Ecological Engineering Concentration

The need for an ecological engineering concentration stems from several pressing global challenges, including environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Recognizing this need, national and international organizations have recently implemented ecological engineering-focused initiatives, including the Engineering With Nature Initiative by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and nature-based solutions initiatives by the World Resources Institute.

Our department created an Ecological Engineering (EcoE) concentration to meet the growing demand for engineering graduates with a firm foundation in ecological design principles. Faculty in our department have been active in the American Ecological Engineering Society (AEES) since its inception in the late 1990s to provide a venue for integrating ecological principles in engineering design. At Virginia Tech, we hosted the annual AEES national conference in 2008 and 2024. We have faculty members who are past Presidents and Fellows of the AEES, and a faculty member who serves as a board member of the International Ecological Engineering Society.  

The engineering foundational courses during freshman year introduce students to engineering problem-solving and design. Beginning in the sophomore year, students will apply this collective knowledge to the ecological engineering discipline, taking a series of courses providing the ability to quantify energy, mass, and water movement throughout living landscapes, from forests and farms to urban areas. Students learn marketable internship skills (GIS, AutoCAD) early in the program and are provided a common Virginia Tech experience in discourse, reasoning, critical thinking, and analysis. Required courses include ecology, soils, green engineering, and environmental life-cycle assessment. Selected electives complement the program, with choices from ecological restoration to field data-collection methods. The concentration provides hands-on learning experiences integrating our unique outdoor classroom – Virginia Tech’s StREAM Lab. The program culminates in a year-long Capstone Design Experience of real-world design problems with an industry partner.

It’s easy to remove the Ecological Engineering (EcoE) concentration and continue to pursue the Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) degree without a concentration. All of the courses you have taken count toward the BSE degree. 

Our career advisor works with every student to provide guidance, navigate changes, and incorporate experiences outside the classroom. Every year, we have students who participate in experiences from studying abroad to semester or year-long job training. 

The Ecological Engineering (EcoE) concentration is a curricular focus and specialty within the Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) degree. Both choices provide skills and training to solve pressing societal, ecological, and environmental challenges. EcoE focuses on using a holistic, systems approach to sustainable design. Required courses in the EcoE concentration that are not required in the BSE degree include ecology, soils, green engineering, and environmental life-cycle assessment. While EcoE follows a more structured curriculum, students in BSE have the flexibility to choose from a variety of electives, specific to careers in environmental health engineering, biotechnology, food engineering, and ecological engineering. The student’s diploma will list Biological Systems Engineering regardless of whether they pursue an additional concentration or not, but the student’s transcript will additionally list Ecological Engineering as a concentration.  

Both environmental engineers and ecological engineers apply scientific and engineering principles to solve environmental problems. Environmental engineers typically focus on providing clean drinking water and treating waste (wastewater, hazardous waste, solid waste (trash), stormwater, and air pollution). While ecological engineers may work on similar problems, they utilize a systems approach to design that incorporates ecological principles. Ecological engineers frequently work in areas such as stream and wetland restoration, regenerative agriculture, and low-impact development.