The field of environmental engineering deals with environmental issues from the nanoscale to the global scale. Contamination caused by the activities and waste products of our modern society affect the water, air, soil, and ecosystems around us in complex ways that must be clearly understood if we are to successfully address these problems. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of these issues, our program provides students with a broad foundation in the fundamentals of physical, chemical, and biological processes. Advanced coursework and research in our graduate program is focused on the following areas:

• Contaminant Movement and Treatment in Soil and Groundwater
• Environmental Biotechnology
• Environmental Chemistry and Nanotechnology
• Green, Sustainable, and Global Environmental Technologies
• Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management
• Water Quality and Wastewater Engineering
• Water Resources Engineering

The environmental engineering program is designed not only for those with undergraduate degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and other engineering disciplines, but also related non-engineering fields such as Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geology, and many others.

FACULTY

Herbert E. Allen - Environmental chemistry; fate and effects of pollutants in water, sediment, and soil; bioavailability of trace metals; development of environmental standards; ecological risk assessment; analytical chemistry
Daniel K. Cha - Biotransformation of environmental contaminants in natural and engineered systems; design and operation of wastewater treatment facilities; population dynamics of biological wastewater treatment processes
Pei C. Chiu - Kinetics and mechanisms of pollutant degradation; chemical and microbial reduction of organic compounds; elemental iron technologies for groundwater remediation and water and wastewater treatment
Steven K. Dentel - Design and control of contaminant removal processes in water treatment; coagulation and destabilization phenomena in particulate suspensions and sludges; dewatering process strategies for management of wastewater treatment residuals; environmental properties of biosolids: chemistry and environmental interactions of polymers, surfactants, and pollutants
Dominic M. Di Toro - Water quality modeling, eutrophication and sediment flux models; water quality and sediment quality criteria models for organic chemicals, metals, mixtures; organic chemical and metal sorption models; statistical models
Chin-Pao Huang - Hazardous wastewater management; aquatic chemistry; soil and groundwater remediation; sustainable engineering; environmental applications and implications of nanotechnoloy
Paul T. Imhoff - Transport of fluids and contaminants in multiphase systems; mass transfer processes in soil and groundwater; sustainable landfilling; minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from engineered facilities; mathematical modeling

MS REQUIREMENTS

See the MS in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Environmental Engineering requires three core courses and five electives taken from a variety of fields. Electives should be selected based on discussions with your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 632 - Chemical Aspects of Environmental Engineering
• CIEG 634 - Contaminant Transport and Separation in Environmental Systems
• CIEG 636 - Biological Aspects of Environmental Engineering

Suggested electives include:

• CIEG 630 - Water Quality Modeling
• CIEG 633 – Hazardous Waste Management
• CIEG 635 – Air Pollution and Control
• CIEG 667 - Industrial Ecology – The Science of Environmental Sustainability CIEG 668 - Principles of Water Quality Criteria
• CIEG 678 - Transport and Mixing Processes
• CIEG 679 - Sediment Transport Mechanics
• CIEG 698 - Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport
• CIEG 831 - Theory of Water Treatment
• CIEG 832 - Theory of Wastewater Treatment
• CIEG 833 - Fate of Organic Pollutants in the Environment

In addition, classes from other departments can be selected in consultation with the advisor. These include graduate-level courses offered by Bioresources Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Studies, Geography, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, or Plant and Soil Sciences. Each semester students are also expected to register for CIEG865 - Civil Engineering Seminar. Students register for credit one semester and as a “Listener” in the other semesters.

PhD REQUIREMENTS

PhD degrees are also offered in the Environmental Engineering field. The courses listed above serve as a foundation for the PhD degree. PhD students work with their advisor to develop a program of study that provides appropriate breadth and depth. See the PhD in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements.