B.S.

Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering is a four-year curriculum that resembles the chemical

engineering curriculum in its first two years, with fundamental engineering courses
in mechanics, thermodynamics, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. In the third
and fourth year, the programs diverge: an environmental engineering sequence is
offered, as well as further specialization in fluid mechanics, and a wide choice of
technical electives, both from within MAE and other departments.

MISSION STATEMENT: The environmental engineering major focuses on

conveying an understanding and awareness of the fundamental processes
associated with human industrial activity that have environmental implications, and
on equipping the next generation of engineers with the tools to develop
technologies that enable sustainable economic growth. The following educational
objectives have been established for the environmental engineering program:

1. to provide a sound introduction to the basic sciences that underlie the disciplines
of environmental engineering

2. to provide a thorough training in methods of analysis, including problem

formulation and the mathematical and computational skills required by
environmental engineers

3. to teach students the experimental and data analysis techniques required for
engineering applications

4. to teach the fundamentals of the design process, including project management,

the synthesis of information from different disciplinary areas, and innovation and
creative problem solving in an engineering setting

5. to prepare students in the skills required for successful participation on teams

and in leadership positions, including effective written and oral communication

6. to instill in our students an understanding of their professional and ethical

responsibilities

7. to provide students with the opportunity to gain a range of experiences through

classroom and extramural activities on campus and through partnerships and
internships with industry, with primary and secondary schools, and with other
organizations

MAE 03. Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design (4)

Introduction to design process through a hands-on design project performed in teams. Topics
include problem identification, concept generation, project management, risk reduction.
Engineering graphics and communication skills are introduced in the areas of: Computer-Aided
Design (CAD), hand sketching, and technical communication.
MAE 09. C/C++ Programming (4)
C/C++ computer programming under the UNIX environment with applications to numerical
problems fundamental to computational mechanics. Arithmetic operations, branches, arrays, data
structures, and use of pointers are introduced. Programming ethics are discussed. Priority
enrollment given to pre-engineering and engineering majors.
MAE 101A. Introductory Fluid Mechanics (4)
Fluid statics; fluid kinematics; integral and differential forms of the conservation laws for mass,
momentum and energy; Bernoulli equation; potential flows; dimensial analysis and similitude.
MAE 101B. Advanced Fluid Mechanics (4)
Laminar and turbulent flow. Pipe flow including friction factor. Boundary layers, separation,
drag, and lift. Compressible flow including shock waves. Professional ethics will be discussed.
MAE 101C. Heat Transfer (4)
Extension of fluid mechanics in MAE 101A-B to viscous, heat-conducting flows. Application of
the energy conservation equation to heat transfer in ducts and external boundary layers. Heat
conduction and radiation transfer. Heat transfer coefficients in forced and free convection.
ESYS 101. Environmental Biology (4)
This course surveys biochemical and physiological processes governing the relationship between
organisms and their environments, such as those involved in element cycling and cellular
homeostasis. The course introduces biological perspectives on human activities ranging from
antibiotic use to genetic engineering.
ESYS 102. The Solid and Fluid Earth (4)
Earth’s dynamic physical systems interact in complex ways with profound impact on our
environment. Processes such as volcanism and weathering enable geochemical exchange
between solid and fluid (ocean and atmosphere) systems. Sea-level and climate changes interface
with tectonic processes.
ESYS 103/MAE 124. Environmental Challenges: Science and Solutions (4)
This course explores the impacts of human, social, economic, and industrial activity on the
environment. It highlights the central roles in ensuring sustainable development played by
market forces, technological innovation, and government regulation on local, national, and
global scales.

CENG 100. Process Modeling and Computation in Chemical Engineering (4)

Introduction to elementary numerical methods with applications to chemical engineering
problems using a variety of problem solving strategies. Error analysis. Concepts of mathematical
modeling, material and energy balances, and probability and statistics with applications to design
problems.
MAE 105. Introduction to Mathematical Physics (4)
Fourier series, Sturm Liouville theory, elementary partial differential equations, integral
transforms with applications to problems in vibration, wave motion, and heat conduction.
MAE 107. Computational Methods in Engineering (4)
Introduction to scientific computing and algorithms; iterative methods, systems of linear
equations with applications; nonlinear algebraic equations; function interpolation and
differentiation and optimal procedures; data fitting and least-squares; numerical solution of
ordinary differential equations.
MAE 108 - Probability and Statistical Methods for Engineers

No course description.

