Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSEnvE) Degree

Program Learning Outcomes (Student Outcomes) for the BSEnvE Degree

Upon completing the BSEnvE degree, students will be able to demonstrate:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. 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.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Educational Objectives for the BSEnvE Degree 

Within 3 to 5 years of graduation, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSEnvE) degree are expected to attain the following Program Educational Objectives (PEOs):

  1. Excel in problem-solving and communication skills.
  2. Achieve leadership positions in technical or managerial areas.
  3. Demonstrate initiative and innovation in professional endeavors.
  4. Demonstrate engagement in addressing ethical, social, environmental, and global concerns.
  5. Remain engaged in continuing learning, including advanced degrees.
  6. Obtain a Professional Engineering license, if appropriate.

Requirements for the BSEnvE Degree

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BSEnvE degree must complete:  

  • A minimum of 33 courses (91-92 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.
  • A minimum of 124 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements. 
  • A minimum of 19 courses (50 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
  • The requirements for one area of specialization (see below for areas of specialization). When students declare the major in Environmental Engineering (associated with the BSEnvE degree), students must additionally identify and declare one of four areas of specialization, either in:
  • A minimum of 14 courses (36 credit hours) from the General Math and Science courses.
  • A minimum of 10 courses (25 credit hours) from the Core Requirements.  

Because of the common core requirements, it is possible for students to change their area of specialization at any time, even after initially declaring the major. To do so, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Civil and Environmental Engineering's innovative and challenging BSEnvE degree's engineering curriculum is designed to provide significant flexibility to the student. Specific details and typical course layouts by semester can be found on the departmental website

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Environmental Engineering91-92
Total Credit Hours Required for the BSEnvE Degree124

Degree Requirements

General Math and Science Requirements 1
BIOS 201INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I3
CHEM 121GENERAL CHEMISTRY I3
or CHEM 111 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
CHEM 123GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I1
or CHEM 113 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I
CHEM 122GENERAL CHEMISTRY II3
CHEM 124GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II1
CMOR 220INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION3
or EEPS 220 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION IN THE EARTH, ENVIRONMENT AND PLANETARY SCIENCES
EEPS 107CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER3
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
or MATH 105 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II3
or MATH 106 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II
MATH 211ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA3
MATH 212MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS3
or MATH 232 HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS
PHYS 101
PHYS 103
MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
and MECHANICS DISCUSSION 2
4
STAT 310 / ECON 307 / PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS3-4
or STAT 305 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS FOR BIOSCIENCES
Core Requirements
CEVE 101FUNDAMENTALS OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 32
CEVE 211 / MECH 211ENGINEERING MECHANICS 33
CEVE 310PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 33
CEVE 315URBAN WATER SYSTEMS: SOURCES, TREATMENT, DISTRIBUTION, RESOURCE RECOVERY AND REUSE3
CEVE 316URBAN WATER SYSTEMS LAB: WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS AND TREATMENT TECHNIQUES1
CEVE 363APPLIED FLUID MECHANICS3
CEVE 411ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND CLIMATE3
CEVE 412HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING3
CEVE 481INTRODUCTION TO SENIOR DESIGN1
CEVE 482SENIOR DESIGN3
Area of Specialization
Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below):30
Area I - Sustainable Water
Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy
Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk
Area IV - Environmental Management
Elective Requirements
Select electives to fulfill the remaining BSEnvE degree requirements (see below for suggested elective courses) 4
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Environmental Engineering91-92
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *1-2
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours124

Footnotes and Additional Information

Areas of Specialization

To fulfill the remaining BSEnvE degree requirements, students must complete a total of 10 courses (30 credit hours) from the four areas of specialization as follows: 

  • 8 courses (24 credit hours), consisting of a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from each of the four areas of specialization as breadth.
  • 2 additional courses (6 credit hours) from one of the four areas of specialization for a total of 4 courses (12 credit hours, including breadth) in that specific area as an area of specialization.   

Please Note: Of the 10 required courses (30 credit hours) for the area of specialization, a minimum of 7 courses (21 credit hours) must be taken from departmental (CEVE) course offerings.

Area of Specialization: Area I - Sustainable Water

All students must select a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area I. Students pursuing the Area I - Sustainable Water area of specialization must complete:

  • 4 courses (12 credit hours) from Area I - Sustainable Water
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy 
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area IV - Environmental Management

Please Note: Of the 10 required courses (30 credit hours) for the area of specialization, a minimum of 7 courses (21 credit hours) must be taken from departmental (CEVE) course offerings.

Select 4 courses from the following:12
SUSTAINABLE WATER PURIFICATION FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD
CHEMISTRY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION RESTORATION
SMART MATERIALS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
FATE AND TRANSPORT OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
Or any approved (Area I - Sustainable Water) course from CEVE course offerings
Select 2 courses from the Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area IV - Environmental Management Area of Specialization6
Total Credit Hours30
Area of Specialization: Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy

All students must select a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area II. Students pursuing the Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy area of specialization must complete:

  • 4 courses (12 credit hours) from Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy 
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area I - Sustainable Water
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area IV - Environmental Management

Please Note: Of the 10 required courses (30 credit hours) for the area of specialization, a minimum of 7 courses (21 credit hours) must be taken from departmental (CEVE) course offerings.

Select 4 courses from the following:12
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
COASTAL HAZARDS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
CLIMATE DYNAMICS
EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION
THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION
EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING I: PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTALS
EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING: NUMERICAL TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS
Or any approved (Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy) course from CEVE course offerings
Select 2 courses from the Area I - Sustainable Water Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area IV - Environmental Management Area of Specialization6
Total Credit Hours30
Area of Specialization: Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk

All students must select a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area III. Students pursuing the Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk area of specialization must complete:

  • 4 courses (12 credit hours) from Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area I - Sustainable Water 
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area IV - Environmental Management

Please Note: Of the 10 required courses (30 credit hours) for the area of specialization, a minimum of 7 courses (21 credit hours) must be taken from departmental (CEVE) course offerings.

