Environmental Engineering

What is environmental engineering?

Environmental engineering is a critical discipline that integrates engineering, science, and environmental management to create sustainable solutions safeguarding the planet from pollution and human-induced damage.

What do environmental engineers do?

Environmental engineers evaluate project effects on air, water, soil, and noise, aiming to preserve the environment. They assess impacts, devise management systems, develop technologies to monitor and reduce pollution, mitigate the impact of climate change and implement protective measures. This field is crucial in building a sustainable future.

Engineers working in environment and sustainability are also responsible for:

• Designing and implementing renewable energy systems, developing energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure, and work with businesses and governments to reduce their carbon footprint and transition to cleaner energy sources.
• Conducting assessments to evaluate the potential impact of projects, specifically industrial developments, on the environment.
• Designing and implementing water treatment and wastewater management systems to ensure clean and safe water access to all.
• Developing technologies and strategies to monitor and reduce air and noise pollution from various sources.
• Planning and implementing waste management systems, including landfill design, recycling processes, and safe disposal of hazardous materials.
• Identifying and implementing solutions to restore areas affected by pollution or environmental damage, such as soil or water contamination.

There are many reasons to choose our Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Environmental) as your first preference.

Customise your engineering degree

• You will access a distinct offering of subjects from Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
• You will be offered choices of an elective strand in one of the three specialisations: Chemical Engineering for the Environment, Energy and the Environment, and Geotechnical Engineering.
• Our degree combines collaborative learning and research with firsthand industry experience, enabling you to tackle challenges in energy consumption, water supply protection, climate change, and waste management.
• Broaden your career prospects by combining your Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Environmental) with a second degree in arts, commerce, science, health science, medical science, laws or project management. Combined degrees range from 5 to 6.5 years in length, with the same annual workload as a single degree student.

Learn from environmental engineers

• You will learn from leading professionals and researchers in fields including chemical, civil, energy, and water engineering and explore the emerging fields of nanotechnology and molecular biology, including leading researchers from the Net Zero Initiative and the Sydney Nano Institute.
• You will be trained in a new $200m Engineering building is home to the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Using purpose built labs, you can test different heat exchangers and measure their performance, operate pilot distillation columns, or learn about microfluidics and operate a pilot scale carbon capture plant.
• Our engineering degrees are designed to ensure our graduates are best positioned to engineer for the digital age, and are embedded with enhanced foundation studies in data and computation.

Industry experience embedded in your learning

• As part of your degree you will undertake the award-winning Professional Engagement Program enabling you to change your approach to learning through self-reflection, and undertake a six-week internship to gain valuable firsthand experience.