Chemical Research Faculties
LETTERS Job prospects for engineering undergrads
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Dear Editor: The feature article on undergraduate environmental engineering programs ("A New Environment for Undergraduate Engineers," May 1997, p. 232A) did not develop an important point. Although it is true that a B.S. degree in environmental engineering does not produce a qualified environmental engineer, it is also true of all B.S. engineering degree programs. The absolute minimum educational requirement for discipline competency is a M.S. degree. If engineers were to follow the practice of other professions, we would require an earned doctorate merely to sit for the RE. exam. It is probably also true that there are too many environmental engineers graduating, but the journeyman practitioners in every engineering discipline make the same claim. We need B.S. programs for the same reason we need these programs in other engineering fields—so that we can operate modern graduate programs. At present, all environmental graduate programs admit students who lack adequate preparation to pursue advanced studies. Our M.S. programs are entirely remedial, consisting of undergraduate course work that should have been taken at the B.S. level. The lack of a true graduate education in environmental engineering is a major impediment to the development and adoption of new technologies. Our growing population and increasing pace of economic activity demand more efficient and cheaper pollution-abatement methods. Wide adoption of B.S. environmental engineering degree programs will allow us to develop true advanced degree programs that are urgently needed. ROBERT M. SYKES Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210
4 4 4 A • VOL. 31, NO. 10, 1997 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS
Dear Editor: Based on the experiences of our recent graduates, the job market for environmental engineers is sound. However, students need to prepare in advance to seek suitable employment, and they need to search widely. I believe that job opportunities expand significantly the further one looks from his hometown or university. I estimate that more than 50% of those students who report difficulty in finding employment have put some type of geographic constraint on their job search. The curriculum at the University of Florida provides students with an excellent background in science and engineering, and it meets all ABET criteria. Most, if not all, similar programs do the same thing. Many complaints about undergraduate environmental engineering programs come from others whose institutions do not offer such degrees. In addition to finding good employment in the engineering field upon receipt of a B.S. degree, our graduates also find acceptance in highly rated graduate programs and, for those so inclined, in top-rated law schools. Two corrections should be noted in the degree program listing for the University of Florida included with the article (p. 234A). Our department also grants a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, and our World Wide Web address is http://www.enveng. ufl.edu. JOSEPH J. DELFINO University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-6450
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