During the junior year, students typically complete the BSENVE 300-level Core Curriculum in a pre-arranged sequence beginning in autumn quarter.
In the senior year, students explore areas of interest while taking courses to meet Technical Elective and Engineering & Science Elective requirements. Seniors also complete a spring capstone design course in a focus area of their choice.
The BSENVE curriculum emphasizes the use of core knowledge from math, physics, biology, chemistry and engineering to mitigate impacts on environmental quality and to establish student understanding of the interconnections between air, water and soil during environmental engineering decision-making.
BSENVE major coursework
Core curriculum (30 credits)
| COURSE | TITLE | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 347 | Introduction to Fluid Mechanics | 5 |
| CEE 348 | Hydrology and Environmental Fluid Mechanics | 4 |
| CEE 349 | Case Studies in Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CEE 350 | Mass and Energy Balances in Environmental Engineering | 4 |
| CEE 352 | Introduction to Microbial Principles in Environmental Engineering | 5 |
| CEE 354 | Introduction to Chemical Principles in Environmental Engineering | 5 |
| CEE 356 | Quantitative and Conceptual Tools for Sustainability | 4 |
Capstone & professional practice: 7 credits
- CEE 440 Professional Practice (2 credits)
- Typically taken SPR Qtr. of junior year.
- Capstone Design Course (5 credits)
Technical electives (TE): 15 credits
Select courses from the BSENVE Technical Electives list.
Engineering & Science Electives (E&S): 13 credits
BSENVE students are required to complete 13 credits of Engineering and Science Elective coursework (CEE 400-level courses or non-CEE courses from a department-approved list). Included in these 13 credits, students must include one additional earth science course. See the BSENVE Engineering and Science Electives list for complete details.
What are Engineering and Science Electives?
Upper Division Engineering and Science Electives are courses that require substantial college-level preparation on the part of the student. The intent is to require courses that provide in-depth learning in a particular subject as opposed to an introductory and/or survey course. All CEE technical elective courses meet this standard and can count towards requirements in this section. Beyond this, the department maintains a list of non-CEE courses that meet these standards. However, new courses are continually developed at UW, some of which may meet these requirements. Seminars generally do not meet these requirements. If a student identifies a course that they believe meets these requirements but is not on the departmental list, they may submit a course petition to have it count toward their upper division engineering and science elective requirement. The following definitions are provided to help students identify such courses:
- Engineering course: Offered by the College of Engineering or its departments.
- Science course: Offered by a department, not in the College of Engineering, that addresses the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world. This excludes courses such as math, social sciences, business, anthropology, music, and others that do not meet the definition.
- Substantial college preparation: The course contains a recommended college-level background as indicated by prerequisites, minimum credit requirements to enroll, required academic progress (e.g., junior/senior standing) to enroll, required permission, or entry code to enroll). These courses are typically offered at the 300- and 400-level, although some 100 and 200-level courses meet this definition.
General electives
General Electives provide additional credits to meet the 180 total required for the baccalaureate degree.