More Students Study Ties Between Civil and Environmental Engineering

November 5, 2012 - Over the past several years, Environmental engineering has started to play a bigger role in Civil engineering programs at universities across the U.S. as schools increasingly recognize the interdependence of the two disciplines.

MIT has been at the forefront of this. Its Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) added environmental engineering to its civil engineering program 20 years ago, the MIT News reports. Since then, other civil engineering schools have followed suit.

It seems logical: When you build something, whether it’s a building or a new material, it’s going to impact the environment. MIT News cites, for instance, how water supply and sewage systems, strong components of civil engineering, involve a close understanding of the links between manmade structures and their ecosystems.

MIT’s approach to civil and environmental engineering is well integrated. The program requires students to spend a year in an intensive course that helps them understand the close relationship between the civil and environmental sides of the field. The goal is for civil engineers to understand the environment and environmental engineers to understand the structures that impact their surroundings.

Students reportedly say that it gives them more motivation to tackle real-world problems. =

To read the full article, visit MIT news   

Carnow Conibear and Associates is a demonstrated leader in the occupational and environmental health professions since 1975. To find out more, click here or call us at (800) 860-4486.