Environmental Engineering
Abundant opportunities are available in the field of Environmental Engineering locally and worldwide. The field is expansive in areas of environmental concerns with related career options, such as in air quality and air pollution control, solid waste management, hazardous waste site remediation, water and wastewater treatment, development of environmentally-friendly products, energy-efficient transportation, and development of renewable energy sources. Environmental engineers are concerned with local and worldwide environmental issues. They study and develop strategies to minimize the effects of acid rain, global warming, automobile emissions, and ozone depletion. They design municipal water supply and industrial wastewater treatment systems. They analyze field data to assess environmental impacts of pollution and conduct research to develop new environmental technologies, and perform prototype and modeling studies to assess their effectiveness. Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste site assessments in which they evaluate the significance of the hazard, offer solutions for treatment and containment, and develop management strategies to prevent future mishaps. Environmental engineers work on projects that seek to maintain and improve the quality of our environment, and protect human health.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for environmental engineers is projected to grow at a much faster rate than other occupations. Public, economic and political priorities will influence employment opportunities in the various specialties within environmental engineering. With shifting influences, continuous knowledge and updating of learning and professional development are essential. A strong foundation in biology, chemistry, and physics, combined with a well-rounded set of environmental engineering courses, and an internship while in college prepares graduates of this discipline for a monetarily-gratifying career that intrinsically addresses important environmental concerns and benefits society.
Representative Job Titles and Area of Specialization
| Environmental Engineer | Solid Waste or Sanitary Engineer | | Environmental Consultant | Project Engineer | | Air Quality Manager | Assistant or Associate Engineer | | Water Quality Engineer | Pollution Control Engineer | | Environmental Designer or Planner | Environmental Program Manager | | Civil Engineer | Hydrological Engineer | | Water Treatment Manager | Professor/Teacher * |
* See Training section
Nature of the Work
Travel and fieldwork are common for environmental engineers to solve problems related to the environment. Their work typically requires researching, designing and developing techniques, materials and equipment. They may monitor, sample, design and test equipment and methods to resolve, manage or control environmental problems. Within diverse specializations and their sub-specialties, environmental engineers may work on projects that seek to minimize and reverse the effects of acid rain, ozone depletion, and global warming. Others may emphasize hazardous waste management prevention, treatment and containment, and regulation, and design water and wastewater systems. As consultants, environmental engineers may help their clients with a wide variety of regulatory compliance and manufacturing quality issues such as the control of solvent emissions from manufacturing sites, hazardous waste detoxification, and water production (e.g. bottled water and other commodity drinks). Simply stated, environmental engineers are trained to analyze and evaluate complex problems, and design and manage systems that are aimed at improving and maintaining the quality of life and our environment.
Places of Employment
| Environmental consulting businesses | Management and public relations services | | Electrical and electronics industries | Transportation industry | | Engineering firms | Universities and colleges | | Research and development entities | Local/state/federal governmental agencies | | Automobile industry | Testing laboratories | | Energy and natural resources companies | Aerospace industry | | Industrial materials and manufacturing firms | |
Training
Entry-level positions may be obtained with a bachelor's degree. Depending on the complexity of the job, some may require specialization and an advanced degree beyond the bachelorÕs degree. In addition to related work experience through an internship and strong technical expertise in engineering, employers also look for technical writing, speaking and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work as a team member and independently.
A Ph.D. is usually required to work in research laboratories, but there are some opportunities for those with a master's degree. Those considering a career in teaching and research at the university level also will need to pursue a doctorate.
Although certification and licensing is not required at the entry level, to advance in their careers, environmental engineers will need to work toward obtaining professional engineering licensure by the appropriate state agency. Certification by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in an environmental engineering specialty may also be advantageous. To be licensed and/or certified, one needs to have a minimum level of education and experience, and successfully completed a series of examinations in the specialty given by the certifying agency.
For further information and/or career counseling contact the Career Center, Veitch Student Center, Northwest Wing, University of California, Riverside, 951.827.3631.
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