Environmental Science and Engineering
Major
The Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) major is intended to train students in the environmental sciences, to pursue careers in academia, the public sector, or the private sector. The major can be pursued along two tracks: environmental physics and environmental chemistry. These tracks have separate course requirements and emphases, but at their hearts provide fundamental training in core scientific disciplines, with specialization in applications to the environmental and climate sciences. The two tracks share a sophomore year that continues the Core Curriculum's training in mathematics and physics. Each track requires a laboratory component and training in data analysis and statistics. All ESE majors must take three broad-based classes providing introductions to atmospheric and oceanic physics as well as marine and terrestrial biogeochemistry.
Minor
The ESE minor is intended to supplement one of Caltech's undergraduate degrees. It is designed for students who wish to broaden their studies beyond their major to include environmental science and engineering.
ESE Coursework at a Glance
ChE/ESE/ME/MS 111. Sustainable Engineering. Examines the Earth's resources including fresh water, nitrogen, carbon and other biogeochemical cycles that impose planetary constraints on engineering; systems approaches to sustainable development goals; fossil fuel formation, chemical composition, production and use; engineering challenges and opportunities in decarbonizing energy, transportation and industry; global flows of critical elements used in zero-carbon energy systems; food-water-energy nexus; analysis of regional and local systems to model effects of human activities on air, water and soil.
