19 May New environmental engineering major offered at NDSU
A new NDSU engineering program slated to begin this fall will concentrate on environmental protection, improvement and sustainability as well as protection of human health.
The environmental engineering program will produce professionals with broad scientific and technical knowledge, strong problem-solving skills and leadership ability. Students will help make the world a better place by focusing on the interaction between humans and environment.
“The new Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering will develop and train students to analyze issues and create solutions and designs for natural and constructed environmental systems that protect human health and sustain our natural resources and environments,” said Kelly Rusch, professor of civil and environmental engineering. “NDSU graduates from our program will use their skills and expertise to help find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including the sustainable supply of food, water and energy; pathways to reduced pollution and waste; adaptations to climate shifts; and health and resilient urban areas.”
Environmental engineers focus on water and wastewater treatment system design and public health protection, traditional and emerging contaminant mitigation in water and air, ecological principles in the design process, green manufacturing and sustainable design. NDSU environmental engineering graduates will have opportunities to work internationally with a competitive salary. They will be project-ready professionals with hands-on experience.
Environmental engineers can work in an office, in the field or a combination of both. They can work on intricate designs and with people in management and sales. Graduates work at consulting firms, government agencies or industry. The program also prepares NDSU students for success in graduate school, law school or a Master of Business Administration program.
In addition to the bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, NDSU’s civil and environmental engineering department offers a master’s degree in environmental engineering and bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering. The department also participates in interdisciplinary graduate programs in materials and nanotechnology, natural resources management, environmental conservation sciences, transportation and logistics and biomedical engineering.
“Our environmental engineering program will prepare students to design solutions that improve human health and address critically important grand challenge problems,” said David Steward, Walter B. Booth Distinguished Professor and chair of civil and environmental engineering.
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