1. INTRODUCTION

a) Reasons for initiating the course

The last two to three decades have confirmed a growing understanding that no part of our world is immune from environmental consequences of human activities. There is a pressing need for international cooperation and solidarity to preserve our forests, safekeeping our water and oceans, and stabilize the Earth's atmosphere. The strong interest in protecting the environment has placed new responsibilities especially for the engineers. This asks, besides other objectives, for sound environmental education and training everywhere. The need for advanced and continuing education and special training for engineers is acute.

The history of engineering activities includes many developments, also in Croatia (e.g. Kaštela bay), which have resulted in the degradation of the environment. The engineering of the future, now more than ever has the potential to have absolutely enormous environmental impacts. There is now, therefore a need for engineers to manage intelligently both the natural resources used in development and the residuals generated from this development. The goal of engineering education should be to produce engineers who are both technically competent and environmentally conscious.

Environmental engineering is concerned with protecting human, animal, and plant populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors, including toxic chemicals and wastes, pathogenic bacteria and global effects such as warming, ozone layer depletion, and weather-pattern change.

Environmental engineering strives to use environmental understanding and advancements in technology to serve mankind by decreasing production of environmental hazards and the effects of those hazards already present in the soil, water, and air.

Environmental engineering deals with design and construction of the processes and equipment intended to lessen the impact of man's activities on the environment.

As difficult environmental problems shift from "end-of-pipe" solutions to a focus on pollution prevention and waste minimization, engineers with process and unit operations background will become increasingly important. The Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology offers an integrated course of study leading to the M.S and Ph.D. degree with emphasis on "environmentally-friendly" engineering and the application of chemical engineering principles to environmental problems.

b) Past experiences of the lecturers in performing equivalent or similar programs

Environmental policy educates students to use technological knowledge to work toward environmental improvement. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of these fields, studies in the first two years are highly dependent on traditional courses in the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology at the University of Zagreb. During the last three years most courses are specific to environmental fields.

The proposer of the undergraduate and graduate course Environmental engineering is ideological beginner, originator and the head of doctoral and specialist interdisciplinary course Environmental engineering at University of Zagreb. University of Zagreb gives the charge of organization and execution of this course to Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology.

c) Possible partners outside the university-education system that could be interested in its initiating

Environmental engineers are involved in a wide range of activities including the development of renewable energy sources, the design of equipment for waste collection and disposal, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, air pollution control system and hazardous waste management. Therefore the list of the possible partners outside the university-education system that could be interested in its initiating is rather long

d) Possibility for the students' transfer

The course is specially conceived with the emphasis on possible transfer of the students from the related areas. Complete mobility of the students within other courses at Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology is supposed, and the possible continuation of the Masters' studies at one of the related natural scientific or engineering courses within the University is expected. We suppose the possibility of the transfer towards the Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Applied Chemistry, Biotechnology, i.e. at other related faculties at the University.

2. GENERAL

2.1. Name of the course:

Environmental engineering

2.2. Institution of higher education in charge:

Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology

2.3. Duration of the course:

Bachelor's course: 3 years (180 ECTS credits)
Master's course: 2 years (120 ECTS credits)

2.4. Registration conditions for the course:

Entrance examination or A-level examination. The course study in "Environmental Engineering" comprises two programs: the Bachelor Program and the Master Program, respectively, which will be described separately as follows:

The Bachelor program Environmental Engineering
The Bachelor program comprises six (6) semesters. It is organized in modules. Each module is made of both mandatory and optional classes. Thus a maximum of flexibility can be guaranteed in order to allow the partner universities to implement a comparable course program. Mandatory classes will be offered every years of study. Within each semester an average of 20 hpw respectively 30 credits points must be taken by the student (120 hpw respectively 180 credit points in total). The modules 1-4 provide mostly basic knowledge in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, engineering science and integrative managements approach. Modules 5 comprise adapted technology.

Module 1: Natural sciences
In the mandatory parts of module an introduction into natural sciences such as physics, chemistry and biology is provided. In optional part, further basic and applied aspects are presented with particular emphasis on additional knowledge in ecology and ecotoxicology.

Module 2: Mathematics and computer sciences
The mandatory part of the module provide and introduction into mathematics, and computer sciences. Further aspects of mathematics, statistics and computer sciences applied to environmental problems can be associated in the optional classes here.

Module 3. Engineering sciences
The aim of the mandatory part of module is to provide an introductory overview on those branches of engineering sciences, which are necessary for a successful participation in the advanced studies focusing on the development of sustainable and clear technologies. Optional classes complete the introductory lectures.

Module 4. Resource Management of Raw Materials and Energy
Within the module, management of both resources and energy will be treated. Economic viability, balances of resources, environmental relevance, and perspective use are the main aspects. The optional part comprises introductory courses in the field of law, economics and business administration.

Module 5. Environmental Technology
The mandatory part of the module provides the development of the engineering science with special respect to the future job. In the optional part of the module special technologies can be studied in more detail.


The objectives of undergraduate engineering program is to offer an education that will give graduates the flexibility to adjust to future changes in technology, develop a sense of professionalism, and provide a framework for concentrated study in a professional area. To implement these objectives, the Faculty provides a firm grounding in basic science, along with broad-based engineering sciences and professional engineering subjects. The Bachelor degree requires a minimum of 180 credits of academic work. The Master degree requires a minimum of 120 credits of academic work.

Course offerings in Environmental Engineering emphasize basic engineering and scientific principles, system design and applications of environmental engineering operations and processes.

2.6. The Master programs

The Master Program of the course "Environmental Engineering" comprises four (4) semesters. The program can be studied after having completed the Bachelor degree in "Environmental Engineering" or an equivalent Bachelor degree. The Program is organized in modular entities and comprises three (3) modules. Each student is allowed to compile his own curriculum. All classes except the Environmental Engineering Laboratory and Environmental Project are offered optionally. The Engineering Laboratory and Project are interdisciplinary and problem oriented classes. On average 20 hpw respectively 30 credits have to be studied in each semester. The total 80 hpw respectively 120 credits are needed. An advisory system will be implemented to guide the students.

Module a: Scientific aspects
The module corresponds to module 1 and 2. The main emphasis is to the development of natural Eco-system. The problems of protective strategies with special references to the water, air and soil resources are dealt with more detail.

Module b: Technological aspects
This module is focussed on providing knowledge on technologies for the reduction and compensation of impacts on the environment caused by human activities such as industrial production and intensive urbanization.

Module c: Study project
The main scope of the study project is the development of problem-solving skills by means of information gathering, social interaction within team and communication of the results.

Master thesis
The Semester X is reserved for writing the Master thesis and completed the number of credits required.
Environmental engineers try to improve the quality of the world around us so that we can all live more healthy lives. This field builds on other branches of engineering, especially civil, chemical, and mechanical engineering. It also builds on information from many of the sciences, such as chemistry, physics, and several specializations of biology (ecology, microbiology, and biochemistry). Students who elect to become environmental engineers will become familiar with many of these areas because maintaining and improving the environment requires that problems be evaluated and solutions found using a multidisciplinary approach.

2.7. Structure of the Bachelor's and Master's courses (3+2 years)

The course of the Environmental Engineering should have the structure 3 + 2 in which the boundary of the finished Bachelor's program and the criteria of Master's program entrance should be removed.

It means that all the students of the Bachelor's course should finish the study with final work and the student of the Master´s course should finish the study with diploma work.

2.8. Professional or academic title

Bachelor's course: Bachelor in Environmental Engineering
Master's course: Master in Environmental Engineering