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Environmental Engineering | ABET

Professor Martha Conklin working with students.

The Environmental Engineering program at UC Merced is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.ABET.org.

 

Overview

Environmental engineers are distinguished from other environmental professionals through their focus on problem solving, design and implementation of technological or management systems.

Environmental engineers search for creative and economical ways to use resources efficiently, limit the release of residuals into the environment, develop sensitive techniques to track pollutants once released and find effective methods to remediate spoiled resources. They serve as the vital link between scientific discovery, technological development and the societal need for protecting human health and ecological integrity.

In the coming decades, environmental engineers will increasingly be called upon to address broader issues of environmental sustainability by minimizing the release of residuals through altered production processes and choice of materials; by capturing the resource value of wastes through recovery, recycling and reuse; and by managing natural resources to meet competing societal objectives.

Environmental Engineering Program Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the program shall possess:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
;
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors;
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts;
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
;
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions;
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Environmental Engineering Program Educational Objectives

Environmental Engineering program at the University of California Merced is designed to prepare students for lifelong careers in industry, academia, government and consulting.  To that end, within the first 3-5 years of their career, our graduates are expected to:

  • Demonstrate their contributions to the profession through creation of new knowledge, problem-solving and design applied to environmental challenges, with sensitivity to sustainable and ethical technology development, and societal impact.
  • Develop the leadership skills necessary to assume greater levels of engineering responsibility, including licensure where appropriate, as well as higher levels of written and oral communications expected for greater impact in both a professional and civic context.
  • Continually utilize one or more avenues for professional and personal advancement through lifelong learning, such as graduate study, active participation in professional societies, continuing education, and community service.

Program enrollment and graduation data are available on the Institutional Planning and Analysis website at the following links: (enrollment table) (graduation table) 

Visit the Registrar office for the latest catalog and School of Engineering courses.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty

For a listing of the School of Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty.