As an environmental engineer major, you will study the principles of engineering, soil science, biology and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems.

What courses will you take?

Environmental engineering students from UMass Lowell work with solar panels at a construction site

The B.S.E. in Environmental Engineering begins with fundamental courses in college writing, mathematics and science. You will also take an introduction to civil and environmental engineering course that covers computer-aided engineering and design.

During the second year, you will learn additional engineering mathematics, basic engineering mechanics and biology for engineers. Other courses introduce environmental engineering, including an associated laboratory class and environmental engineering chemistry. 

Junior year coursework addresses energy and sustainability, groundwater hydrogeology and remediation, and biological processes in environmental engineering. In the senior year, you will focus on chemical fate and transport in the environment, air quality and solid waste engineering. You can also take two professional electives, which will count toward a master’s degree if you are accepted into the combined B.S.E./M.S.E. program. 

In the final semester, you will complete a capstone design project for the solution of an environmental problem.

UMass Lowell is the only public research university in Massachusetts to offer an undergraduate major in Environmental Engineering.

Visit the Academic Catalog for a complete course listing and to learn more about the minor in Business Administration for Civil and Environmental Engineering.

  • Degree Pathways are a semester-by-semester sequence of courses recommended for successful completion of a degree, diploma, credential or certificate from the university. The most current degree pathway is:

    Visit the Academic Catalog for all degree pathways, including those from prior enrollment years.
  • The Program Goal of the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department is to provide its students with a well-balanced, high quality education in four areas of Civil Engineering practice: environmental, geotechnical, structural and transportation engineering that will:
    • permit them to practice civil engineering at a professional level 
    • prepare them for graduate study 
    • promote life-long learning and continuing professional development 
    • provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop into active contributors to the economic and social vitality of the region 

    To accomplish this Program Goal, the CEE Department’s and ABET Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are as follows: 

    • Graduates, who wish to pursue professional employment, will obtain a position in Civil Engineering or related engineering field, and will be successful in that position. 
    • Graduates will pursue lifelong learning, professional development, and registration as appropriate for their employers. 
    • Graduates will engage in service activities related to their profession. 

    The student outcomes for the BSE degree in electrical or civil engineering at UMass Lowell are as follows: At graduation students should possess: 

    • An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering 
    • An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data 
    • An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability 
    • An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams 
    • An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems 
    • An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility 
    • An ability to communicate effectively 
    • The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context 
    • A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning 
    • A knowledge of contemporary issues 
    • An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Why study environmental engineering at UMass Lowell?

 Timothy Roberts, Natalie Melconian, Rebecca Gonsalves-Lamontagne, and Zachary Morris paddle UMass Lowell's concrete canoe during the 2014 regional competition.

Fun Outside the Classroom

Solving problems is fun, and at UML you can put your learning into practice. Check out some ways that students connect outside of the classroom.

UMass Lowell environmental engineering student in lab

Research Opportunities

The environmental engineering program has a dedicated graduate research lab and an undergraduate teaching lab.

Our research includes:

  • Physicochemical water treatment systems using nanotechnology
  • Strategic drought management
  • Biogas production from wastewater sludge
  • Hazardous waste site remediation
Two UMass Lowell environmental engineering students wear hazmat suits inside a lab

Experiential Learning

Build career-ready skills through experiences outside the classroom, including:

  • Research in a faculty laboratory 
  • Co-ops and internships 
  • Paid work on campus 
  • Service learning 
  • Study abroad
UMass Lowell environmental engineering student in hazmat suit at a work site

Bachelor’s-to-Master's Program

Get on the fast track to an advanced degree with our combined Bachelor's-to-Master's program.
  • Available to juniors and seniors with a grade point average of 3.0 or better
  • Offers a continuous, coordinated sequence of courses
  • Reduced credit-hour requirements can save you time and money

What can you do with a degree in environmental engineering?

UMass Lowell's environmental engineering program prepares graduates for a wide variety of career paths, including design and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities, management of hazardous waste site remediation projects, operation of solid waste disposal sites, director of recycling  programs, high school teacher and professor.

to come

Alumni of our program have worked at:

  • AECOM
  • CDM Smith
  • GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.
  • Kleinfelder
  • MassDEP
  • Nobis Engineering Inc.
  • Stantec
  • Tighe & Bond
  • TRC
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District
  • U.S. EPA Region 1 New England Headquarters
  • U.S. EPA Region 1 New England Regional Laboratory
  • Weston & Sampson
  • Woodard & Curran