Due to concerns over pollution, environmental
engineering to become a rapidly expanding sub-discipline within
engineering. Students who have earned a bachelor's degree and are
interested in ecological issues are good candidates to earn an online
master's degree in environmental engineering.
An online master's degree in environmental engineering surveys the
challenges of protecting air, water and soil quality and explores
techniques for preventing, containing and cleaning up contamination.
Course offerings emphasize the application of fundamental concepts from
physics, chemistry and mathematics to the design of systems that deliver
clean air and water, or monitor and control pollution. A bachelor's
degree in the hard sciences, mathematics or engineering - with an
undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better - is required for
admission to an environmental engineering program.
A majority of online environmental engineering master's degree
programs are a combination of Internet and classroom-based courses.
Readings, lectures, tests and any other course materials are accessible
through the program's website. Students may access content at their
convenience, but must complete assignments by specified deadlines.
Interactions between students and instructors are handled via online
forums, video conferencing, email and phone. Lab and fieldwork, however,
must be completed in person, although not necessarily on campus. A
master's degree in environmental engineering is typically earned in 2-3
years.
Students need a personal computer with Internet access and basic
productivity and multimedia software to participate in an online
program. Schools recommend a DSL or cable broadband connection.
List of Common Environmental Engineering Courses
Some schools offer an engineering master's degree program with
environmental engineering as a concentration or sub-specialty. Others
offer an environmental engineering master's degree that includes core
courses in general engineering.
Environmental Engineering Fundamentals Course
This course offers an overview of the physics, chemistry and
biology of wastewater treatment. Course work focuses on such concepts as sedimentation, filtration and chemical kinetics.
Waste Management Course
In this class, students learn the chemical and physical processes by
which hazardous chemicals disperse through soil, as well as techniques
for remediating them. Topics covered include adsorption, absorption,
advection and phase transition,
Hydrology and Hydraulics Course
This course examines the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and fluid
dynamics. Surface flow, flow systems, stream channels and data
interpretation are among the topics studied.
Environmental Microbiology Course
The structure, metabolic processes and interactions of microbes,
microflora and microfauna in the natural world are the focus of this
course. Topics covered in the course include algae, fungi, bacteria,
protozoa and viruses.
An online master's degree in environmental engineering qualifies
graduates to work for corporations and government agencies - or as
consultants - as environmental engineers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics predicts that employment of environmental engineers will
increase 31% from 2008-2018 (
www.bls.gov). The need for industry
to comply with regulation, prevent contamination, protect public health
and clean up old hazards will drive job growth. According to
Payscale.com, as of June 2010 environmental engineers with 1-4 years of experience earned median salaries of $47,293-$59,235.
Working environmental engineering professionals who want to teach at
the college level or conduct original research into water quality, solid
waste management or energy policy can consider earning a doctorate in
environmental engineering. Doctoral degrees in environmental engineering
were not available online of June 2010.
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