Nov 11, 2024  
Rensselaer Catalog 2008-2009 
    
Rensselaer Catalog 2008-2009 [Archived Catalog]

Environmental Engineering


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Objectives of the Undergraduate Curriculum

While certain objectives of an undergraduate education in engineering are common to all programs, there are subtle but important differences depending upon the student’s chosen field. In this regard, the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department’s baccalaureate program in Environmental Engineering will:

  • Prepare students to be involved global citizens with a broad appreciation of the key environmental issues and challenges of the 21st Century.
  • Provide students with a broad educational base, including a foundation in math, science, and engineering and exposure to the humanities and social sciences that will prepare them for life-long learning.
  • Provide students with the technical background needed for the practice of environmental  engineering and to insure their competence and literacy in both problem identification and solving, including design. 
  • Prepare students for professional engineering practice, including professional licensing, with awareness of the importance of personal and professional ethics.
  • Prepare students to thrive in the modern workplace and the public forums of environmental engineering practice through the development of leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

The Rensselaer bachelor’s program in environmental engineering builds upon a broad base of studies in chemistry, life sciences, and engineering sciences culminating in a uniquely structured course sequence. This sequence of courses, as shown below, is designed around the unit operations and transport processes concepts, together with integrated laboratory theory courses. It culminates in senior design courses. This structure presents a unified educational experience in environmental engineering. A minimum of 128 credit hours is required for this curriculum.

First Year


Fall


  • Hum. or Soc. Sci. Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • Hum. or Soc. Sci. Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Science Elective I Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 2 below)

Second Year


Spring


  • Hum. or Soc. Sci. Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Science Elective II Credit Hours: 4

Third Year


Fall


  • Free Elective I Credit Hours: 4
  • Hum. or Soc. Sci. Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Professional Development II Credit Hours: 2
    (See footnote 5 below)

Spring


  • Multidisciplinary Engineering Elective I Credit Hours: 3
    (See footnote 6 below)
  • Free Elective II

Fourth Year


Fall


  • Technical Elective I Credit Hours: 3
    (See footnote 7 below) 
  • Hum. or Soc. Sci. Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • Technical Elective II Credit Hours: 3
    (See footnote 7 below)
  • Free Elective III Credit Hours: 4

Footnotes


  1. May be taken in any order in the first two semesters. ENGR 1300 may be replaced by ENGR 1310 or CIVL 2961.
  2. Science elective may be CHEM 1200 or BIOL 1010. 
  3. ENGR 2250 may be replaced by CHME 4010.
  4. Special section for Environmental Engineering students.
  5. Choose either PSYC 4170 or STSS 4840.
  6. Multidisciplinary engineering elective: Must be an engineering course, chosen in consultation with the adviser (e.g., ENGR 1600, ENGR 4760, CIVL 2030, CIVL 2630, DSES 4260, ENGR 2530).
  7. Technical electives must be selected in consultation with the program adviser (e.g., ENVE 4200, ENVE 4240, ENVE 4210, ENVE 4110). With adviser approval, courses from other disciplines may also be taken. These include Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Earth and Environmental Sciences (for example, CIVL 2630, CIVL 4150, CHME 4030, ERTH 4710, and others).

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