Environmental and Ecological Engineering

Purdue University in West Lafayette

Environmental and ecological engineers apply technical understanding of environmental systems, systems engineering, biology and chemistry to develop strategies to protect human and environmental health, and design sustainable systems and technologies. They can address issues at both local and global levels, such as unsafe drinking water, air quality and industrial sustainability. Projects may focus on improvement of materials cycling, resource recovery, public health and water and air pollution control.

Environmental and ecological engineering (EEE) at Purdue educates students in a systems perspective that includes sustainability as it applies to natural and industrial processes. Rather than only considering conventional waste emission treatment, we train our students to approach problems from an integrated perspective that considers both environmental issues and ecological aspects.

The undergraduate curriculum prioritizes an early focus on systems thinking and understanding. It includes significant course requirements in ecology, sustainability and environmental engineering. The curriculum differs from other environmental programs in its primary focus on environmental topics and its flexible plans of study. This program is the only one at Purdue accredited in environmental engineering by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, and the Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Ecological Engineering is the only degree option in this discipline at Purdue.

Note: The First-Year Engineering program is the entry point for all beginning engineering students in West Lafayette. They must complete the First-Year Engineering requirements before entering the engineering school of their choice. The mission of this student-oriented service program is to advise, teach and retain outstanding students for Purdue's College of Engineering. This core curriculum includes courses in math, chemistry, physics, computer programming and communication skills, as well as introductory engineering coursework taught in the Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Learning Laboratory. The First-Year Engineering program provides students with a firm foundation and initial understanding of engineering and career options to assist them in identifying which of Purdue's engineering disciplines is the right fit. Our professional academic advisors, faculty and student advisors are dedicated to assisting beginning engineers with the first-year experience.