Environmental science involves a lot of basic science, as well as the role humans have played into the current shape of the Earth. Yes - civil engineering (and structural engineering) is still worth it! Also, which branch of environmental en. I don't see any signs that US society is relaxing its standards for, say, tap water or waste disposal. Environmental engineers will need at least a bachelor's degree in civil, chemical, environmental or general engineering. Environmental engineers work to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution control, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The field is also dedicated to improving environmental conditions through remediation. read more . Do an undergrad in civil or chemical with some electives in environmental. www.asce.org We have a lot of infrastructure - much of which needs repairing and upgrading, and there is a lot to be developed. It depends on you. 1. I am thinking about becoming an environmental engineer. I've seen some negative comments on it and I just want to make sure that I'm choosing a career that won't keep me in college debt for too long. Here at Engineering Management Institute, we highly recommend our friend and sponsor, PPI, for your FE exam review.As an exclusive benefit to our supporters, PPI has extended a 20% discount on their exam review materials. 1.4K views Environmental engineering at my old school was being pushed hard as the next big craze. It’s fairly easy to leverage a civil engineering degree to basically any civil or environmental position out there. Go civil and do a focus on environmental as it will let you be more flexible with jobs. I have one friend that got out of it and it took a while. Civil Engineering...worth the struggle? in the fall because I believe I'll need more advanced coursework to prepare me for the more interesting engineering consulting tasks. It is common among engineering students to complain how hard the course is, and that we are all so tired of studying. Graduated in five years with a degree in Environmental Engineering, passed the FE in my last semester and did an internship for the entirety of my Summer/Fall semester. Environmental engineering is the sister field of civil engineering and involves integrating engineering principles and science to improve natural environment and to protect it while providing potable water, clean air and sustainable life for humans and other organisms. This is a place for engineering students of any discipline to discuss study methods, get homework help, get job search advice, and find a compassionate ear when you get a 40% on your midterm after studying all night. A lot of people fall into permitting work, groundwater sampling, or health & safety. Most of the work was water management and consulting oil&gas on environmental regulations. Or Civil Engineers doing an emphasis on environmental engineering. The cost of attaining that coveted acronym is no mere chump change. I've seen some negative comments on it and I just want to make sure that I'm choosing a career that won't keep me in college debt for too long. Environmental Engineering Technician. It involves engineering, chemistry, geology, into policy and history classes. As you study civil engineering, it’s worth thinking about the career you want to end up in, so that you can focus your learning and training as specifically as possible. Is a Civil Engineering degree worth it? You can almost always do an environmental engineers job with a civil degree, but not the other way around imo. I am working as a graduate civil site engineer on a tier 1 construction project. Environmental … ‘Engineering’ is an incredibly broad concept with numerous specialisations within it; likewise, ‘civil engineering’ is a beast in itself, containing its own specialisations that form part of its whole. Graduated with a b.s. Environmental engineering is a job type that is a professional engineering discipline and takes from broad scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions that will protect and also improve the health of living organisms and improve the quality of the environment. Some sites say that there will be a 30% growth in the number of jobs in the next 10 years, and others say that environmental engineers struggle to find a jobs and their major is a joke. Only one thing is required that is knowledge along your degree. Environmental Engineers research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Engineering is one of the top-paying careers available today. Careers. Now am a Staff Wastewater Engineer in CA. Is the job worth it? The reason that I say this is because ENVE is dealing with a far more complex series of systems than any other engineering discipline. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the EngineeringStudents community, Continue browsing in r/EngineeringStudents. I think it ended up not being as exciting as people thought. For anyone looking to go into environmental, this is the course I would recommend. Please respond to this with your honest opinions. As an ag engineer with a specialization in land and water resource systems engineering, ir sucks to not be something like civil or mechanical. Those are very portable. Thank you! The dawn of modern environmental engineering occurred in mid-1800's. I’d do pretty much any other type of engineering, Environmental sounds great, but it’s pretty basic work that usually revolves around helping oil companies drill more. Worked for two years for a consulting firm doing mostly brownfield remediation and realized I really didn't enjoy working in the field. Sia, Chicago. That all being said, I'm going back to get my M.S. Related to Choosing a Degree, Environmental. Would have been better if I knew what I wanted from the start but better making the switch earlier than later if possible. That's pretty cool. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, University of Queensland - Civil and Environmental. For any engineering discipline, I'd recommend at least an MS. Jan 28, 2012 #7 garbiiiiis. Depends what direction you take it, but the true Environmental Engineering work I’ve seen is a huge focus on preproject site visits, research, and impact statement work (which is a lot of writing/documentation). My 2¢, 100% agree with this. Job opportunities are fewer and farther between and you’re constantly explaining what your degree actually is. Good luck getting a traffic engineer job with an environmental engineering degree. One of the most basic analyses for balancing out the worth of the all-mighty MBA comes down to dollars and cents. Undergraduate degrees outside of EE, ME, Civil, or Chemical are really just a pigeon hole without the advancement opportunity. Here is what a typical day’s work for an Environmental Engineer looks like: With those factors in mind, here are five degrees that are generally worth the money spent earning them. This sounds so awesome, do you have any literature on the subject you recommend? Most of my classmates work for utilities, or consulting. More posts from the AskEngineers community. I did a civil and environmental dual major and graduated in December last year. An MBA at a storied institution such as Harvard or Stanford will easily run you above $60k per year. I'm older than most students: I'll be 30 when I start there, with 2-3 years left in my degree plan, depending on internships, etc. