands-on laboratory and field investigations, to theoretical and computational analyses, to applied design and construction. A number of projects each year are completed in conjunction with government agencies, industrial and municipal sponsors, and research programs.

Example project topics:

Facilities

The extensive laboratory facilities at WPI allow students to apply their classroom knowledge in a hands-on environment. In addition to laboratory courses, students working on their Major Projects have full access to state-of-the art facilities. The EVE laboratories are equipped with everything a student needs for physical, chemical and biological testing of waters and wastes, as well as characterization of fluid flow and reactor kinetics. Our analytical abilities include microscopy, spectroscopy, and chromatography, to name a few.

Careers

Professional career opportunities for environmental engineers are varied and abundant, with more than 27% growth in environmental employment opportunities projected through 2014. Students may pursue careers in consulting, industry, and the government sector. For those graduates who wish to pursue registration as a professional engineer (P.E.), the B.S. EVE program is the first step towards licensure.

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: April 04, 2007 10:53:09