Environmental Engineering B.S.E.V. at University of South Florida

Environmental engineers solve complex problems, supporting human and environmental needs while mitigating adverse environmental, health, and economic impacts associated with human activities.  The degree is an interdisciplinary engineering program designed to provide students with a strong foundation in both theoretical and applied aspects of environmental engineering.  It emphasizes traditional areas of transport, fate, and treatment of chemical, physical, and microbial pollutants in water, air, and soil along with important 21st-century themes of infrastructure, sustainability, health, data science, community engagement, and global citizenship.   Coursework covers fundamental science and engineering concepts applied to environmental processes, natural and built environments, and engineering design, as well as applied learning experiences including community-engaged laboratory projects and a capstone design course that partners with stakeholders to solve local environmental problems.    

Graduates are trained to integrate considerations of risk, uncertainty, sustainability, life-cycle principles, and environmental impacts into their problem solving, to apply concepts of professional practice and project management, and to understand the roles and responsibilities of public institutions and private organizations pertaining to environmental policy and regulations.    The world needs environmental engineers to provide economic and social opportunities for: an increasing population,  reliable water and wastewater systems, improved air quality and transportation systems, protection of public and environmental health, management of nutrient pollution that adversely impacts water bodies, ecosystem and brownfield restoration, other infrastructure improvements, advancing global health and food systems, managing wastes in a more sustainable manner, and developing strategies to mitigate global climate change.  Graduates have local and global employment opportunities with industry, engineering design firms, local/state/federal governments, and nongovernmental organizations, along with numerous opportunities to advance their education at the Master’s or Ph.D. levels.