Environmental Engineering, B.S.


The Environmental Engineering degree is designed to prepare graduates for a variety of careers within the environmental engineering field. The program builds upon a strong foundation of biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering science to prepare environmental engineers with a broad portfolio of expertise in water quality and management, pollution mitigation control, air quality control, renewable energy sources, as well as knowledge of environmental policies and regulations who will be able to serve industrial and government needs. The program includes fundamental courses and laboratories in environmental engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology. Students will be able to explore specialized areas within environmental engineering by selecting elective courses during their senior year.

Student Learning Outcomes

The graduates of the environmental engineering program will have:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  1. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  1. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  1. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  1. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  1. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  1. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Admission Requirements

Major Declaration

Freshmen admission to engineering majors is to a ‘pre-major’ status (i.e., Pre-Environmental Engineering). Continuation in the major will be subject to meeting specific lower division course and GPA requirements at CSULB that evaluate the student’s ability to succeed and complete the major. Transfer applicants and CSULB students seeking admission into Environmental Engineering must also meet similar major-specific requirements. To become fully admitted into the Environmental Engineering major, all prospective students (i.e., pre-majors, undeclared, major changes) must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA and complete the following lower- division courses with a minimum grade of “C” prior to earning 60 units:

Core Lower-Division Major Requirements:

General Education Foundations Courses:

Degree Progress

First-Time Engineering freshmen pre-major and transfer students must complete the Engineering Degree Progress Requirements within their first academic year. At the end of the second full semester, typically Spring, students who have not met the requirements must either declare another major or meet with an Academic Advisor from the Engineering Student Success Center (ESSC) to determine if the student’s performance in the courses merits an additional Semester to complete. Such students must submit a Degree Progress Extension Petition with the College of Engineering Dean’s Office.

All Engineering Majors:

All Engineering majors are expected to make satisfactory degree progress by completing attempted units, limiting repeats/withdrawals, satisfying critical benchmark courses in a timely manner, and maintaining minimum 2.0 Overall and Major GPAs. Degree Progress is monitored for all undergraduate students each semester. Petitions to attempt a course for the third time are only considered in extenuating circumstances. Students who are not making satisfactory degree progress as described above will have a hold on their registration and are required to meet with their advisor to develop an academic plan. Failure to satisfy the academic progress requirements will result in the student being disqualified from the major.

Course Requirements

A grade of “C” or better must be achieved in all of the courses required for the major. A minimum of 120 units is required for the Bachelor’s Degree.

Lower Division

Take all of the following:

Upper Division

Take all of the following:

Take six units of electives from one of the following focus areas:

Water Quality

Environmental Resources Management

Air Quality