Environmental Engineering Syllabus 2025: Check Semester-wise Subjects & Syllabus

The role of an environmental engineer is to find solutions for quality issues in air, water, and land, which may pose a threat to life. Applying science and engineering principles to polluted resources can help increase the quality of life.

The Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering course encompasses a broad range of subjects, including physical, chemical, and biological science, as well as civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering. When you pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering, you'll learn subjects ranging from microbiology to hydrology. The course is four years long, with two semesters taught per academic year.

Environmental Engineering Syllabus: Important Facts

Some important facts pertaining to Environmental Engineering can be seen below:

• BTech in Environmental Engineering is an eight-semester course: A BTech Degree in Environmental Engineering focuses more on the research and development aspect of the fields such as environmental particles, their reactions with air and plants, and provides knowledge of pollution and global warming.
• Scope in India: Environmental engineers have a diverse range of job opportunities. They can work with the central and state pollution control boards as these organisations work towards maintaining clean environments. Jobs at the state level often come with a monthly contractual salary.
• Environmental Engineering Syllabus in NITs: The National Institute of Technology has many branches in India and is the preferred institute for studying Environmental Engineering. NITs offer MTech in Environmental Engineering. The course covers the following topics:
  • Waste treatment systems
  • Environmental chemistry and microbiology
  • Environmental system design project
  • Solid and hazardous waste management
  • Environmental engineering design project
• Environmental Engineering Syllabus in IITs: The Indian Institute of Technology is the most reputed university in India for Environmental Engineering.  It offers many core courses in the field. Some of these are listed below:
  • Introduction to Environmental Science
  • Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal Systems Environmntal Quality and Pollution
  • Mass Transfer Inter-media transfer of pollutants
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Brief mention of the development of environmental standards
  • Air pollution control
  • Particles in Environment Formation
  • Solid-liquid transfers
• General examination pattern: Generally, students are evaluated based on assignments and lab performance. Students also have to sit for a mid-semester exam. However, the final assessment is based on short projects, lab assignments, etc.

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Environmental Engineering Syllabus: List of Subjects

The list of typical core subjects and typical elective subjects have been listed in the tables available below:

Typical core subjects for Environmental Engineering

Subject title	Details
Basic Environmental Engineering and Elementary Biology	The syllabus is a unification of environmental concepts, engineering, and sciences. Students understand the basic principles of environmental particles and develop new solutions, using engineering for the environment, industry, and other fields. It starts with ecology concepts such as the importance of the environment. It then talks about the spiralling rate of population and how human beings now require more land for living. However, this has led to large-scale deforestation, which will destroy the planet. Acid rain, greenhouse effect, smog, environmental pollution, and depletion of the ozone layer are some of the other topics discussed. Some parts of the syllabus are: Environmental pollution Large-scale deforestation Depletion of the ozone layer Acid rain Creation of greenhouse effect Smog
Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal Systems	Wastewater treatment systems comprise storage tanks, reaction vessels, and sludge tanks. These systems also include equipment such as mixers and watering machines, ph adjustment and polymer make-up units, and filter presses. Some parts of the syllabus are: Dimensions and units Water sources Water quantity, process description of conventional water treatment   Design of individual unit processes   Water treatment plant layout Sewage Concept
Particles in Environment Formation	The atmospheric particles affect the balance between shortwave and longwave radiation. The climate effects of greenhouse gases can be increased or decreased, depending on if the clouds cause warming (due to an amplified greenhouse effect) or cooling (due to an increased shortwave albedo). Humidity or dust cause an enhancement of IR opacity and, in turn, raise the adequate level of radiative cooling. Some parts of the syllabus are: Industrial processes Dust storms Natural PM Particles from power generators Sea spray
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management	Human activities produce large amounts of solid waste. Inadequate or inappropriate management of these byproducts can have serious public health consequences and harmful effects on the environment. Various categories of solid waste produce different kinds of negative impacts. Much of this subject is devoted to the functional aspects of solid waste management programmes, particularly storage, collection, and disposal of solid waste. Some parts of the syllabus are: Identification and clarification of hazardous waste     Storage and collection   Transfer and transport Physical and chemical treatment Biological treatment

Typical Elective Subjects for Environmental Engineering

Subject title	Details
Microbial Tech And Biotechnology	Microbial biotechnology uses non-human or non-plant microbes for purposes such as synthesis, cellulose production, bio-isolation, and knowledge. The field of microbial biotechnology also covers methods of manipulation and control such as gene knockout.

Environmental Engineering Syllabus in Detail

The syllabus for BTech in Environmental Engineering may vary from one university to the other, but the subjects are more or less the same. Here is a general overview of the core or elective subjects taught from the first to the eighth semester in the course:

