Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering Major

Environmental engineers are responsible for designing processes and infrastructure to ensure society has access to safe water, clean air and healthy ecosystems. They apply knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology and the social sciences to problems in a variety of areas including water and wastewater treatment and ecosystem remediation, analysis of chemical fate and transport in the natural environment, and modeling of hydrologic and atmospheric flows. As climate change creates new challenges, such as in the form of droughts and intense weather events, the field of environmental engineering evolves to meet society’s needs. As an environmental engineering student at UC Davis, you will gain skills that enable you to design sustainable solutions for society.

Real-World Outcomes

UC Davis environmental engineering majors are well prepared to put their skills to work with a variety of municipal, state and federal agencies and private companies throughout California, the nation and the world.

Requirements

As an environmental engineering major, you will begin your study with an extensive series of foundation courses in science and mathematics, and two introductory courses specific to civil and environmental engineering. At the upper division level, you will take advanced courses in specific topics in environmental and water resources engineering. These courses will include subjects such as water and wastewater treatment, analysis of chemical fate and transport in natural environments, modeling of hydrologic and atmospheric flows, and water resources management.

Degree Worksheets & Check Offs

Engineering students are required to complete degree requirements in effect the academic year they graduate or the academic year prior to the year of graduation. For example, students who plan to graduate during the 2018-2019 academic year must meet requirements for 2017-2018 or 2018-2019.

Senior Design: More Info

The senior design project can only be completed in the environment depth-area. The environment section has unique prerequisites that must be fulfilled by the end of the Fall quarter before senior design occurs with a grade of a C- or better. The prerequisites are listed below:

Before 2026	Enforced in 2026
Environment ECI 140CN	Environment ECI 140CN ECI 114 ECI 115 or ECI 153 Upper Division English Composition

NOTE: Students graduating in 2025 do NOT have to follow the updated requirements enforced in 2026.

Can I double-major in both Civil and Environmental Engineering?
View our Double Major Worksheets here.