Environmental engineering
Undergraduate · Engineering
Syllabus focus
Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Water quality and treatment
- Physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters
- Mass balances for environmental systems
- Reaction kinetics: zero, first, and second order
- Reactor types: batch, CSTR, PFR
- Sedimentation and flocculation processes
- Filtration: slow sand and rapid granular filters
- Disinfection: chlorine, UV, and ozone
- Coagulation chemistry and jar testing
- Hardness, alkalinity, and corrosion control
- Groundwater flow and contaminant transport (intro)
Wastewater and air pollution
- Wastewater characteristics and BOD/COD
- Primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment trains
- Activated sludge process fundamentals
- Anaerobic digestion and biosolids handling
- Nutrient removal: N and P
- Atmospheric chemistry and pollutant formation
- Air pollution control devices: ESP, scrubbers, baghouses
- Dispersion modeling Gaussian plume (intro)
- Indoor air quality and ventilation standards
- Solid waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle, dispose
STEM / applied
Regulation, sustainability, and design
- Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act overview
- Clean Air Act and NAAQS framework
- RCRA and hazardous waste management
- CERCLA/Superfund and brownfield remediation intro
- Life-cycle assessment for environmental decisions
- Green infrastructure and LID stormwater
- Climate adaptation for water utilities
- Environmental impact assessment process
- Field trips: treatment plant or landfill tour
- Capstone: preliminary design of a treatment unit
Emerging topics and tools
- PFAS and emerging contaminants
- Microplastics in water systems
- Decentralized and onsite wastewater systems
- Water-energy nexus in desalination
- Carbon capture and storage (survey)
- GIS for environmental spatial analysis
- Environmental monitoring sensor networks
- Risk assessment and exposure pathways
- FE environmental topic alignment
- Professional licensure and consulting practice
Notes
Topics reflect common engineering syllabi at US colleges and universities. Exact order, depth, and applied emphasis vary by institution, department, and instructor.