Environmental engineering

Environmental engineering applies the principles of engineering to solve and prevent environmental degradation. The discipline uses knowledge of soil, water, and air systems to develop solutions from field to watershed scales. Biology, chemistry, and physics play an important role in environmental engineering, and the experts of this discipline gain a comprehensive knowledge about the interaction of the human society with its environment. Environmental engineers work in a variety of settings because of the nature of the tasks they do. So they might work in an office as a project manager, or be involved with habitat restoration in the field. They also can chose to work either for the government or for companies within the industry. Among others, environmental engineers work on:

• Soil, water and air pollution control & public health
• Environmental restoration and protection
• Resource management
• Renewable energy
• Liquid and solid waste management
• Soil hydrology
• Environmental communication
• Environmental policy and law

To become an environmental engineer, one need to obtain a bachelor diploma in environmental engineering or a related field, such as civil, chemical, or mechanical engineering. However, it is recommended to follow a Master program as well, as more and more employers are giving preference to those who have a Masters degree. Moreover,  though a Ph.D. degree is not required, it will provide additional advantages in the career. And because the environment is so intertwined with people, an environmental engineer is also required to have a good understanding about how people and the society as a whole function.

Further on, environmental engineers should be creative, inquisitive, analytic, and detail oriented. They should be able to work as part of a team as well as alone, and communicate well, both orally and in writing. Communication abilities are becoming increasingly important as engineers frequently interact with specialists in a wide range of fields outside (environmental) engineering.