Environmental technology, environmental protection

Waste disposal, air pollution control, water pollution control and a sustainably producing industry are examples of the areas in which graduates of this field of study can later work for the environment. Environment-related study content can be found in many courses of study, e.g. in mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, agricultural sciences, but also in economics or law and social sciences. Engineering and Natural sciences provide the foundations for this application-oriented field of study.

Study programs related to environmental engineering and protection can be divided into two main directions:

• Engineering-Technical Orientation: In the field of environmental protection technology, knowledge from the engineering sciences, such as mechanical engineering, process engineering or civil engineering, as well as from the natural sciences is used to develop environmental technology systems. Independent courses of study are devoted to human habitats, renewable raw materials, soil protection, air pollution control, disposal technology, recycling technology, water and wastewater technology or waste management.

• Planning and Design Orientation: in the field of environmental protection: This is where natural science, socio-economic and design disciplines come together. Examples of this are the degree programs "Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology" and "Nature Conservation and Landscape Planning". In some cases, there are overlaps with the geosciences, biosciences and environmental sciences (see chapter "Mathematics and Natural Sciences") as well as with landscape architecture.

The subject specialization can take place in the last semesters of the bachelor's degree, but is particularly the goal of the master's degree.

The course content ranges - depending on the subject area - from natural science subjects such as mathematics, biology, physics and chemistry and technical subjects such as mechanics, mechanical engineering, construction, energy technology and process engineering to economics and law and social sciences.

Graduates of environmentally-related courses can pursue different career paths depending on their field of study:

Environmental technology engineers develop environmentally friendly production processes, check systems and operations for compliance with environmental regulations and prepare environmental balance sheets. Among them there are specialists, such as engineers for waste and disposal technology. They construct, sell and maintain systems for recycling, water and wastewater supply, waste disposal, etc.

Engineers in this discipline work primarily for companies that have particular environmental relevance, e.g. in the energy industry, chemical industry, paper industry, electroplating industry, building materials industry as well as disposal and waste management. They also work for authorities, e.g. municipal environmental authorities, supply and disposal companies, trade inspection offices or district, state and federal authorities, ministries, as well as for analytical, advisory and expert areas of activity at consulting and engineering offices.

Engineers for landscape ecology and nature conservation design, among other things, the environmentally friendly use of agriculture and forestry or open spaces. In particular, they find employment as planners in engineering and architectural offices, as experts in the public service, e.g. at environmental offices as well as agriculture, forestry and water management authorities, or in the field of environmental education, e.g. at associations, in the administration of protected areas or elsewhere Universities.