Water resources engineering and
environmental engineering are devoted to the
application of basic principles of science and
engineering to the analysis and design of systems
that enhance our environment. Water resources
engineering focuses on the quantity of water, while
environmental engineering focuses on issues of
pollution and waste management. These fields deal
with a wide range of natural and manmade problems
that exist in both undeveloped countries and highly
technological societies. A civil engineer that works
in these areas must be technically competent and have
the ability to analyze a problem, interpret the
results, and synthesize a solution that is
technically, economically, socially, and politically
viable. Graduates that have specialized in water
resources engineering and environmental engineering
are employed by industry, public utilities,
consulting engineering firms, and government. Due to
the diversity of problems associated with
environmental concerns, there are many possible
sub-areas of specialization, such as watershed
management; hydrology; water supply; stormwater
management; toxic and hazardous waste management;
water and wastewater treatment; solid waste
management; air pollution; contaminant transport
modeling; and radioactive waste disposal.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has
chosen to emphasize at the undergraduate level all
aspects of water resource development and water
quality control. Courses within the department cover
all aspects of water and wastewater treatment, water
resources, water pollution abatement, hydrology, and
hydraulics. In addition, courses from complementary
programs, such as environmental sciences and urban
and regional planning are encouraged to strengthen
and broaden a civil engineers preparation to
successfully address the challenges facing our
environment.
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