Sun rays shining through thick forest

BS in Earth & Environmental Engineering Curriculum

At Columbia, you’ll begin your journey as an earth and environmental engineer in your first semester. You’ll launch immediately into applying engineering principles to solve practical problems in a hands-on, team-based, and project-driven environment.

In your first two years, you’ll establish foundational knowledge in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science. Our specialized courses will introduce you to the core principles of earth and environmental engineering. You’ll also study courses in humanities and social sciences through Columbia’s Core Curriculum. This interdisciplinary approach will broaden your perspective and help you position engineering problems within their larger societal context.

In your junior and senior years, you’ll build depth. Completing an intensive set of technical engineering courses, you’ll acquire skills in fundamental areas like fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and computer modeling. You’ll also examine key environmental engineering topics related to pollution control, transportation, and remediation. With a diverse selection of courses to choose from, you’ll be able to align your studies more closely with your career goals. 

Throughout the program, you’ll take a highly applied approach to learning, honing your skills and knowledge through project-based exploration and hands-on research, culminating in the year-long senior design project. You’ll also learn key soft skills including professional writing, communication, negotiation, and leadership, enabling you to draft strong proposals and effectively manage stakeholders. 

Course List

  • Core Courses
    • A Better Planet by Design
    • Alternative Energy Resources
  • Courses in Environmental Health Engineering
    • Air Pollution Prevention and Control
    • Biochemistry Basic to Environmental Health
    • Climate System
    • Environmental Data Analysis and Modeling
    • Environmental Health Sciences
    • Geographic Information Science for Resource, Environmental, and Infrastructure Management
    • Organic Chemistry
  • Courses in Sustainable Energy and Materials
    • Advanced Thermodynamics
    • Applied Transport and Chemical Rate Phenomena
    • Energy: Sources and Conversion
    • Heat Transfer
    • Industrial Ecology of Earth Resources
    • Organic Chemistry
    • Solid Earth System
    • The Earth's Carbon Cycle
  • Courses in Water Resources and Climate Risks
    • Aquatic Chemistry
    • Climate System
    • Contaminant Transport in Subsurface Systems
    • Environmental Data Analysis and Modeling
    • Geographic Information Science for Resource, Environmental, and Infrastructure Management
    • Introduction to Classical and Quantum Waves
    • Management and Development of Water Systems
    • Planning and Management of Urban Hydrologic Systems