Environmental Science and Engineering

Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) is an interdisciplinary program focused on understanding, predicting, and solving the wide range of environmental problems associated with human activities.

ESE undergraduate students receive a strong and broad education in mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, ecology, and modeling, in a way that uniquely prepares them for the interdisciplinary perspective needed to tackle environmental challenges. They take advanced classes in energy systems, climate science, hydrology, and environmental pollutants in the air, soil, and water. They gain hands-on experience through field, laboratory, computer modeling, and big data projects.

ESE PhD students lead research projects with ESE faculty and receive broad professional preparation for a successful research career. They join faculty research groups, where they work both independently and as part of teams, often involving postdoctoral fellows and mentoring undergraduates. They interact closely with the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences (EPS) and other areas of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS).

ESE faculty are leaders in their fields and work on a range of issues involving climate change, Earth system processes, multimedia transport and fate of pollutants, energy systems, and environmental technology. They work in the field, in the lab, and with computer models. The open structure of SEAS allows ESE students to easily interact with faculty in other areas for courses and research.