Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering (College of Agriculture)

Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering prepares you to understand environmental and economic sustainability challenges.

You'll learn about ecosystem processes (the water cycle, nutrient transformation processes and biological systems), how human activities such as agriculture affect these complex systems, and how to design sustainable solutions. You will also gain the background in chemistry and biology necessary to understand the influences of contaminants on the environment. Basic engineering principles, as well as some of the newest technological approaches including geographical information systems, finite element analysis, sensor design, hydrologic modeling, and soil and water remediation are applied to solve challenges related to soil and plant environments, surface and ground water quality, air quality, animal environments, and food safety. 

Applying

Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering is a major within the Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) Department. Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering is a degree granted in the College of Engineering, and there are multiple entry paths for students who are interested in ABE majors.

First-time college students may apply to Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering in the College of Agriculture (where they would begin in the pre-ABE program) or they may select First-Year Engineering in the College of Engineering (where they would begin in the First-Year Engineering program). The first-year curriculum is the same for each path.

Transfer students who have fulfilled the first-year requirements of this engineering program may apply directly to Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering in the College of Agriculture.   

Note: The First-Year Engineering Program is the entry point for all beginning engineering students. They must complete the First-Year Engineering requirements before entering the engineering school of their choice. The mission of this student-oriented service program is to advise, teach and retain outstanding students for Purdue's College of Engineering. This core curriculum includes courses in math, chemistry, physics, computer programming, and communication skills, as well as introductory engineering coursework taught in the new Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Learning Laboratory. The First-Year Engineering Program provides students with a firm foundation and initial understanding of engineering and career options to assist them in identifying which of Purdue's engineering disciplines is the right fit. Our professional academic advisors, faculty and student advisors are dedicated to assisting beginning engineers with the first-year experience.