Select 4 courses from the following:12
TIME-DEPENDENT SYSTEM RELIABILITY METHODS AND APPLICATIONS
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS
URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROGEOLOGY
DATA-DRIVEN MODELS FOR CLIMATE HAZARD
FLUID FLOW IN FRACTURED ROCKS
Or any approved (Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk) course from CEVE course offerings
Select 2 courses from the Area I - Sustainable Water Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area IV - Environmental Management Area of Specialization6
Total Credit Hours30
Area of Specialization: Area IV - Environmental Management

All students must select a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area IV. Students pursuing the Area IV - Environmental Management area of specialization must complete:

  • 4 courses (12 credit hours) from Area IV - Environmental Management 
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area I - Sustainable Water 
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy 
  • 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk

Please Note: Of the 10 required courses (30 credit hours) for the area of specialization, a minimum of 7 courses (21 credit hours) must be taken from departmental (CEVE) course offerings.

Select 4 courses from the following:12
ENGINEERING ECONOMICS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
UNCERTAINTY AND RISK IN URBAN INFRASTRUCTURES
ETHICS AND ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT
REMOTE SENSING
Or any approved (Area IV - Environmental Management) course from CEVE course offerings
Select 2 courses from the Area I - Sustainable Water Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area II - Air, Climate, and Energy Area of Specialization6
Select 2 courses from the Area III - Resilient Infrastructure, Disasters, and Risk Area of Specialization6
Total Credit Hours30

Suggested Electives for the BSEnvE Degree

Any departmental (CEVE) course offering not taken to fulfill an Area of Specialization requirement can be taken as an elective. Other suggested courses are listed below.

ANTH 320CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY3
BIOS 271ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT3
BIOS 374GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY3
BIOS 559SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS3
CHBE 382INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY3
EEPS 434CLIMATE OF THE COMMON ERA3
EEPS 436GIS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS3
ENST 202 / HUMA 202CULTURE, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY HUMANITIES3
ENST 210SUSTAINABLE FUTURES: AN EXPLORATION OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS3
ENST 250UNDERSTANDING ENERGY: ENERGY LITERACY AND CIVICS3
ENST 281 / CHBE 281ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES3
ENST 301ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE3
ENST 313 / ARCH 313CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN3
ENST 315ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH3
ENST 322 / ARCH 322CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: THE REGENERATIVE REPOSITIONING OF NEW OR EXISTING RICE CAMPUS BLDGS3
ENST 332 / ANTH 332THE SOCIAL LIFE OF CLEAN ENERGY3
ENST 415 / SOCI 415THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT3
ENST 437 / ECON 437ENERGY ECONOMICS3
ENST 480 / ECON 480ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY ECONOMICS3
HEAL 375THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH3
STAT 485ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS AND DECISION MAKING3

Policies for the BSEnvE Degree

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BSEnvE degree should be aware of the following program restrictions:

  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major.
  • Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSEnvE) Degree may not additionally pursue the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) Degree.
  • Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSEnvE) Degree may not additionally pursue the BA Degree with a Major in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Civil and Environmental Engineering website: https://cee.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the BSEnvE Degree

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Departmental Honor, Award, and Scholarship Opportunities

  • Distinction in Research and Creative Work: The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will recognize graduating seniors for outstanding creative contributions with the award of Distinction in Research and Creative Work. The Department recognizes this award as being a significant honor. As such, it will be awarded to no more than 20% of a graduating class (rounded up to next whole number). This award shall be given for significant contributions in research, design, and creative projects beyond class assignments (except CEVE 499). Generally, it is expected that the student recipients will have performed research/design for a minimum of two academic segments (one segment = one academic year or one summer) during their undergraduate career (either for credit or pay). It may be given for one outstanding piece of work for consistent meaningful contributions made over the course of an undergraduate career. All majors (BA and BS) are eligible and will be considered for this distinction in the spring prior to their graduation. 
  • Rice Global Forum: Rice Global Forum (RGF) is an engineering and construction industry funded center which is in its second decade of operation. It was founded by Ahmad Durrani, past chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice. RGF funds and facilitates interaction with the engineering and construction industry, particularly oil and gas related work. RGF funds $25,000 worth of scholarships every year. In addition, RGF also consistently sponsors and supports Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and has donated to other student clubs as well in addition to holding an engineering design competition every year in February during National Engineers Week. 

Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Civil and Environmental Engineering (MCEE) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the (MCEE) chair of the department graduate studies committee. 

Student Organizations and Clubs

  • Engineers Without Borders (EWB): https://ewb.rice.edu/
    EWB partners with developing communities worldwide to design engineering solutions that will improve their standards of living. It is an important component of the Civil and Environmental Engineering program. BA students with their flexible curriculum are encouraged to participate. This exciting endeavor allows undergraduates to have an experience in a developing country, where they are able to design and build a project to help society. Students have been attracted to the EWB program in large numbers and our local chapter is one of the most successful in the United States. Some CEVE courses are EWB-related, providing the opportunity to also obtain credit hours.
  • Society of Women Engineers: https://swe.rice.edu/
    The Society of Women Engineers aims to empower women to pursue and achieve their full potential in science and engineering-related fields. We provide opportunities in professional development, academic and post-graduate planning, community outreach, and social events.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Civil and Environmental Engineering website: https://cee.rice.edu/.