Examination of Environmental Engineering Topics Taught in United States Federal Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges.

There are eleven Federal Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges in the U.S. These military schools emphasize academic rigor, military education, physical fitness, and character development. For those enrolled in the officer training program, each of these institutions grants a bachelor's degree and a commission as a military officer upon successful completion of academic, military, and physical programs. Two military schools, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Norwich University, were among the first engineering schools in the U.S., offering engineering degrees since the early 1800s. Almost all other Federal Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges currently offer engineering degrees; however, the engineering disciplines available for study at each vary. This study examines the current state of environmental engineering topics, including programs and course offerings, at all eleven Federal Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges. Specifically, this study identifies where environmental engineering (or similarly named disciplines) are placed within academic departments, available focused degree options, available environmental engineering courses at each institution, student enrollment data, and military occupational specialties that environmental engineers can enter upon commissioning into military service. Results suggest that despite the emergence of environmental engineering as a distinct academic discipline, at present, only one military school offers an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree. However, all but three (the Naval Academy, the University of North Georgia, and the Merchant Marine Academy) provide environmental engineering education in some form. The other eight military schools examined nest environmental engineering within civil engineering, but do not currently offer a separate accredited environmental engineering degree. To illustrate differences in environmental topic offerings, a deep-dive comparison between the U.S. Military Academy, a military school with an ABET-accredited environmental engineering program, and The Citadel, which offers environmental courses within an ABET-accredited civil engineering degree, is provided. Enrollment data and the number of degrees conferred suggest large differences between institutions, with the number of graduating students ranging from a low of 9 to a high of 254. Analysis of environmental engineering-related military occupational specialties indicates that almost every branch of the military has relevant environmental engineering positions and commissioned officers have opportunities to practice upon graduation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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