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Environmental Engineering

College of Engineering

The Environmental Engineering curriculum, which is designed to comply with ABET accreditation criteria, emphasizes the use of core knowledge in math, physics, biology, chemistry, and its application to environmental engineering and develops student understanding of natural processes in air, water, and soil during environmental engineering decision-making. The curriculum additionally provides opportunities for student to place their skill set within a greater social, cultural, and political context. The degree complements the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree by providing opportunities for inter-disciplinary interactions in upper-division course work, including in the capstone design course. Prerequisites may be met through coursework at the UW, another four-year institution, or a community college. Graduates will be prepared for a variety of careers or for continuation of study at the graduate level.

Major category: Capacity-constrained

Curricular options: Environmental Engineering

Topic(s): Engineering

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Degree requirements

Applicant type

Applicant type

Freshmen can apply to the UW to begin autumn quarter or winter quarter (U.S. applicants only)

Read more about applying to the UW as a freshman, including details for programs that provide high school students with college credit (like Running Start).

The primary pathway to environmental engineering is through Direct to College admission to the College of Engineering. If you want to major in this or any major within the College of Engineering, be sure to list it as your first-choice major on the freshman application.

Quarters of general admission to UW: autumn / winter (U.S. applicants only) / spring / summer

Preparation for the major is a factor in transfer admission.

  • Use the information below to help you prepare for this degree
  • Visit MyPlan to run a degree audit.
  • Use the UW Equivalency Guide to find out how courses taken at a Washington state community or technical college will transfer to the UW.
  • UW college and school graduation requirements

Department admission information

Please contact the department for details about the application process.

This major is capacity-constrained. Completion of prerequisites does not guarantee admission.
  • Transfer students must submit two separate applications: one to the Office of Admissions and one to environmental engineering.
  • To be eligible to apply, you must have a 2.0 (“C” grade) minimum GPA in each prerequisite course and a 2.5 cumulative GPA in all the prerequisites. These are minimums; the actual GPA of those admitted is much higher.
  • Minimum 60 credits completed by April 5 application deadline.
  • To plan your transfer, be sure to utilize the engineering transfer admission website and contact the department if you have additional questions. A separate departmental application is required in addition to the UW application for admission. For more information, please visit the department’s website.

Read more about applying to the UW as a transfer student.

Courses required for the major:

  • MATH 124 NSc RSN – Calculus Analytic Geometry I 1
  • MATH 125 NSc – Calculus Analytic Geometry II1
  • MATH 126 NSc – Calculus Analytic Geometry III1
  • AMATH 351 NSc – Introduction to Differential Equations & Applications or MATH 207 – NSc Introduction to Differential Equations 2
  • BIOL 180 NSc – Intro Biology 2
  • CHEM 142 NSc RSN – General Chemistry I 1
  • CHEM 152 NSc RSN – General Chemistry II 1
  • PHYS 121 NSc RSN – Mechanics 1
  • PHYS 122 NSc – Electromagnetism 1
  • One of the following 2 : AMATH 301 NSc – Beginning Scientific Computing or CSE 121 NSc RSN –  Introduction to Computer Programming I or CSE 122 NSc RSN – Introduction to Computer Programming II or CSE 123 NSc RSN – Introduction to Computer Programming III or CSE 142 NSc RSN – Computer Programming I or CSE NSc RSN 160 – Data Programming 2
  • A A 210 NSc – Engineering Statics 1
  • English composition C 1

Entering transfer information:

Total undergraduates: 66
Total from Washington community colleges: 7

NOTES:

    1 All courses completed prior to the application deadline.
    2 All completed prior to autumn quarter.
    Students are encouraged to complete AA 260 and AMATH 352 (or MATH 208) prior to autumn quarter.

Career outcomes

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