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BSENVE Engineering and Science Electives

BSENVE students are required to complete 13 credits of Engineering and Science Elective coursework.

Included in these 13 credits, students must include only one earth science course from the following list. This sub-requirement is listed on the BSENVE degree audit as "R1" located under the E&S Elective requirement:

  • ATMS 101 (5cr), ATM S 211 (5cr/SSc), ATM S 212 (5cr/SSc), ESRM 100 (5cr, SSc), ESRM 101 (5cr, SSc), ESRM 210 (5cr), ESS 101 (5cr, SSc) ESS 106 (3cr, SSc), ESS 201 (3cr), ESS 211 (5cr), ESS 212 (5cr), NUTR 200 (4cr), OCEAN 102 (5cr, SSc), or OCEAN 200 (3cr).

(Please note that most courses on the list above will only satisfy the science sub-requirement (R1) and not the remaining credits needed to complete the E&S Elective requirement. For details about which courses satisfy the E&S Elective requirement, see the summary/course list below)

Engineering and Science Electives are courses that require substantial college-level preparation on the part of the student. The intent is to require courses that provide in-depth learning in a particular subject as opposed to an introductory and/or survey course. All CEE technical elective courses meet this standard and can count towards requirements in this section. Beyond this, the department maintains a list of non-CEE courses that meet these standards. However, new courses are continually developed at UW, some of which may meet these requirements. Seminars generally do not meet these requirements. If a student identifies a course that they believe meets these requirements but is not on the departmental list, they may petition to have it count as an engineering and science elective and be included on the list. The following definitions are provided to help students identify such courses:

  • Engineering course: Offered by the College of Engineering or its departments.
  • Science course: Offered by a department, not in the College of Engineering, that addresses the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world. This excludes courses such as math, social sciences, business, anthropology, music, and others that do not meet the definition. 
  • Substantial college preparation: The course contains a recommended college-level background as indicated by prerequisites, minimum credit requirements to enroll, required academic progress (e.g., junior/senior standing) to enroll, required permission, or entry code to enroll). These courses are typically offered at the 300- and 400-level, although some 100 and 200-level courses meet this definition.

Courses that will satisfy the BSENVE Engineering & Science Electives requirement

Most CEE 3XX and CEE 4XX credits not used elsewhere will satisfy the E&S requirement. CEE 4XX Courses that will NOT satisfy E&S: Capstone Courses, CEE 440.

CEE 291: AutoCAD

Engineering Fundamentals courses not used elsewhere: ME 230, EE 215, ME 123, and MSE 170

Most 300 and 400 level courses from the following engineering departments: AA, CHEM E, CSE, IND E, ME, and MSE. To see if a specific course will satisfy E&S, please speak to your CEE adviser/submit a petition.

Independent Study Credits: You may use up to 3cr of CEE 499 Independent Study credits.

Student Organizations/Leadership Credits: Up to 3cr of ENGR 498 or other student org/leadership credits.

CC@E Internship Program Credits: Up to 4 credits of Engineering Internship Program (ENGR 321).

Study Abroad: CEE Study Abroad courses can count toward the BSENVE UD E&S Elective requirement.

Course approval by petition: If you are interested in having a course not listed below count toward the BSENVE Engineering & Science Elective requirement, you may complete a Graduation Petition to have the course evaluated by the Undergraduate Education Committee.

Courses from the approved list (listed below by most common first, then alphabetically by dept prefix).

Commonly used courses: CEE 291, EE 215, MSE 170

Non-CEE courses

COURSE TITLE CREDITS
ARCH 331 ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS 3
ARCH 431 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL PRINCIPLES 3
ATM S 211 CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE 5
ATM S 212 AIR POLLUTION: FROM URBAN SMOG TO OZONE HOLE 5
ATM S 301 INTRO ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES 5
ATM S 321 THE SCIENCE OF CLIMATE 3
ATM S 340 INTRO THERMODYNAMICS AND CLOUD PROCESSES 3
ATM S 358 FUND ATMOS CHEMISTRY (SSc) 3
ATM S 370 ATMOSPHERIC STRUCTURE & ANALYSIS 5
BIO 340 GENETICS AND MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 5
BIO 356 FOUNDATIONS IN ECOLOGY 3
BIO 471 PLANT ECOLOGY 3
BIO 476 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 5
BSE 420 BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING I 4
CEP 470 TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES 4
CHEM 223 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, SHORT PROGRAM 4
CHEM 224 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, SHORT PROGRAM 4
CHEM 237 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 4
CHEM 238 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 4
CHEM 239 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 4
CHEM 426 INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS 3
CHEM 428 BIOINSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS 3
ENGL 365 LITERATURE AND DISCOURSE ON THE ENVIRONMENT (A&H) 5
ENV H 405 TOXIC CHEM AND HUMAN HEALTH 0-3
ENV H 440 WATER, WASTEWATER, AND HEALTH 3
ENV H 445 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 3
ENV H 448 COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION 3
ENV H 453 INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 3
ENV H 472

