Environmental Engineering

Minor

Student in the lab

In the past, the environmental impacts of an engineering project or design were often considered as an afterthought. Today, environmental concerns strongly influence almost all aspects of engineering practice. For civil engineers, a deep understanding of environmental engineering is increasingly vital as they are at the forefront of designing infrastructure that must balance functionality, sustainability, and compliance with environmental regulations.

A minor in environmental engineering not only equips you with the knowledge to minimize environmental damage, it also prepares you to lead in the development of innovative, eco-friendly solutions. By understanding the environmental consequences of your designs, you can ensure that projects meet stricter regulatory requirements, enhance public health and safety, and support long-term sustainability goals.

Adding environmental engineering to your skillset allows you to:

Every major company, government agency and consulting firm needs professionals who can tackle pollution, clean up contaminated sites and design clean water systems. Whether you're working as an Environmental Engineer, Water Resources Engineer or Regulatory Compliance Specialist, this minor gives you the technical expertise that employers are actively searching for.
Imagine waking up every day knowing that your work improves public health, protects natural resources and prevents environmental disasters. Civil engineers, chemical engineers and environmental consultants use their skills to ensure clean air, safe drinking water and effective waste management. With this minor, you’ll have the tools to engineer solutions that impact entire communities.
While this minor is a perfect fit for civil engineering students, it’s also a major advantage for chemical engineers. Chemical engineers working in industrial waste treatment, environmental consulting or regulatory roles benefit from understanding how pollutants behave in air, water and soil. This minor sets you up for more diverse job opportunities across multiple industries.
Love the idea of getting out of the office? Environmental engineers often travel to project sites, analyze pollution sources, inspect water treatment plants and work directly with communities. If you want a career that mixes technical problem-solving with real-world impact, this minor gives you the skills to do more than sit at a desk all day.
If you’re thinking about a master’s in environmental or civil engineering, this minor strengthens your application by showing specialized expertise. Many government agencies (like the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, and state environmental departments) prefer engineers who have coursework in pollution control and remediation—this minor puts you ahead of the competition.
From coal-fired power plants to wind and solar farms, energy companies need engineers to manage stormwater runoff, chemical waste, and emissions treatment. This minor gives you the knowledge to ensure energy production meets strict environmental regulations.
Manufacturing plants deal with air emissions, industrial waste, and wastewater treatment—and they need engineers who can design cost-effective, environmentally friendly solutions. This minor sets you up for roles in process engineering, industrial hygiene, and regulatory compliance.

Please contact Dr. William Barry in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering if you are interested in this program.

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For a complete description of the above requirements, please go to the Course Catalog.

Program Information

Degree

Environmental Engineering Minor

Duration

27 hours

Level

Undergraduate

Campus Location

Angola, IN

School/College

Allen School of Engineering and Computing