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Undergraduate Studies in Environmental Resources Engineering
B.S. in Environmental Resources Engineering

The primary objective of this degree program is to prepare qualified engineering graduates to operate with professional competence. Undergraduates enter our program to engage two years of general engineering training followed by two years of engineering science and design coursework in the areas of water resources engineering, ecological engineering, and geospatial engineering, a breadth and combination unparalleled in the United States.

The program educates baccalaureate students who can successfully:

1. Engage in professional engineering practice specializing in natural and designed environments
2. Pursue graduate studies in environmental resources engineering, including ecological, geospatial and water resources engineering, and
3. Expand and adapt their knowledge and skills to address the technological, environmental and social challenges of a changing world

Students leaving our program are uniquely suited to analyze, design, and engineer systems involving biological, chemical, and physical components across all spatial scales, and they are hired by the world's best graduate schools, companies, and agencies.

The undergraduate B.S. in Environmental Resources Engineering has graduated its first students and is preparing for its first accreditation visit by the Engineering Accreditation Commission/Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET).

A broad base of study in the fundamentals of engineering enables graduates to enter professional practices which focus on civil works as well as the use and protection of soil, water, air, and other renewable and non-renewable resources.

The Environmental Resources Engineering program is similar to many civil and environmental engineering programs, with two years of core science and engineering courses followed by upper-level requirements in water and wastewater treatment, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, and solid waste management.

We offer advanced courses in water resources engineering, a focus common to many civil and environmental engineering programs. We differentiate our program by also offering introductory and advanced courses in the ecological engineering and geospatial engineering areas, two themes that complement our water resources engineering area. The curriculum is developed to include hands-on, design-oriented courses starting in the freshman year and allows students to explore advanced topics of interest through senior engineering design electives. While most of our students use these engineering design electives to focus on the ecological engineering, geospatial engineering and water resources engineering strengths of the Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, some students choose a to take upper level courses in structural and geotechnical engineering.

Engineering students with an interest in graduate study can plan their undergraduate studies along an individualized track that will prepare them for entry into graduate study either at SUNY-ESF or other top universities throughout the country. Our past graduates have successfully pursued M.S. and/or Ph.D. degrees at MIT, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, Illinois, and Berkeley, among other schools, and our unique undergraduate curriculum provided them with skills to succeed in these programs. As the graduate program in Environmental Resources Engineering has grown, many students have chosen to stay at SUNY-ESF, where our unique graduate programs offer unparalleled opportunities for graduate study.

Our B.S. in Environmental Resources Engineering program trains our graduates to have:

1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs
4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7. an ability to communicate effectively
8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context
9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
10. a knowledge of contemporary issues
11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Motivation for B.S. in ERE Program Development

In response to the evolving needs of society, and ongoing discussions with our Advisory Board, alumni, employers and numerous other stakeholders, the Department obtained approval from the New York State Education Department in 2010 to offer a new Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Resources Engineering (ERE). The B.S. in ERE program (e.g., curriculum, objectives, and student learning outcomes) was designed and built on the success of our B.S. in Forest Engineering program, which has been ABET-accredited since 1982. When the B.S. in ERE program becomes accredited we will phase out the B.S. in Forest Engineering.