FAQ | eesa-ubc

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Environmental Engineering?

Are you real Engineers?

Yes! Environmental Engineering is a real engineering field, we receive iron rings upon graduation the same way other engineering disciplines do.

Environmental Engineering addresses the presenting and solution of problems resulting from the effects of human interaction with the environment. It concerns the investigation, planning, design, construction and management of human activities to protect public health and the environment and to interact sustainably with the earth’s natural resource systems and carrying capacity.

Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve air, land, water and living systems for a healthy environment. Environmental engineers help control and decrease adverse environmental impacts by applying beneficial engineering practices. They also investigate the possibilities for remediation of polluted sites. Environmental Engineering is closely tied to both chemical and civil engineering, but with a much stronger focus on natural systems.

Do I really have to go to Prince George?

The short answer to this question is yes.

The long answer is that you can choose to do your first year of engineering at UBC rather than UNBC in Prince George, but you must do your second year and final semester at UNBC. Most students choose to do both their first and second years at UNBC.

Don't think of this as a downside though! Prince George is a fun city, and UNBC is an award winning university with a beautiful campus and vibrant community environment.

Known as B.C.’s northern capital, Prince George is an urban centre located at the confluence of two major rivers, the Fraser and the Nechako, and at the junction of two of B.C.’s major highways: 16 & 97. Ten minutes in any direction brings you into contact with the great outdoors. See below for the activities you can do in Prince George.

What is there to do in Prince George and at UNBC?

Prince George is a wonderful city to live in, particularly if you enjoy outdoor activities and snow. Even if the outdoors isn't really up your alley, there are a wide range of clubs and groups to join at UNBC or within the city.

UNBC has the title of "Canada's Green University", and it really works hard to maintain that reputation with many sustainability initiatives on campus.

At UNBC, there is a beautiful sports centre with indoor soccer fields, squash courts, three gyms, a running track, and all the workout equipment your heart could desire. The best part is that as a student you have access to these facilities for free!

UNBC also has a wide range of clubs from underwater hockey to acapella and a whole lot in between.

Located directly behind the universty is Forests for the World, a demonstration forest with hiking trails and Shane Lake, a great place for a fire with friends.

In the Prince George area, you can keep yourself busy cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, rock climbing, skating, toboganning, or enjoying the city's numerous trails. Prince George has 1600 lakes and rivers, four ski hills and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking and cross-country trails within a day of town. Prince George has a roller derby team, a great farmers market, the Spruce Kings BC hockey league team, and a pretty good selection of musical acts rolling through the city.

Take a look at the extensive list of activities, clubs, programs, and facilities for keeping yourself entertained in Prince George.

Why is the program 4.5 years?

Part of the reason this program is 4.5 years is the unque way in which it is jointly hosted by two different universities. This doesn't mean that the course load is light though, expect 5 to 6 courses and a few labs every semester. However, the main reason the program is 4.5 years is because of the large variety of courses that ENVE students take. The environmental engineering discipline ranges from environmental sciences though civil engineering, chemical engineering, and mining engineering, and so ENVE students need to be versed in a wide variety of areas.

What types of work can you do after graduating with an Environmental Engineering degree?

Due to their technical expertise, hands-on problem solving skills and keen understanding of environmental issues, environmental engineers are in high-demand—especially in resource industries such as forestry, mining, pulp and paper, chemical process, fisheries, agri-food, and oil and gas. Environmental engineers are essential to the new “environmental economy,” which includes environmental reclamation, remediation and restoration. Environmental engineers perform a variety of roles ranging from field work to management, with various government departments and research organizations and environmental consulting companies.

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What are some companies ENVE graduates are currently working for?

A few companies ENVE graduates are working at or have worked at include: Northwest Hydraulics, SNC Lavalin, Golder Associates, Teck Resources Ltd, Opus DaytonKnight, McElhanney, Urban Systems, Kerr Wood Leidal, and SLR Consulting.

These companies have also had job opportunities for ENVE students in the past.

07

What's the difference between this program and the Civil Engineering Environmental option at UBC?

The Civil Engineering department at UBC offers an environmental engineering option, so what is the difference between the environmental option and the full environmental engineering program?

In the UNBC/UBC Environmental Engineering program, students study environmental science and its applications to engineering from the beginning of their degree, and have a strong chemistry background due to the chemical and biological engineering courses they take.

The Civil-Environmental option does not deviate from the regular civil engineering timetable until third year. This means that the first two years of the program are focused around civil engineering and not environmental science. Once in third year, Civil-Environmental students have a specialized timetable with several environmental courses replacing core civil courses.

Although several of the upper year courses are the same for ENVE students and Civil-Environmental students, environmental engineering students have a much broader knowledge base in the different areas of Environmental Engineering. Civil-Environmental students focus on the water environment field, but do not study areas such as air pollution, weather and climate, heat and mass transfer, or green engineering principles, unless these courses are chosen as electives.

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How many people are in the program?

The Environmental Engineering program is quite small, with roughly 20 to 30 students enrolled each year. Due to the transfer from second year to third year, there are usually only sixty or so Environmental Engineering students at each school. This creates a tight knit and friendly community within the program. See the UBC ENVE enrollment over the years here.

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Can you do co-op in Environmental Engineering?

Yes, Environmental Engineering students can choose to enroll in co-operative education. However, ENVE students cannot start working co-op terms until after their third year of study. If a student chooses to do co-op, the degree will take them a total of 5.5 years.

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What type of classes do ENVE's take?

In the first two years of the program, students recieve a core background in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and environmental science. Some of the classes taken at UNBC include:

Groundwater Hydrology
Organic Chemistry
Single and Multivariable Calculus
Linear Algebra
Introductory Computer Programming
Ecology
Material and Energy Balances
Atmospheric Science
Geomorphology
Fluid Mechanics.

See the full list of courses at UNBC here.

At UBC in the third and fourth years of the program, students recieve education and training in engineering fundamentals, engineering analysis and engineering design, largely through courses in Civil Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC. This is also when students have choices in technical electives to better tailor their degree to their particular interests. Some of the courses taken at UBC include:

Water Pollution Control
Soil Mechanics
Green Engineering Principles and Applications
Air Pollution Prevention and Control
Hydrology and Open Channel Flow
Groundwater Contamination
Mining and the Environment
Thermodynamics
Heat and Mass Transfer
Geoenvironmental Engineering
Environmental Hydraulics

This is not an exhaustive list of courses but rather a selection to demonstrate the breadth of study.

In the final semester, the main area of focus is the final design project, but students also take Environmental Law and electives during this time.

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Can I transfer into this program if I'm in first year engineering at UBC?

Absolutely!

Transferring into the Environmental Engineering program after first year is relatively straightforward and quite a few students choose to do this. To choose Environmental Engineering after doing your first year of Engineering at UBC, you need to select Environmental Engineering as your second year placement, and then immediately contact the Environmental Engineering program secretary at info@enve.ubc.ca.

In your second year, you will transfer to UNBC and your course schedule will be slightly different than the regular second year timetable, but you will be on the same timeline for graduation as everyone else.

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What are the admission requirements?

Admission requirements for first year engineering at UBC and UNBC are different!

UBC engineering admission requirements.

UNBC engineering admision requirements.

Admission to the Environmental Engineering program is limited and is based on academic qualifications and available space. In general, the average required to be accepted to UNBC engineering is lower than that of UBC engineering.