Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering (College of Agriculture)

Purdue University in West Lafayette

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. 

Graduates work in exciting careers in engineering consulting firms, federal, state, and local government agencies, industry including non-profit organizations, or pursue graduate study opportunities.

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: This major is the same major listed with the College of Engineering. Students must complete the First-Year Engineering requirements before entering the engineering school of their choice. Students interested in any engineering discipline may apply for entry via the College of Engineering First-Year Engineering (FYE) program, however, students planning to pursue an engineering major in Agricultural Engineering, Biological Engineering, or Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering are encouraged to apply through the College of Agriculture Pre-Agricultural and Biological Engineering (PABE) program. Students pursuing engineering degrees offered by the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) have the unique opportunity to benefit from the Department’s joint affiliation with the Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering. The mission of these student-oriented service programs is to advise, teach and retain outstanding students for Purdue's Engineering programs. 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. First-Year Engineering Programs provide 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.