Graduate Studies in Environmental Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Davis offers a unique opportunity for advanced education in: 1) environmental quality monitoring and modeling, 2) water and wastewater treatment processes, 3) optimization of water distribution systems, 4) hazardous and solid waste management, 5) public health risk assessment, and 6) natural treatment systems leading to the degrees of Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Engineering. Non-thesis MS degrees carefully planned with a faculty advisor can usually be completed in 1 year.

Interdisciplinary problems, involving such issues as waste disposal, non-point source emissions, water / air pollution, and climate change are among the most challenging problems an engineer can face. Through training in the underlying physical, chemical, and biological principles, design of mitigation approaches, and optimal management of resources, students learn to recognize attainable alternatives and their consequences in terms of environmental quality.

The environmental programs are strongly research oriented. Evaluations of various physical, chemical, and biological processes are carried out in state-of-the art laboratories and at numerous field sites. Advanced monitoring studies for water and air quality are conducted in many locations throughout California, the United States, and the world. The Department has strong affiliations with a number of research centers including the California Primate Research Center, the Institute for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Crocker Nuclear Laboratory, and the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratories. Students often receive financial support through research projects, fellowships, and Department funds.

The Department has extensive analytical instrumentation available for teaching and research including ICP-MS, GC/FID/ PID/MSD, single-particle mass spectrometers, UV-visible, infrared, and atomic absorption spectrophotometers, ion chromatograph, organic carbon analyzers, gradient elution HPLC, Particle Induced X-ray Emissions (PIXE), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), particle size and number analyzers, and charge titration instruments. Instruments for sample collection include cascade impactors, filter-based samplers, a Gilson respirometer, in addition to standard gas and particle analyzers.

Students in the Department have access to extensive computing facilities. Programming and parallel programming classes make use of a 240-node cluster of Linux workstations that can be operated as a single massive parallel computer. General computing rooms containing Windows, Macintosh, and Linux workstations also are available for graduate students.

Faculty

Cappa, Christopher Physical, chemical & optical properties of atmospheric aerosols.
Chang, Daniel P.Y.

 Air pollution control.
Darby, Jeannie L.

 Physical/chemical treatment processes.
Dillner, Ann Particulate matter air pollution
Kleeman, Michael

 Aerosol mechanics.
Loge, Frank J. Water and wastewater treatment; water reuse.
Lund, Jay R.

 Systems in water resources and environment planning.
Niemeier, Debbie A.

 Travel demand modeling ; Transit system analysis.
Schladow, S. Geoffrey

 Lake and reservoir modeling.
Scow, Kate Biodegradation, bioremediation of groundwater and soil.
Wexler, Anthony

 Air Pollution; Biomedical Engineering; Single Particle Analysis.
Wuertz, Stefan

 Biofilms in environmental engineering.
Young, Thomas M.

 Physical/chemical treatment processes.

Research Groups

Courses

The core environmental engineering graduate courses listed below are supplemented by courses in atmospheric sciences, bacteriology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, chemistry, environmental studies, hydrologic sciences, mathematics, mechanical engineering, microbiology, and statistics. In addition, graduate students make use of the department's upper division undergraduate classes and take courses in the department's water resources program. 

The academic program of study is designed on an individual basis with the aid of a faculty adviser to best meet the needs and interests of each student. Courses offered include:

  • ECI 240 - Water Quality
  • ECI241 - Air Quality Modeling
  • ECI 242 - Air Quality
  • ECI 242BL - Airborne Particles Lab
  • ECI 243A - Water & Waste Treatment
  • ECI 243B - Water & Waste Treatment
  • ECI 244 - Environmental Quality Modeling
  • ECI 245A - Applied Environmental Chemistry: Inorganic
  • ECI 245B - Applied Environmental Chemistry: Organic
  • ECI 246 - Pilot Plant Laboratory
  • ECI 247 - Aerosols
  • ECI 247L - Aerosols Laboratory
  • ECI 248A - Design of Natural Systems for Wastewater Treatment
  • ECI 248B - Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse-Theory and Practice
  • ECI 249 - Probabilistic Design and Optimization
  • ECI 260 - Non-Cohesive Sediment
  • ECI 261 - Cohesive Particle Transportation
  • ECI 269 - Transportation-Air Quality: Theory and Practice
  • ECI 290 - Seminar