Undergraduate courses and subjects 2000 - Bachelor of Environmental Engineering (BEnvEng)

Bachelor of Environmental Engineering (BEnvEng)

General information
Course structure

General information

Environmental engineering is a rapidly growing, multidisciplinary branch of engineering, concerned with the implementation and management of engineering solutions and programs that accord with the principles of sustainable development. Thus while the traditional engineering skills of design, construction and management remain an essential component, the focus of this branch of engineering is to ensure that such activities are carried out in a manner that minimises or eliminates adverse impact on the environment, and are socially, economically and ecologically sustainable.
Historically based in the still major areas of water resource management and water and wastewater treatment, the scope of application of environmental engineering principles now embraces all of the air, water and soil environments, and the interactions between them. Environmental engineers work closely together with a range of other environmental professionals, and the community. Their professional skills might be used to ensure clean water supplies, reduce catchment soil erosion and salinity, develop and implement cleaner production technologies to minimise industrial pollution, recycle waste materials into new products, develop or rehabilitate landfill sites, develop building and transport systems in harmony with the environment and, very importantly, to evaluate and minimise the environmental impact of engineering projects both large and small.
Career paths for environmental engineers are diverse, expanding and challenging, with the pressures of increasing population and desires for improved standards of living providing local and international opportunities. Such opportunities are readily identified in all areas of industry, in government planning and regulatory control, with regional and municipal authorities, consultants and contracting engineers, research and development organisations, and in education and technology transfer.

Course structure

The environmental engineering course has been designed to be multidisciplinary, to provide broad-based capability for the solution, implementation and management of engineering activities in an environmental context. Thus core engineering knowledge and skills are complemented by subjects from science, economics, arts and law. The selection of one major elective stream, or two minor elective streams, provides for in-depth treatment of one or more specific areas of application of environmental engineering principles. The elective streams are: water and land management; environmental process engineering; and transport and the built environment.
Level 1 of the course provides a broad base of science, mathematics, introductory engineering and environment subjects designed to form the basis of a multidisciplinary engineering education.
Level 2 increases the engineering content, which is a mixture of core engineering subjects and more environmentally directed subjects. Mathematics is continued. Environmental policy and communications are introduced, the former subject being used to begin to integrate the content gained from the other units.
Level 3 introduces more environmentally focused engineering subjects. It builds upon the core subjects of level 2, provides subjects that address environmental impact and management systems, and sees the commencement of the selected elective stream(s).
Level 4 seeks to integrate and provide application for much of the earlier knowledge and skills developed by way of substantial engineering design and project work within the various specific elective streams. These subjects are complemented by further in-depth elective subjects, and interdisciplinary subjects from environmental law, economics and policy areas.