Environmental engineers apply science and engineering principles to protect local, regional, and global environments from detrimental effects of natural and human activities. Working at the interface between the natural and built environment, environmental engineers are responsible for air pollution control, water and wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste treatment and management, environmental health, and remediation. Environmental engineers design projects to improve environmental quality; and obtain, update, and maintain plans, permits, and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. Environmental engineers are directly responsible for improving the quality of life and safety of society and have a professional and ethical responsibility to the public for doing so.
CECS Progress Policy
- Students in the Environmental Engineering major are expected to make consistent good progress toward their degrees to remain enrolled in, or eligible for, any major, minor, or certificate in the College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS) or the College of Optics and Photonics (COP). To support this, CECS and COP enforce a Progress Policy with two components: the low grade component and the repeat attempt component.
- Low Grade Component: Any student majoring in Environmental Engineering who has accumulated 7 or more unsuccessful attempts (i.e., grades below "C" (2.0), U grades, and withdrawals, including in 0-credit courses) over all courses taken at UCF will be placed on Lack of Progress Probation and remain on Lack of Progress Probation as long as the student is enrolled in a CECS or COP major. If a student on Lack of Progress Probation has a tenth unsuccessful attempt over all courses taken at UCF, the student will be Excluded from all CECS and COP majors, minors, and certificates.
- Repeat Attempt Component: Any student majoring in Environmental Engineering who repeats any UCF course and does not earn a grade of "C" (2.0) or better on the second attempt will be placed on Lack of Progress Probation and remain on Lack of Progress Probation as long as the student is enrolled in a CECS or COP major. If a student on Lack of Progress Probation does not receive a grade of "C" (2.0) or better by the third attempt in the same UCF course, the student will be Excluded from all CECS and COP majors, minors, and certificates.
- A student who has been excluded from CECS and COP majors cannot declare any CECS or COP minors or certificates unless as required by the student’s degree program. A student who has been excluded from CECS and COP majors may seek readmission to a major in CECS or COP after earning a bachelor’s degree or relevant associate of science degree, either from another college at UCF or from another institution. To be eligible for readmission to CECS or COP, the student must not have accumulated any additional low grades in subsequent coursework used to complete the earned degree. An excluded student who meets these criteria is not guaranteed readmission to a CECS or COP major. Any student who is readmitted to the Environmental Engineering major will be subject to all probation conditions that applied at the time of exclusion.
This program prepares students for state-regulated professional licensure or certification. For more information on how this program may prepare you in that regard, please view the licensure disclosure for the Environmental Engineering (B.S.Env.E) program.
Degree Requirements
Basic Core Requirements
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- All Environmental Engineering students must complete a Biological Science course and an Earth Science course. It is recommended that students complete a Biological Science course and an Earth Science course that also satisfy GEP requirements. Acceptable Biological Science and Earth Science course options are specifically identified in the GEP.
- A minimum 2.250 GPA is required for courses used in Basic Core Requirements, Advanced Core Requirements, Restricted Electives, and Capstone Requirements.
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Earn a minimum grade of C in each of the following:
- CHM2046 - Chemistry Fundamentals II (3)
- CHM2046L - Chemistry Fundamentals Laboratory (1)
- Complete the following:
- EGS1006C - Introduction to the Engineering Profession (1)
- EGN1007C - Engineering Concepts and Methods (1)
Biological Science
0 Total Credits
- Complete at least 1 of the following: BSC 1005 - Biological Principles (3) BSC 2010C - Biology I (4) or BSC 2011C - Biology II (4)
Earth Science
0 Total Credits
- Complete at least 1 of the following: GEO 1200 - Physical Geography (3) GEO 2370 - Resources Geography (3) GLY 1030 - Geology and its Applications (3) GLY 2038 - Environmental Geoscience (3) MET 2104 - The Earth's Climate (3)
Advanced Core Requirements
56 Total Credits
- Courses used as prerequisites for another course must be completed with a "C" (2.0) or better. A minimum 2.250 GPA is required for courses used in Basic Core Requirements, Advanced Core Requirements, Restricted Electives, and Capstone Requirements.
56 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Earn a minimum grade of C in each of the following:
- EGN3310 - Engineering Analysis-Statics (3)
- EGN3331C - Mechanics of Materials (3)
- EGN3343 - Thermodynamics (3)
- EGN3613 - Engineering Economic Analysis (2)
- ENV3001 - Environmental Engineering (3)
- ENV4531 - Environmental Engineering Unit Operations & Processes (3)
- EES4202C - Chemical Process Control (4)
- STA3032 - Probability and Statistics for Engineers (3)
- CWR3201 - Engineering Fluid Mechanics (3)
- CGN3090 - Engineering Reports & Liability (2)
- Complete the following:
- ENV4120 - Air Pollution and Hazardous Waste Control (3)
- ENV4341 - Sustainable Resource Management (3)
- EES4111C - Biological Process Control (4)
- CCE4003 - Introduction to the Construction Industry (3)
- CEG4011C - Geotechnical Engineering I (3)
- ENV4561 - Advanced Environmental Engineering Operations & Processes (3)
- CWR4202C - Hydraulics (3)
- EES4421 - Fate and Transport of Contaminants in the Environment (2)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- CWR4120 - Hydrology (3)
- CWR4124 - Hydrogeology (3)
Restricted Electives
3 Total Credits
- A minimum 2.250 GPA is required for courses used in Basic Core Requirements, Advanced Core Requirements, Restricted Electives, and Capstone Requirements.