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK & SOCIETY (SSc)

3
ESRM 210 INTRODUCTORY SOILS 5
ESRM 300 PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY (SSc) 2
ESRM 311 SOILS AND LAND USE 3
ESRM 315 NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES: OLD-GROWTH AND FOREST 5
ESRM 325 ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS OF PLANTS: BIOENERGY AND BIOREMEDIATION 3
ESRM 326 INTRODUCTION TO RESTORATION ECOLOGY 5
ESRM 371 ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY (SSc) 5
ESRM 401 SPRING COMES TO THE CASCADES 3
ESRM 426 WILDLAND HYDROLOGY 4
ESRM 430 REMOTE SENSING OF THE ENVIRONMENT 5
ESRM 441 LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 5
ESS 201 EARTH'S CLIMATE SYSTEM 3
ESS 210 PHYSICAL GEOLOGY 5
ESS 211 PHYSICAL PROCESSES OF THE EARTH 5
ESS 212 EARTH MATERIALS AND PROCESSES 5
ESS 213 EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH 5
ESS 431 PRINCIPLES OF GLACIOLOGY 4
FISH 330 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS 5
FISH 323 CONSERVATION & MGMT OF AQUATIC RESOURCES 5
FISH 324 AQUATIC ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY & REPRODUCTION 3/5
FISH 428 STREAM & WATERSHED RESTORATION 5
FISH 447 RIVER ECOLOGY & WATERSHED MANGEMENT 3
FISH 455 FISH AND WILDLIFE TOXICOLOGY 3-5
FISH 490 AQUATIC MICROBIOLOGY 3-5
GEOG 230 GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL INEQUALITY 5
GEOG 277 GEOGRAPHY OF CITIES (SSc, Div) 5
GEOG 301 CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY (SSc) 5
GEOG 360 PRINCIPLES OF GIS MAPPING (SSc) 5
GEOG 370 PROBLEMS IN RESOURCE MGMT 5
GEOG 435 INDUSTRIALIZATION & URBANIZATION IN CHINA 5
GEOG 461 URBAN GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYS 5
GEOG 471 METHODS OF RESOURCE ANALYSIS 5
HCDE 333 ADV TECHNICAL WRITING AND ORAL PRESENTATION 4
JSIS B 350 ENVIRONMENTAL NORMS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS 5
JSIS B 433 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN THE TROPICS 5
L ARCH 331 LANDSCAPE GRADING & DRAINAGE 4
L ARCH 341 SITE DESIGN & PLANNING 3
L ARCH 363 ECOLOGICAL DESIGN AND PLANNING 3
L ARCH 433 DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION 3
MICROM 301 GEN MICROBIOLOGY 3
MICROM 302 GEN MICROBIOLOGY, LAB 2
OCEAN 200/201 INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY / LAB 3/2
OCEAN 400 CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 4
OCEAN 409 MARINE POLLUTION (SSc) 3
OCEAN 410 MARINE GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS 4
OCEAN 420 PHYSICAL PROCESSES IN THE OCEAN 4
OCEAN 421 SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 3
OCEAN 450 CLIMATIC EXTREMES 4
PHYS 224 THERMAL PHYSICS 3
PHYS 225 INTRO QUANTUM MECHANICS 3
PHYS 227 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS 4
PHYS 228 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS 4
Q SCI 454 ECOLOGICAL MODELING 5
URBDP 405 THE URBAN FORM 3
URBDP 457 HOUSING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 3
URBDP 466 INFRASTRUCTURE & COMMUNITY FACILITIES 4