Environmental engineers are concerned with the environmental impact of engineering activities. They apply their broad knowledge of engineering and environmental processes in identifying environmental problems and in developing effective solutions to them. They also coordinate the activities of specialist groups such as biologists, ecologists and geologists within major projects. The discipline of environmental engineering embraces parts of civil engineering, with emphasis on management, systems design, water, geotechnical and transport engineering, together with aspects of chemical engineering, applied and biological sciences and environmental studies.

The School also offers the combined degrees
BE (Civil Eng)/BE (Env Eng)program 3631,
BE (Env Eng)/BA program 3626,
BE (Env Eng)/BSc program3735,
BE (Env Eng)/LLB (Law)program 4777,
and also the fast program BE/MEngScplan CVENH13625

The broad objective of the School's undergraduate programs is to develop well-educated graduates with the basic skills, attributes and knowledge required to practise as professional engineers. The desired skills are those that enable graduates to be problem solvers; critical thinkers; life long learners; good communicators; team players; independent investigators; effective managers; self-motivated; and economically, environmentally and socially aware.

It is intended that these attributes are developed in students at the same time that they gain knowledge in a broad range of disciplines. In addition, an objective of the programs is to provide the skills and knowledge in a social context. Integrating courses in each year of each program (the Engineering Practice courses) have been introduced to achieve this objective.

And ONE of:

And ONE of:

And ONE of:

General Education 6 UOC

Year 3

General Education 6 UOC

Year 4

Session 1

Students achieving a School weighted average mark exceeding 62 (calculated from all subjects in years 1 to 3 of the BE Program) are eligible to undertake an Honours thesis in Year 4 (CVEN4000 in S1 and CVEN4001 in S2).

Plus TWO of the following three electives:

Session 2

All students not undertaking the honours thesis are required to select two majors. Students undertaking the honours thesis are required to undertake one major plus at least 8 units of credit of electives taken from one other discipline area. To complete a major, all three 4 units of credit elective courses (listed for each discipline below) must be undertaken.

Plus ONE of the following two electives:

Geography Major

Any TWO of the following three courses:

The School offers a range of specialist plans in the Environmental Engineering program which are avilable to high achieving students. Basically students complete most of the requirements of the standard plan CVENBS3625 with specialist replacements for some courses in Years 2, 3 and especially Year 4 of the program. Students achieving a School weighted average mark of less than 65 (calculated from all courses in Years 1 to 3 of the BE program) are inelibible to continue in the plan and must transfer into and complete the standard Year 4 of the academic plan CVENB13625.

CVENPS3625 Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering Plan

Year 2

replace CVEN2722 with CVEN2732 Environmental/Geotechnical Engg Practice 2

Year 3

replace CVEN3438 with CVEN3225 Geotechnical Mapping and Logging

replace CVEN3723 with CVEN3733 Environmental/Geotechnical Engg Practice 3A

replace CVEN3724 with CVEN3734 Environmental/Geotechnical Engg Practice 3B

Year 4

replace CVEN4126 with CVEN4226 Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Models

CVEN4269, CVEN4279 and CVEN4289 are compulsory.

CVENQS3625 Environmental and Transport Engineering Plan

Year 2

same as CVENB13625

Year 3

replace CVEN3531 with CVEN3448 Transport Engineering

replace CVEN3723 with CVEN3743 Environmental/Transport Engg Practice 3A

replace CVEN3724 with CVEN3744 Environmental/Transport Engg Practice 3B

Year 4

replace CVEN4126 with CVEN4421 Transport Engineering 2

CVEN4439, CVEN4449 and CVEN4459 are compulsory

CVENRS3625 Environmental, Water and Waste Engineering Plan

Year 2

replace CVEN2722 with CVEN2752 Environmental/Water Engg Practice 2

Year 3

replace CEIC0050 with CVEN3528 Sustainable Catchment and Coastal Systems

replace CVEN3723 with CVEN3753 Environmental/Water Engg Practice 3A

repalce CVEN3724 with CVEN3754 Environmental/Water Engg Practice 3B

Year 4

replace CVEN4126 with CVEN4528 Surf, Water and Groundwater Environments

CVEN4539, CVEN4549 and CVEN4569 are compulsory

Students in this program must also satisfy the General Education requirements.
This is usually 12 UOC taken in second and third year studies.
For further information, please refer to "General Education" in the Table of Contents (see left-hand side of page).

The Faculty of Engineering is committed to providing the widest range of choice of general education electives for its students. It strongly encourages students to make the best use of this flexibility.

Honours is awarded to students who have achieved above average results and who undertake an Honours Thesis in their Final Year. A weighted average is calculated for each student. A different weighting factor for each year of the program is applied to the marks in each course by units of credit as follows:

General Rules for Progression

Progression in all undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Engineering is permitted by course. However:

1. Programs will continue to be stated and timetabled by year or stage and it cannot be guaranteed that non-standard programs can be completed in the minimum number of years. Students are not permitted to enrol in courses with clashing timetables.

2. Students must satisfy the relevant prerequisite and corequisite requirements. This will usually necessitate students completing or attempting all courses of a particular year or stage before proceeding to a course in the next part of a program. Further details are available from the School.

3. Only in exceptional circumstances will students be allowed to enrol in a program containing courses from more than two consecutive years of the program or totalling more than 27 units of credit. Students repeating courses will be expected to choose a program that includes previously failed courses and limits their Units of Credit. Details of these limits are available from School offices and may only be exceeded with the express permission of the Head of School. A failed elective may be replaced by another elective.

4. Notwithstanding the above, before students can enrol in any non-standard programs, such program must meet with the approval of the Head of School. A non-standard program is one which involves enrolment in courses from more than one year or stage, or comprises courses which are not normally included in the program for a particular year.

Bachelor of Engineering Program Rules

1.The Bachelor of Engineering is awarded following the completion of a minimum of 192 units of credit.

2. The specific requirements for the Bachelor of Engineering in the various disciplines are set out in the relevant sections in this Handbook.

3. The degree may be awarded with Honours, based upon the overall performance in the program and in accordance with Faculty and School policies. Honours are awarded in the following classes - Class 1, Class 2 Division 1, Class 2 Division 2.

4. The standard duration of the program is four years, or eight sessions, of full-time study each comprising 24 units of credit. Students may undertake the program over a longer period on the basis of part-time study.

5. Each student is required to complete a minimum of 60 days of approved experience in industry prior to graduation.

6. General Education electives may only be attempted after the student has attempted at least 24 units of credit.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following web-page:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Industrial experience is an integral part of the programs. This can be taken within Australia or overseas. Students must complete at least sixty days of approved industrial experience. Students are strongly recommended to gain as much industrial experience as possible during the session breaks throughout their period of study. Students who have had suitable experience in industry prior to commencement may qualify for exemption from the Year 4 Industrial Training course.

Both the BE in Civil Engineering and the BE in Environmental Engineering are fully accredited by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, meeting the examination requirements for admission to graduate and corporate membership of the Institution. Substantial or complete recognition is accorded to the BE programs by overseas engineering institutions.

Computing Requirements
Information regarding recommended computing equipment for the programs offered by the School is available from the School Office.