Semester	Core/Elective	Subject title	Details
1 and 2	Introduction to Environmental Particles and Effects	Introduction to Environmental Particles and Effects	The size of the particles is very important when it comes to health. The smaller they are, the greater their potential to cause breathing issues or enter your blood or lungs. The smallest size can be 10 micrometres. Fine particulates (PM2.5) have been found to be the main cause of haze, or reduced visibility, in some parts of the US. The issue has been even more pronounced in wilderness areas and national parks. In most cases, plants and vegetation can also be affected by acid properties.
3	Environmental Chemistry & Microbiology	Environmental Chemistry & Microbiology	The objective of the course is to provide students with the basic knowledge of environmental chemistry and microbiology and allow them to use that for understanding and solving environmental problems. Some of the topics covered in Environmental Chemistry are a review of basic concepts, equilibria, equilibrium constants and activity, kinetics, and acidity versus alkalinity. Primary topics discussed in environmental microbiology are microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and other higher forms. There are several types of viruses as well. These microscopic organisms cause diseases in human beings. Fortunately, they can be controlled with proper measures. Microbes are not just pollutants, but also energy sources.
4	Water Resources Engineering	Water Resources Engineering	Hydraulics and water resource engineering are concerned with designing water systems. This includes designing bridges, dams, channels, canals, and levees.
4	Environmental  Hydraulics	Environmental Hydraulics	Environmental hydraulics is the scientific study of natural water flows and their related transport and transformation processes in environmental systems.
5	Solid and Hazardous Waste Management	Solid and Hazardous Waste Management	Hazardous waste can be taken care of by following biological, chemical, physical and thermal methods. Chemical methods include chemical reactions such as ion exchange, precipitation, and oxidation-reduction. Biological methods involve microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi. Physical methods treat the waste by grinding it into a powder or boiling it before releasing it into the environment (in-situ treatment). High-temperature incineration can detoxify particular organic wastes and burn off toxic combustion gases.
5	Geotechnical Engineering	Geotechnical Engineering	As an undergraduate student, one would study Rock Mechanics, Soil-Structure Interactions, Ground Improvement Techniques, Plastic Equilibrium in Soils, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Foundation Dynamics, and Risk and Reliability in Geotechnical Engines.
6	Wastewater Engineering	Wastewater Engineering	There are three types of sewage wastewater: industrial sewage, domestic sewage, and stormwater. Domestic sewage is also called a sanitary sewer. Industrial sewage is water used in manufacturing.
7	Advance  Water and Wastewater Treatment	Advance Water and Wastewater Treatment	There are a variety of technologies that are used for desalination, but the most important of these are reverse osmosis (RO), ion exchange (IX), electrodialysis (ED), and electrolysis.
8	Environmental Project	Environmental Project	Students work on real-world projects comprising environmental study, analysis of particles, the study of pollution levels, etc.

Environmental Engineering Syllabus for Distance Programme

Students who can’t afford full-time courses can get their degrees through distance education. Students who don’t meet the eligibility requirements for full-time courses can also opt for a distance/part-time programme. The syllabus of the distance education programme is similar to the regular one. The evaluation format (20% for internal assessment and 80% for the end semester examination) is also similar.

The top colleges for distance education are MIT Manipal, COEP Pune, BIT Mesra, Manav Bharti University, Sikkim Manipal University, Delhi University, and Vinayaka Mission University.

Specialisations offered in Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering is an umbrella term used for covering expansive topics such as air particles, geological aspects, engineering, waste management, and many more. The applications of this course spread far and wide to sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, pollution control, energy production and conservation, eco-conservation, vaccines, insecticides, development of sewage systems, and fertilisers.

Specialisation	Subjects	Details
Wastewater Management	Sludge Treatment    Physical Water Treatment Chemical Treatment Sewage System Analysis Water Channel Analysis Recycling Anaerobic Digestion	Students interested in Waste Water Management often choose this specialisation. You will study several water treatment procedures, analysis of water channels, and waste recycling.
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management	Ion Exchange Precipitation Oxidation-Reduction Toxicity Measurement	Specialisation in Solid and Hazardous Waste Management allows students to learn in detail about plant ion exchange, the definition of waste, and the mechanism of managing solid waste. Upon completion, students get involved in solid and hazardous waste management research.
Water Resources Engineering	Designing Bridges  Dams  Channels  Canal  Levees	The specialisation offers a deep insight into the relationships among various water resources.

Books and Authors Related to Environmental Engineering

As environmental engineering is a highly versatile field with many specialisations, students study from a wide range of books during their graduation or postgraduation. Some of the books are listed below

Subject	Book title and Author	Description
General Environmental Engineering	Environmental studies by Prof. R. Rajagopalan	Environmental Studies explains several environmental particles and their impact on human and plant lives.
WasteWater Treatment	Waste Water Treatment & Disposal by Metcalf & Eddy	The authors identify and explain the essential principles of wastewater management.
General Environmental Engineering	Environmental Engg. by Rowe Peavy	This acclaimed book for classical environmental engineering covers basic theoretical information and the study of trends through experiments and reasoning.
WasteWater Treatment	Waste Water Treatment by Rao & Dutta	The author breaks the confusing concepts of complex wastewater treatment procedures into easy-to-understand steps in this book.
WasteWater Treatment	Waste Water Engg. by B.C. Punmia and Ashok Jain	The authors help students strengthen their ability to calculate waste levels in a water body by providing many problems at the end of every chapter.

Entrance Exams for Environmental Engineering

Listed below are the central and state-level exams to secure admission in BTech Environmental Engineering courses at premier institutes in India. The minimum eligibility for these exams is passing the 10+2 examination with a good score. Individually, every exam has a different cutoff requirement for those scores.

• JEE Mains
• JEE Advanced
• GATE
• CUSAT CAT
• WBJEE
• OJEE
• IPU CET
• BHU UET

The difficulty level of JEE Mains and JEE Advanced exams ranges from moderate to high, with the rest being moderate. To score good marks in these examinations, you should study subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Almost all examinations are conducted in the Multiple Choice Question format.

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Following are the most popular Environmental Engineering Colleges in India. Learn more about these Environmental Engineering colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.

Following are the top exams for Environmental Engineering. Students interested in pursuing a career on Environmental Engineering, generally take these important exams.You can also download the exam guide to get more insights.

Following are the most popular Environmental Engineering courses, based on alumni reviews. Explore these reviews to choose the best course in Environmental Engineering.

Following are the most popular Environmental Engineering UG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these UG Courses by clicking the links below.

Following are the most popular Environmental Engineering PG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these PG Courses by clicking the links below.