Everything You Need to Know About Majoring in Environmental Engineering

Choosing a major starts with understanding the kinds of problems you want to solve.

Environmental engineering focuses on systems that support human health and community well-being, including clean drinking water, wastewater treatment, air quality, pollution prevention, pathogen transport, infrastructure resilience and adaptation, environmental restoration, and sustainable resource management.

It is a rigorous yet flexible field that combines scientific understanding, engineering fundamentals, systems thinking, and hands-on application. Here is what to expect if you choose to major in environmental engineering.

What Is Environmental Engineering?

Environmental engineering applies engineering principles to protect public health, improve environmental quality, and support community well-being. This includes designing, improving, and managing systems related to: This includes designing and improving systems such as:

• Clean drinking water and water distribution

• Wastewater treatment and resource recovery

• Air quality and pollution prevention

• Pathogen transport and public-health protection

• Water resources, stormwater, and coastal systems

• Waste, recycling, and sustainable resource management

• Environmental restoration

• Infrastructure resilience and adaptation

It is a field that connects science with engineering design and infrastructure, focusing on how natural and built systems function together over time.

What Will You Study as a Major?

The environmental engineering major is built around a progression from foundational science and core engineering principles to specialized environmental applications.

Foundational Coursework

Students begin with core subjects that support environmental engineering and the broader engineering profession, including:

• Calculus and differential equations

• Probability, statistics, and data analysis

• Physics and mechanics

• General chemistry

• Biology

• Thermodynamics and energy principles

These courses build the analytical skills needed for more advanced topics.

Core Engineering Topics

As students progress, they move into engineering-specific coursework such as:

• Fluid mechanics and hydraulics

• Environmental systems

• Transport processes

• Computing, modeling, and simulation

• Engineering design and problem solving

These areas form the technical foundation of the field.

Environmental Specialization

Upper-level courses focus on environmental applications, including:

• Physicochemical / Biological processes for environmental control

• Environmental chemistry

• Environmental management and assessment

• Sustainability and resource management

• Oceanography

• Groundwater engineering, hydrology and pollution

• Energy

• Air Pollution

• Technical communication and teamwork

The environmental engineering degree program at Stevens integrates these topics into a cohesive curriculum that prepares students for real-world challenges.

What Is the Learning Experience Like?

Environmental engineering is highly applied. Students participate in:

• Laboratory experiments

• Team-based design projects

• Scenario-based problem solving

This learning environment reflects how engineers work in practice, where collaboration and iteration are essential. The structure of the program aligns with the broader approach outlined by the Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering department, emphasizing practical experience and interdisciplinary learning.

What Skills Will You Develop?

Over the course of the major, students build a range of technical and transferable skills:

• Analytical thinking and problem solving

• Data interpretation and modeling

• Systems-level design

• Communication and collaboration

These skills are valuable across engineering, environmental, and problem-solving roles.

What Can You Do with an Environmental Engineering Degree?

Graduates pursue a wide range of opportunities depending on their interests. Common paths include:

• Environmental engineering and consulting

• Infrastructure, water, and wastewater systems

• Sustainability and environmental planning

• Public-sector and regulatory roles

• Graduate study and research in environmental engineering, water resources, public health, sustainability, or related fields

• Public health, environmental health, or medical school pathways for students interested in the connection between the environment and human health

Because environmental engineering intersects with many industries and disciplines, it offers flexibility over time and can serve as a strong foundation for both professional practice and advanced study.

Is Environmental Engineering the Right Fit for You?

This major may be a strong fit if you:

• Enjoy science, math, and engineering design

• Are motivated by real-world problems

• Like thinking about systems rather than isolated components

• Are interested in protecting human health, environmental quality, and community well-being

• Want to understand how water, air, infrastructure, pollution control, and resource management systems work

• Are drawn to solutions with practical and lasting impact

Choosing environmental engineering is less about having a single career path in mind and more about being interested in how complex systems function, how they affect people and the environment, and how they can be improved.

Exploring the Program at Stevens

Environmental engineering is part of a broader, interdisciplinary engineering atmosphere at the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science at Stevens. Students can explore program structure, coursework, and academic pathways through the environmental engineering program page and department resources, which provide a clear picture of how the major develops over time.

Looking Ahead

Majoring in environmental engineering builds both strong technical skills and a broader understanding of complex systems. It prepares students to approach challenges with rigor, creativity, and adaptability, recognizing that effective solutions must be technically sound, environmentally responsible, and responsive to community needs. For students interested in connecting engineering with real-world impact, environmental engineering offers a meaningful path that continues to evolve with the public-health, environmental, and infrastructure challenges it is designed to address.