McGill.CA / Civil Engineering / Undergraduate Studies / Areas of Specialization

Environmental Engineering

Description | Recommended courses

 

Description

The goal of environmental engineering is to ensure that societal development and the use of water, land and air resources are sustainable. This goal is achieved by managing these resources so that environmental pollution and degradation is minimized.

Environmental engineers study water, soil and air pollution problems, and develop technical solutions needed to solve, attenuate or control these problems in a manner that is compatible with legislative, economic, social and political concerns. Civil engineers are particularly involved in such activities as water supply and sewerage, management of surface water and groundwater quality, remediation of contaminated sites and solid waste management.

The activities of such engineers include, but are not limited to, the planning, design, construction and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities in municipalities and industries, modelling and analysis of surface water and groundwater quality, design of soil and remediation systems, planning for the disposal and reuse of wastewaters and sludges, and the collection, transport, processing, recovery and disposal of solid wastes according to accepted engineering practices.

Environmental engineers are called upon to play an important role in environmental protection, because engineering solutions are required to meet the environmental standards set by legislation.

Consulting firms, municipalities, government agencies, industries and non-governmental organizations and specialized contractors are potential employers for civil engineers with a specialization in environmental engineering.

 

Recommended courses

In order to achieve a specialization in Environmental Engineering at the undergraduate level, the following courses are:

  • Strongly recommended:
    CIVE 421 Municipal Systems 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

     
    CIVE 430 Water Treatment&Pollut Control 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 451 Course not available
  • Recommended:
    CIVE 428 Water Resrces & Hydraulic Eng. 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

     
    CIVE 520 Groundwater Hydrology 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 521 Nanomat & the Aquatic Environ 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 550 Water Resources Management 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 555 Environmental Data Analysis 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 557 Microbio for Environmental Eng 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 572 Computational Hydraulics 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 574 Fluid Mech of Water Pollution 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


    CIVE 577 River Engineering 3 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer


     

Students may also choose to specialize in the area of Environmental Engineering by completing a Minor in Environmental Engineering, which is offered through the Faculty of Engineering. Alternatively, students have the opportunity to gain exposure to non-engineering aspects of environment studies by completing a Minor through the McGill School of Environment.

A Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering is also available in the Faculty of Engineering of McGill University. Graduate studies are strongly encouraged in environmental engineering since a graduate degree is often a preferred qualification for the potential employers that were mentioned above.

Tags: 
air
air pollution
environmental engineering
pollution
programs
resources
soil
soil pollution
specialization
undergraduate
undergraduate programs
water
water pollution
Back to top