U-ENVE-BSE - Environmental Engineering (BSE)
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Overview
The environmental engineering degree program, launched in Fall 2013, is highly interdisciplinary and brings together topics as diverse as chemistry, the life sciences, economics, fluid mechanics, and public health engineering. The degree responds to the needs of students looking for such an interdisciplinary engineering degree that prepares them to work as environmental engineers, graduate work in environmental engineering, or for advanced study in environmental law, medicine, public health, or global sanitation.
The infrastructure that makes up what we refer to as civilization is, for the most part, the work of civil and environmental engineers. Improving, or even maintaining, the quality of life is ever more challenging as urban problems in the industrialized nations of the world intensify, while rapid urbanization in many developing countries creates other opportunities and obligations for the civil and environmental engineer. The planning, design, construction, and maintenance of necessary facilities, in an era of increasingly scarce monetary and other resources, demand civil and environmental engineers dedicated to work for the public good and prepared to seek more efficient and effective solutions based on current technology. The challenges faced by civil and environmental engineers vary widely in nature, size, and scope, and encompass both the public and private sectors. Examples include high-rise buildings and long-span bridges; concert halls and museums; hazardous waste disposal facilities; orbital structures; water supply and treatment facilities; tunnels; dams; seaports, airports, and offshore structures.
The mission of the undergraduate program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University is to provide an education that prepares graduates to solve technical problems, to pursue lifelong learning in their field, to assume leadership roles in their chosen careers, and to recognize their professional and personal obligations to the broader society and culture. The program is designed to provide a holistic educational experience where engineering sciences and design are combined with humanities and social sciences to provide the foundation for the critical thinking and skills that allow graduates to enjoy the benefits of a liberal education.
The alumni of the environmental engineering (EnvE) programs are expected to exhibit the following behaviors:
conceive, communicate, and contribute to effective and sustainable solutions to professional, multi- disciplinary challenges (in, for example, engineering design, project management, consulting, finance, and academia) by utilizing fundamental principles of mathematics, science, and engineering, and employing engineering methods and judgment as needed;
seek and engage in professional development, including advanced degrees and professional licensure, to enhance their capabilities and personal fulfillment;
be leaders in their professional and personal communities while responding ethically and boldly when confronted with modern societal and environmental challenges.
The environmental engineering program is built upon the expertise and experience of the faculty of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department and is supported by commensurate laboratory and instructional facilities. The civil and environmental engineering professors are committed to providing quality classroom instruction, advising, and laboratory experiences in settings that encourage student-faculty as well as student-student interactions. The faculty conducts research of national and international consequence, and undergraduates have ample opportunities to be involved in such research, through undertaking independent study projects and/or by working as research assistants. The research facilities in the department, including laboratory equipment and instrumentation as well as computer resources, are comparable to those found in other major universities.
Graduates of the environmental engineering program are able to select from a wide range of career paths. Recent graduates have pursued advanced study in environmental engineering, while others have accepted positions with major corporations and federal, state, and local government agencies as design engineers and project managers.
The environmental engineering (EnvE) degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.