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Earth and Environmental Engineering
BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering
Undergraduate Programs
In-Person
Prepare to apply the tools of engineering to address complex environmental challenges.
Our BS in Earth and Environmental engineering program centers on engineering principles, math, and core sciences. Mastering this knowledge will ensure you can successfully model, analyze, and design environmental systems.
You’ll learn to see the practice of engineering in its broader context, gaining insights from disciplines like ethics and economics to equip you to navigate the socio-political landscapes where environmental decisions and policies are made.
This interdisciplinary approach trains you to create sustainable and scalable engineering solutions, advocate for environmental stewardship, and develop policies that balance human needs with ecological preservation. Through a combination of rigorous coursework, extensive laboratory experience, and collaborative design projects, you’ll graduate ready to advance to further studies or launch a career of impact.
Why Study Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia?
Experience the rigorous intellectual climate of an Ivy League institution while studying in the supportive atmosphere of a smaller engineering department — all in the heart of New York City.
As a student here, you’ll benefit from:
As a student here, you’ll benefit from:
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Field-Leading Faculty
Join a department full of active scholars publishing pioneering research in areas like energy-efficient desalination, resource recovery from waste materials, and AI-empowered climate modeling.
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Research Opportunities & Project-Based Learning
Our curriculum offers the perfect balance of theory and practice.
From the Art of Engineering course in your first semester to your year-long senior design project, you'll learn how to apply engineering principles to solve real-world problems.
Opportunities to support faculty with external research projects will complement your studies and expand your theoretical understanding of this diverse and far-reaching field.
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New York City
Studying in NYC will exposure you to diverse urban and natural environments, offering a perfect living laboratory to engage with issues like urban pollution and coastal management. A hub for research and industry, the city is an ideal place to find internships and make connections for your future.
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Focus on Sustainability
Engage in problem solving at the intersection of natural and engineered systems by applying technical skills to critical water, energy, minerals, and decarbonization challenges.
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ABET Accreditation
The BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Environmental Engineering and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
ABET is a nonprofit organization that draws on industry experts to develop standards for education programs in science, computing, and engineering. Accreditation indicates that our program has met its rigorous standards for equipping engineering professionals for the field. -
Comprehensive Career Support
Our dedicated Assistant Director of Graduate Career Placement can provide you with expert advice both during your studies and after graduation. You’ll receive personalized career guidance, application support, tailored workshops, and access to exclusive job opportunities within the earth and environmental engineering sector and beyond.
With strong industry connections, we also facilitate networking events and internships that give you the experience and confidence to stand out in the competitive job market.
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Major or Minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering
If you are interested in our department but want to major in another field, you can still minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering. Due to our broad and multidisciplinary scope, a number of our courses are already required across other engineering departments. As well as developing interdisciplinary knowledge, this structure will ensure your workload is manageable.
What Will I Learn?
Our curriculum is rooted in basic math, sciences and liberal arts. With a diverse selection of interdisciplinary courses to choose from, you’ll be able to tailor your studies to reflect your interests and career goals. These fundamentals will train you to address the technical and socio-economic challenges related to environmental problems.
Requirements
Our program is highly competitive and the requirements reflect the rigorous nature of our training. The requirements to both apply for and complete our BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University are listed below.
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Application Requirements
What we look for:
- Transcripts and school reports. We accept all secondary school qualifications (AP, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge A Levels, National School curricula, etc.). We do not have standardized requirements or “cut-off” test scores for first-year admission but we do expect to see coursework in physics and calculus.
- Teacher recommendations. We would like to learn more about your contributions in the classroom and at school, as well as what you might offer to your Columbia classmates.
- Responses to our Columbia-specific application questions. Your answers will provide us with insight into your intellectual interests and the way in which your curiosity and sense of community might translate to Columbia’s campus.
- A personal statement. We review applications in context, taking into account the multiple, intersecting ways that you have been shaped by your family circumstances. Understanding who you are, what your home responsibilities are, whether you have experienced any systemic and situational barriers and advantages will ensure we can review your application fairly and accurately.
- English language proficiency. If your home language is not English or if your secondary school studies were predominantly in another language, you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. Visit our English Proficiency Requirements for accepted exams and minimum score requirements.
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Degree Requirements
BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering
To graduate from our BS program you must complete:
- 18 credits (approximately six courses) of technical Earth and Environmental Engineering electives during your final two years.
- The Columbia liberal arts core. This is typically satisfied during the first two years, although you can undertake non-technical electives during your final two years.
Minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering
To earn a minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering, you must complete:
- Six courses selected from a specified list approved by your undergraduate advisor.
Undergraduate Financial Aid
What matters most to us is your ability to thrive at Columbia.
We offer plenty of financial options to support you through your journey with us. Learn more about the types of aid that are available.
Combined Plan
Find out how you can earn a Liberal Arts degree at your current university and also a BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering from Columbia University.
Careers & Outcomes
With your multi-disciplinary training in earth and environmental engineering, you'll be well qualified to pursue careers in industry, government agencies, and organizations specializing in the environment and the provision of basic materials. As well as engineering, you can easily pivot into careers across law, policy, finance, consulting, and even medicine. Your training also provides a strong foundation for graduate studies, with many graduates advancing to MS and PhD programs across chemical, computer, climate, mechanical, materials, and environmental engineering.
Our graduates have found positions with employers including:
- STV
- U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
- AECOM
- The Port Authority of New York
- ARUP
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Department Faculty
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Daniel Steingart | Image
Bolun Xu |
Research and Work Experience Opportunities
Hands-on experience
At Columbia, you don’t have to wait until you graduate to start making a contribution. There are lots of opportunities to gain hands-on experience through research projects and summer internships.
Our faculty-run laboratories always need students to support them with their cutting-edge research spanning across areas such as electrochemical energy, carbon capture, climate modeling, materials recycling, and more.
Student Research Opportunities
Entrepreneurship
Considering launching a startup during your studies or after you graduate? Columbia Engineering Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship team can help you develop the business acumen to successfully launch your venture.
The team offers specialist entrepreneurship courses, bootcamps, networking opportunities and spaces for prototyping and testing. They also organize competitions with opportunities to win seed funding. This community of talented professors, students and alumni will give you the network of support needed to achieve your entrepreneurial goals.
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Related Programs
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