Environmental Resources Engineering

Concentration in environmental resources engineering

The Department of Civil Engineering offers a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental resources engineering. Engineers in this field apply civil engineering principles and processes to solve problems relating to air pollution, water pollution, solid waste and hazardous waste management, renewable energy, and water resources engineering.

The environmental resources engineering concentration emphasizes:

assessment of the environmental impact of new or existing products or processes
methods for solving problems resulting from pollution
management of energy and resources in order to minimize pollution

Your program of study will provide in-depth knowledge of environmental engineering and an awareness of potential social, economic, political, and environmental impacts of environmental engineering practices.

You will be prepared to:

analyze and design environmental resources engineering systems
apply multidisciplinary approaches to manage the competing social, political, economic, and technical goals of environmental problems and solutions
work in multidisciplinary teams to solve environmental resources engineering problems

As a civil engineering major, you'll apply engineering, mathematics, and science skills to analyze and interpret data and to design and conduct experiments. Our world-class faculty recognize that both civil and environmental aspects of the curriculum are integral to the training of engineers who can address the complex problems of today and tomorrow.

As you pursue the concentration in environmental resources engineering, your course work will include:

geotechnical engineering: behavior of earth materials such as soil and rocks
traffic engineering: techniques used to achieve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on roadways
geoenvironmental engineering: topics of special interest and their relationship to environmental, transportation, and structural applications
water chemistry: the impact of water on elements in other ecosystems and how their interactions affect water and water quality

For the bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering (BSCE), you'll complete 47 credits in civil engineering and a total of 122 credits overall. During your senior year, you will complete a capstone design project with an environmental resources engineering emphasis.

Civil engineering majors with a background in environmental resources engineering will be prepared for careers in industry or government agencies, graduate school, and eventual leadership roles in their profession.

Student success

Lauren Underwood, P.E., project manager in civil engineering

Lauren Underwood '13

"UMass Dartmouth’s ABET-accredited civil engineering program provided me with the resources I needed to begin a career in water resources engineering."

Internship placements

AECOM
DM Smith
J.F. White Contracting
Mass Department of Transportation
Tech Law
STV Inc.
Unilever

Career placements

Astrum Solar
Atlantic Design Engineers, Inc.
Briggs Engineering and Testing
Electric Boat
Environmental Partners Group, Inc.
Highway Sustainability Research Center
Johnson & Johnson
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Suffolk Construction Co., Inc.
UC Synergetic
Wright-Pierce

UMassD advantages

Capstone projects: most senior engineering students work in small teams on real-world, industry-specific challenges that demand analysis, proposals, prototypes, and solutions.
Community: participate in annual competitions; join student organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, and Engineers Without Borders.
Experience: participate in co-op and internship programs with construction firms and government agencies—often while also earning money for college.
New initiatives: collaborate, create, and explore at the Center for Scientific Computing and Visualization Research.

International (F-1) students who receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees may be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT). To learn about the eligibility criteria and detailed steps to apply, please review the International Student & Scholar Center (ISSC) OPT page and USCIS resources. F-1 students must consult with the ISSC to apply for STEM OPT.

Expand your opportunities

Accelerated BS/MS Program: This fast-track program enables qualified BS degree students to complete both the BS and the MS in civil engineering.
MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering: Further your education and career potential by earning a master's degree.