<p>I'm about to be a senior in high school, and I was thinking about Environmental Engineering.
Do you have any opinion on this major ? What are the advantages and disadvantages of choosing this major ? Is getting a job would be hard ? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Advantages:
Depends. Which type of Environmental? If it’s the civil based one, then I’m not sure at all.
Mechanical? That’s the one I’m doing. </p>
<p>Here’s what I say:
A) Regardless of what engineering major you pick, do research on what classes you SHOULD take. Note: I’m not saying to graduate, I’m saying to be a GOOD engineer. For example, look up the engineering jobs you want NOW and go through the requirements for experience. As a mechanical based Environmental, they ask for SolidWorks, Pro-E, AutoCAD, programming (any language from C++,Fortran,Java) and shop experience. So it doesn’t make sense for me to take some political environmental studies class just to get an easy A.</p>
<p>B) What type of environmental work do you want to do? If you think environmental engineering is some green hippy type of engineering job, you could be entirely wrong. With the global warming turnout and climate change/Kyoto Protocols, a lot of companies are looking to do the “bare minimum” to meet guidelines/requirements. For example, whatever the carbon emissions requirement is for one company, you might join a team and help them achieve 0.000000001% above that requirement. Or you’ll be finding a way for them to do it cheaply. Also, introductory engineers hardly do anything “innovative” or “legendary”. You’ll most likely be, doing tests on one tiny bolt or one really tiny part of a design. </p>
<p>Over all, regardless of what major you pick, whether or not it is a good major depends on what you do while you earn that degree:
Network with people
Get decent grades
Learn how to do a lot of useful skills
Try to get experience with companies related to your major</p>
<p>To be honest, I though I would be doing some green hippy type of engineering.I will take with your advice in the end and thanks for your reply. I truly appreciate it.</p>
<p>As I have said before…</p>
<h2>Do you have a passion for compliance? Do PSD permit applications make your heart race? Have you ever been caught preparing extra emissions models just for fun? Environmental engineering might be for you!</h2>
<p>If you want to be a hippie, I think civil and mechanical engineering could be useful majors. My understanding is that a lot of practical engineering (building wells, trails, etc.) is required to run a successful commune.</p>
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<p>I’m going to grad school for environmental engineering, and I would say decide what kind of work you want to do before deciding on a major. </p>
<p>I have spent the last year working at an environmental engineering firm and, for the most part, the work is regulatory compliance. It is definitely not “hippy” engineering. noimagination has it pretty right. Because of that, I will be going to grad school for a far more mechanical/computer science focused environmental degree.</p>
<p>If you dream of building bridges in Africa or Central America, you could major in mechanical or civil engineering. A lot of environmental engineering deals with trying to find out how screwed up the water or soils are (for a specific client, of course).</p>
<p>My wife has had a long career as an Environmental Engineer. Her education included a lot of biology and chemistry classes. She has worked in the aerospace world, the biotech world and the electronics manufacturing world. She looks into the processes that the company is involved in a what their waste products are. She then helps with the permitting of those processes and dealing with the waste products. </p>
<p>Not exactly my cup of tea, but she really enjoys her work and has always been able to find work. In fact, she is in managment now and has a hard time finding environmental engineers with the proper backgrounds (when she has an open position which she does not at the present time).</p>