Hello, I am currently a junior in high school in Massachusetts and just had a question regarding environmental engineering. I already know that I would like to pursue this field, as the idea of working with concepts such as wastewater and air pollution, as well as the aspect of getting to do work outside taking test samples, seems very interesting to me.
My question is should I take a major in a university that specifically says “environmental engineering”, or one that says, " Civil engineering with a focus on environmental engineering"?
I was just wondering if there is a benefit for those who take civil engineering with environmental as a focus, or would taking simply environmental engineering give me good civil engineering concepts as well.
I would rather have a major that specifically focuses on environmental aspects and was just curious how these would differ.
Thank you
For a Civil Engineering degree with environmental focus, you will take a broader variety of classes in your Junior year (transportation, geotechnical, structural, fluid dynamics, environmental, etc.). Then in your Senior year, you will focus on mostly environmental classes. This is a good option for students who are not sure which specialty is right for them. For some of these specialties, a Master’s degree is recommended depending upon your career goals.
For an Environmental Engineering degree, you will take mostly environmental classes in both Junior and Senior years. It is a good option for students who are sure about EnvE. But a lot of students change their mind once they actually get to college. The degree in EnvE is a relatively new development at many schools, so I’m not sure if employers consider it equivalent to a Civil degree plus a 1-2 year Environmental Masters.