The Environmental Option within the Department of Mechanical Engineering focuses on topic areas including pollution detection, control, and prevention and environmental aspects of energy conversion. Potential applications of a degree that emphasizes both Environmental and Mechanical Engineering include designing detection equipment, devising clean-up strategies, and improving manufacturing processes.

The Environmental Option consists of the normal requirements for a BS in Mechanical Engineering, with all four Technical Electives (12 credits) focused on Environmental Engineering and completion of Organic Chemistry. Graduates of the BS in Mechanical Engineering - Environmental Option receive a notation on their transcript upon completing the program. Students can declare the Environmental Option by contacting their academic advisor. Courses not listed below may be reviewed and approved by the department.

As you consider which courses to take from the lists below, please note that many of the classes shown have prerequisites that you will need to complete prior to registration.

Required Math/Science Foundations (Organic Chemistry) - Choose 1

  • EVEN 4424: Organic Chemistry replaces PHYS 2130: Physics 3
  • CHEM 3311/3321: Organic Chemistry w/ Lab is also accepted
  • You must complete CHEN 1211/CHEM1221 in place of MCEN 1024 to meet prereqs

ME Technical Electives - Choose at least 2

For the Environmental Option, please choose two classes from the following list to reach 6 ME Technical Elective credits. 

  • MCEN 4032: Sustainable Energy
  • MCEN 4131: Air Pollution Control Engineering
  • MCEN 4135 Wind Energy and Wind Turbine Design
  • MCEN 4141: Indoor Air Pollution
  • MCEN 4152: Combustion
  • MCEN 4194: Energy Conversion & Storage
  • MCEN 4228: Air Quality Measurements
  • MCEN 4228: Cookstove Assessment
  • MCEN 4228: Energy Conversion and Storage
  • MCEN 4228: Environmental Modeling
  • MCEN 4228: Project-Based Learning (PBL) in Rural Schools
  • MCEN 4228: Thermo Lab
  • MCEN 4848: Independent Study w/ Environmental Focus

General Technical Electives - Choose at least 2

For the Environmental Option, please choose two classes from the following list to reach 6 General Technical Elective credits. 

  • Any ME Technical Elective that is approved for the Environmental Option from the list above (i.e. all four technical electives can be completed through MCEN)
  • ATOC 3500: Air Chemistry and Pollution
  • ATOC 4720: Introduction to Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
  • CVEN 3414: Introduction to Environmental Engineering - one of the most common prerequisites for the higher-level course options and can be taken at any point after General Chemistry 1 and Calculus 2.
  • CVEN 3424: Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • CVEN 4424: Environmental Organic Chemistry
  • CVEN 4474: Hazardous and Industrial Waste Management
  • CHEM 3331: Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEN 3220: Chemical Engineering Separations and Mass Transfer
  • EVEN 4404: Water Chemistry