MAE 110A. Thermodynamics (4)

Fundamentals of engineering thermodynamics: energy, work, heat, properties of pure substances,
first and second laws for closed systems and control volumes, gas mixtures. Application to
engineering systems, power and refrigeration cycles, combustion.
MAE 118B. Twenty-First Century Energy Technologies I (4)
A survey of projected energy demands and resources. Climate change physics and impacts on
energy systems. Basic physics of photovoltaics, fuel cells, wind power, and other renewable and
developing energy technologies. An exploration of the “Hydrogen Economy.”
MAE 125A. Flow and Transport in the Environment (4)
Study of river flow and hydraulic control; surface waves; applications to reservoirs and estuaries.
Introduction to stratification and buoyancy; applications to atmospheric surface layer and the
ocean mixed layer. Ideas behind turbulent dispersion. Turbulent and scaling laws. Gravity
currents and katabatic flows.
MAE 125B. Fluid-Solid Interactions in Environment Engineering (4)
Introduction to groundwater flow. Pollution transport through the water table. Chemical
processes in ozone hole. Fundamentals of flow. Darcy flow. Diffusion and dispersion. Gravity
currents and plumes in porous media. Mushy layers. Chemistry of fluid-solid interactions.
Fundamentals of adsorption and surface reactions
MAE 126A. Environmental Engineering Laboratory I (4)
Design and analysis of experiments in environmental engineering. Experiments in wind tunnel,
water tunnel, and other equipment. Use of instrumentation. Laboratory report writing; error
analysis; engineering ethics.
MAE 126B. Environmental Engineering Laboratory II (4)
Design and analysis of original studies in environmental engineering. Students work on
environmental projects and use computational and laboratory facilities. Students propose and
design studies, collect and analyze data, and prepare a major report.
MAE 170. Experimental Techniques (4)
Principles and practice of measurement and control and the design and conduct of experiments.
Technical report writing. Lectures relate to dimensional analysis, error analysis, signal-to-noise
problems, filtering, data acquisition and data reduction, as well as background of experiments
and statistical analysis. Experiments relate to the use of electronic devices and sensors.
TECHNICAL ELECTIVES I'M THINKING ABOUT

MAE 180A. Spacecraft Guidance I (4)

Astrodynamics, orbital motion, perturbations, coordinate systems and frames of reference.
Geosynchronous orbits, stationkeeping. Orbital maneuvers, fuel consumption, guidance systems.
Observation instrument point, tracking, control. Basic rocket dynamics. Navigation, telemetry,
re-entry, and aero-assisted maneuvers. Mission design. Students perform analyses based on
mission requirements.
MAE 181. Space Mission Analysis and Design (4)
Space mission concepts, architectures, and analysis. Mission geometry. Astrodynamics. Orbit
and constellation design. Space environment. Payload and spacecraft design and sizing. Power
sources and distribution. Thermal management. Structural design. Guidance and navigation.
Space propulsion. Orbital debris and survivability. Cost modeling and risk analysis
MAE 221A. Heat Transfer (4)
(Cross-listed with CENG 221A.) Conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer.
Development of energy conservation equations. Analytical and numerical solutions to transport
problems. Specific topics and applications vary.
MAE 254. Energy Materials and Applications (4)
(Cross-listed with MATS 256.) This class will cover the fundamentals/engineering aspects of
various energy materials based on metallic, ceramic, semiconductor, and chemical structures,
and their applications related to solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, fusion energy, and hydrogen
storage will be discussed.
CENG 251. Thermodynamics (4)
Principles of thermodynamics of single and multi-component systems. Phase equilibria.
Estimation, calculation, and correlation of properties of liquids and gases.
ECE 120. Solar System Physics (4)
General introduction to planetary bodies, the overall structure of the solar system, and space
plasma physics. Course emphasis will be on the solar atmosphere, how the solar wind is
produced, and its interaction with both magnetized and unmagnetized planets (and comets).