University of Waterloo
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Contact the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering at Waterloo
About Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineers have classically been charged with treating the water we drink and cleaning up or preventing pollution of our air, water, and soil. The field now additionally addresses how to secure a sustainable future through the application of science and technology. For such a challenging career, strengths in mathematics and physics are always a must, as in any engineering profession, but interest in biology, chemistry, geology, geography and exploration are equally important.
While similar to many other disciplines studying the earth (such as biology, geology, geography, ecology) through field exploration, laboratory and computer modelling investigations, environmental engineers also benefit from the quantitative methods of mathematics and physics to further advance their understanding. Unlike other disciplines in the natural sciences, environmental engineers use their knowledge to design and implement solutions that can be undertaken to remediate and restore the environment. Simply put, if you want to fix many of the world's environmental problems, environmental engineering is the profession to get it done!
Even in tough economic times, the demand for environmental engineers remains high. For a broader picture of the employment opportunities, visit the Environmental Careers Organization website and Co-ops and Careers.