3 Total Credits
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: Technical electives are available in the BSEnvE program to address specific student interests in a variety of technical areas. Students should consult with their assigned academic advisor for a list of the approved technical electives and the terms when specific courses of this type are to be offered.
Capstone Requirements
6 Total Credits
- A minimum 2.250 GPA is required for courses used in Basic Core Requirements, Advanced Core Requirements, Restricted Electives, and Capstone Requirements.
Environmental Engineering Design Specialization Course
3 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
- Earn a minimum grade of C in each of the following:
- ENV4433C - Environmental Engineering Wastewater Design (3)
- Earn a minimum grade of C in each of the following:
- ENV4122C - Air Pollution Control Design (3)
- Earn a minimum grade of C in each of the following:
- ENV4562C - Environmental Engineering Water Treatment Design (3)
Environmental Engineering Capstone Course
3 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- CGN4808C - CECE Capstone Design (3)
Grand Total Credits: 71
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required: 122
Plan of Study
- A tentative course schedule for entering freshman is available on the CECS Academic Affairs Office website at https://academicaffairs.cecs.ucf.edu/. Students should consult with an Academic Success Coach to develop a personalized plan to graduation.
CECE Capstone Experience Sequencing Policy
- CECE students are expected to complete their Capstone course no later than the Summer of their senior year. The Capstone course is also expected to be completed in a student’s graduating term.
- Where possible, students should complete their Design Specialization course in the term immediately preceding the Capstone course. When the Design Specialization course cannot be completed in the term immediately preceding the Capstone course, students should minimize the number of semesters between the Design Specialization course and the Capstone course.
Foreign Language Requirements
- Two years of one foreign language in high school, or one year of one foreign language in college (or equivalent proficiency exam) prior to graduation.
Departmental Exit Requirements
- Environmental Engineering students must take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam during their Senior year. Additional information can be found at https://www.cece.ucf.edu/current-students/.
College Exit Requirements
- Students must complete at least eight upper-division courses towards their degree within CECS at UCF.
- Students must complete all their discipline-specific senior design and/or capstone course(s) within CECS at UCF.
University Minimum Exit Requirements
- Students must have a minimum 2.0 UCF GPA.
- Students must have completed 42 semester hours of upper division credit.
- 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
- A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
- Complete the General Education Program, the State Writing and Math Requirement, nine hours of Summer credit, and Civic Literacy Requirement.
Honors In Major
- Information on Honors in the Major can be found at https://honors.ucf.edu/.
Related Programs
- Chemistry (B.S.)
- Construction Engineering (B.S.Con.E.)
- Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.)
- Environmental Engineering B.S. to M.S.Env.E.
- Environmental Engineering B.S to M.S
- Engineering Leadership Certificate
- Chemistry Minor
- Environmental Studies Minor
- Mathematics Minor
- Engineering Leadership Minor
- Bioengineering Minor
Advising Notes
- Students should meet regularly with their Academic Success Coach. Contact the CECS Academic Affairs Office (https://academicaffairs.cecs.ucf.edu/) for more information on meeting with an Academic Success Coach.
- The Environmental Engineering program offers the Accelerated BS-MS Program to students of high academic standing. This program allows up to twelve hours to be shared between the BS and MS degrees. Visit https://grad.cecs.ucf.edu/bstoms/ for more information.
- The Environmental Engineering program offers the opportunity for exceptionally well qualified undergraduates to enter directly into the PhD program after completion of an appropriate BS degree. This option allows outstanding undergraduates to begin planning a research program with a specific faculty advisor even before finishing the BS, and may allow completion of the PhD in a shorter time period than by taking a separate Masters followed by the PhD.
Transfer Notes
- Courses transferred must be formally evaluated for equivalency credit. The student must provide all supporting information with his/her petition for this evaluation.
- Helpful transfer student resources, including established course equivalencies, are available online at https://registrar.ucf.edu/transfer-student-resources/.
- EGS 1006C and EGN 1007C are required courses for incoming freshmen only. The credits for these two courses (one hour each) may, with prior approval of the college, be moved to Restricted Electives.
Program Academic Learning Compacts
- Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at: http://www.oeas.ucf.edu/alc/academic_learning_compacts.htm
Equipment Fees
- Part-Time Student: $44 per term
- Full-Time Student: $87 per term
