Environmental Engineering
Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
212 Ketter Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4300
Phone: 716.645.2114
Fax: 716.645.3733
Web: www.csee.buffalo.edu
Michael C. Constantinou
Chair
James N. Jensen
Director of Undergraduate Studies
About the Department
Environmental engineering involves the application of scientific and engineering principles for the protection of human and ecosystem health.
Environmental engineers aulress problems related to water and wastewater management, soil contamination and remediation, air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, storm water management, solid waste disposal, public health, and ecosystem management.
The Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at UB is highly productive with annual research expenditures in the range of $5-10 million.
We offer separate undergraduate programs in civil engineering and environmental engineering, and graduate programs in a variety of specialties. We are the only department in the State University of New York system that offers graduate education in civil and environmental engineering.
We have twenty-three full-time faculty, about 270 undergraduate students, and more than 180 graduate students.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.S.
Combined: B.S./M.E., B.S./M.B.A.
Graduate: M.S., M.Eng., Ph.D.
About Our Degrees
The B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and prepares students for graduate study and/or professional practice. Graduate degrees (M.S., M.Eng., and Ph.D.) are formally granted in civil engineering, but focus on environmental engineering as well as other areas of specialization.
Acceptance Criteria
Apply to the SEAS Office of Student Services, 410 Bonner Hall (phone: 716-645-2774).
For admission in the junior year, a minimum GPA of 2.0 overall and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in math, basic science and engineering courses are required.
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 35
Degree Requirements
Please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Transfer students must first apply to the university and meet the university transfer admission requirements before consideration for admission to the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. Civil and environmental engineering courses completed at other colleges and offered as substitutes for UB courses are evaluated individually by the Undergraduate Studies Committee; determination is made by an evaluation of the student’s transcripts, course content, contact hours, and grades earned. Most courses taken from a recognized college-level civil/environmental engineering department are acceptable. Evaluations for transfer credits of general education, basic science, and engineering science courses completed at other universities and colleges are done through the Office of Student Services, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 410 Bonner Hall.
About Our Courses
The curriculum includes introductory coverage of topics related to environmental health and air pollution, with in-depth treatment given to topics related to water and soil pollution. The B.S. curriculum includes math, science and basic engineering courses in the freshman and sophomore years; required engineering courses in the junior and senior years; and technical elective courses taken in the senior year. Laboratories in environmental engineering are included in two lab classes in the junior year. Students have considerable flexibility in the selection of technical electives, with approved electives in engineering, biology, chemistry, geology, economics, geography, and the social sciences.
The typical class size for:
Freshman/introductory courses is: 100+
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 50-100
Upper level required courses is: 35-60
Upper level electives is: 10-15
In the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, what do student teaching assistants (TA's) do?
Teaching assistants hold office hours to answer students' questions about homework and exam preparation, grade homework (exams are usually graded by instructors), manage lab assignments, and sometimes hold recitation sessions.
About Our Faculty
We have twenty-three full-time faculty (all with Ph.D. degrees) and approximately ten adjunct faculty. The faculty is actively engaged in teaching, research, and service and has won many honors and awards (see http://www.civil.buffalo.edu/about_honors.shtml) including:
- Three SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Teaching
- Two National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Awards
- One Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award
Special Academic Programs
Internship
This is available as a technical elective in the senior year.
Co-op Program
This is a four-and-a-half-year academic program that includes ten months of full-time work at a participating industry/firm.
Combined B.S./M.E. Degree Program
Students can earn a combined B.S./M.E. degree in Civil Engineering in four years and nine months.
Combined B.S./M.B.A. Program
Students can earn a combined B.S./M.B.A. degree in Civil Engineering and Business Administration in five years.
Extracurricular Activities
Our undergraduate students are engaged in many campus-wide activities and organizations. Student organizations specific to engineering include the following:
- Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA)
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
- Tau Beta Pi (Engineering honor society)
- UB Environmental Engineering and Science Club (UBEESC)
- Water Environment Federation (WEF)
See the UB Student Association.
Career Information
Environmental engineers work to understand the processes that transport and transform contaminants in both the natural environment (air, water, and land) and engineered environment (treatment plants and factories). Some specific examples include the migration of PCBs on a global scale, the movement of contaminants such as pesticides through a watershed, the uptake of toxic mercury by fish in the Great Lakes, movement of strontium in groundwater, and the removal of disease-causing organisms by ultraviolet light in drinking water.
Environmental engineers choose from a broad spectrum of employment opportunities in private consulting firms (in which environmental engineers often participate as owners or partners), industry, governmental agencies, research/development, and education. Some graduates return immediately or within a few years to graduate school for advanced studies. BS (Environmental) graduates have the skills and most prerequisites to pursue further education in law, medicine, management or other professional fields.
Environmental engineering jobs are diverse and include consulting engineering firms, government, and industry. Here is a partial list of companies who recruit students from the University at Buffalo's Environmental Engineering program:
ALCOA, Buffalo Sewer Authority, CH2M Hill, DuPont, Ecology and Environment, Inc., Erie County Water Authority, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Parsons Engineering Science, Stearns and Wheler, URS Corp., and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Career Hints
Degree level required: A significant number of employers require or reward an M.S. or M.Eng. degree for environmental engineering jobs. Thus, some students continue their studies at the graduate level.
The best way to ensure a good starting salary is to intern with an environmental-related firm before graduation, earn competitive grades, or participate in undergraduate research with a faculty member.
Salary Trends
Beginning salaries: $30,000 - $50,000
Average beginning salary: $42,000
Factors influencing salary: educational level, computer skills, experience, specialization, GPA
Aulitional Resources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Environmental Career Opportunities
- Environmental Career.com
- Environmental Jobs and Careers
- Environmental Careers Organizations
- EE-Link: The Environmental Education Web server
- American Academy of Environmental Engineers
- Institute of Professional Environmental Practice