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I took that degree into Civil/Water infrastructure internships and job. I'm a stormwater engineer for a city in Texas. There isn’t a ton of design work - the system designs are pretty routine and prepackaged for a lot of the work. When I graduated I got a job at a consulting firm (focused on water resources) and I'm currently prepping for the civil PE this October! Air pollution control, waste water treatment, hazardous waste management, industrial and drinking water treatment, and solid waste management are the main areas of emphasis within environmental engineering. It may be worth it to you if you have the drive and passion to keep up with the heavy load. I really enjoy it and am lucky to have my job -- the actual design positions available in environmental engineering are hard to come by, even though about all you can do with the degree is consulting (eventually can work in mfg or industry, but you'd need the consulting experience first). The work is on water supply and treatment and resource management. Another crucial task tackled by environmental engineering is that of cleaning up polluted areas/sites. Most of … But are you allowed to tell people that? I've worked my ass off in college and even after college. I've recently been accepted into the Environmental Engineering program at the University of Florida for the Fall 2014 semester. Environmental engineering is almost as old as civilization. My graduate department is declining students at rates they have never seen before, accepting around 10%. Where I work, you could have your degree in Engineering, but without the EIT, you are not considered an Engineer. Even you are JUST an Engineer in Training, you are still an Engineer. It's very good degree in environmental engineering if you gain better knowledge during your degree programme​. Search All Jobs. Added Sunday, July 17, 2016 at 10:59 PM . What was your starting salary/current salary? Is environmental engineering worth pursuing? Get a regular engineering degree and specialize later. Environmental Engineering is also the branch of applied science & technology that addresses the problem of preservation of energy, reducing waste from human and animal activities & production asset. I just want to know, is environmental engineering worth it salary-wise, and enjoyment wise? The 25 Best Jobs of 2021. Environmental engineers use knowledge of engineering, soil science, chemistry, and biology to solve problems in the environment.They tackle a variety of issues, and their concerns include pollution control, recycling, and public health issues. I graduated in 2011, recieved my EIT in 2010 and PE in 2016. Is becoming an environmental engineer worth it? Environmental engineering is the branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting people from the effects of adverse environmental effects, such as pollution, as well as improving environmental quality. I'm wondering if there are any real benefits to getting a PhD in Engineering. Work closely with environmental engineers and scientists to develop methods and devices used in the prevention, control, or correction of environmental hazards. Very applicable and practical. Engineering. And…it may be worth it if you’re not that worried about your 4.0 sGPA potentially dropping to a 3.7. Get into hydraulic modeling if you want to get into this type of work. in environmental engineering, got my EIT, and interned at a local utility's engineering department. Environmental engineering is a relatively new discipline. Source: quora.com. Obviously, a lot of work and time goes into getting a PhD. Environmental engineering programs from different universities may focus on various themes but all of them encompasses these three important topics, namely, environmental fluid mechanics, air and water quality engineering and human health. Civil Engineering Salaries Survey [UPDATE 2] Alright - so I wanted to let this simmer a bit and see how many responses we could get to before seriously sitting down and providing a bit of analysis. I work for a large consulting firm and my work is very heavy in water treatment process design, including hydraulics, chemical, physical, and biological treatment. Please respond to this with your honest opinions. Maybe in the future I'll merge the two together. The top-paying engineering specialties are petroleum, chemical and electrical engineering. Same as the other engineering programs, a degree in environmental engineering requires problem-solving skills, a good aptitude for sciences and … Press J to jump to the feed. Engineering FAQ; Resource FAQ; Why Be An Engineer; Submit An Answer. I have fully designed projects from scratch and trained staff in all aspects of Civil engineering. Thanks to all of you! Do what interests you - that industry is growing and expanding slowly, so who knows the niche you could find yourself in. Pursuing a PhD would make sense for fields like English, where career options in the private sector are highly limited and therefore the PhD a much better option. 28 0. This 100%. It is an interesting and challenging job, but I am looking to find a position with an environmental aspect. Actually, the Environmental Engineering discipline is significantly different from any of the other engineering disciplines, with the possible exception of Geotechnical Engineering. Our largest concern right now is creating more habitat for aquatic species and ensuring adequate fish passage to upstream spawning areas. Press J to jump to the feed. I would recommend getting undergraduate degree in traditional engineering role. In recent years, costs for higher education have well outpaced the rate of inflation, and the MBA degree is no exception. I just want to know, is environmental engineering worth it salary-wise, and enjoyment wise? Is becoming an environmental engineer worth it? I think you often get asked what environmental engineers do. Thank you! Much happier in the tech field and have been seeing improvements to my overall quality of life and interests. I work on the civil side of the office, but people who deal strictly in environmental are generally very skilled in chemistry, hydrology(groundwater), and/or geology. It may be worth it if you have the extra time to pursue the added classes. in environmental engineering, got my EIT, and interned at a local utility's engineering department. When I graduated I got a job at a consulting firm (focused on water resources) and I'm currently prepping for the civil PE this October! Environmental engineering can be subsets of chemical or civil engineering depending on what you choose to specialize in. It also have a very good scope and the demand of environmental engineers is increasing dramatically. Best Answers. Recommended. Go broad, become niche later. Median Salary: $50,620. Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering, biology, chemistry & soil science to increase solutions to environmental problems. We get hundreds of applications for every entry level design role. is more lucrative, utilities or consulting? I work at a large civil (like ENR top 20) firm that does environmental engineering among many other things on an international basis from the US. For the next 8 years the growth is anticipated to be 12% and there are over 55,000 jobs. Most have civil degrees and strong chemistry backgrounds. Graduated in 2013 and got my EIT. It deals with the design of technologies and processes that control pollution releases and clean up existing contamination. I appreciate what the environmental courses helped set me up with, and also realize your degree won’t exactly become your line of work! AskEngineers is a forum for questions about the technologies, standards, and processes used to design & build these systems, as well as for questions about the engineering profession and its many disciplines. 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