2024-2025 Academic Catalog

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Green Engineering (GREN) Minor

Required Minor Courses
ENGR 3124Introduction to Green Engineering3
Select one of the following:3
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment 1
Environmental Sustainability - A Systems Approach 1,2
Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Global Society 1
Subtotal6
Elective Courses
Engineering Electives
Select 6 hours of the following:6
Fluid Flows in Nature 2
Wind Turbine Technology and Aerodynamics 2
Building Physics and Environmental Systems
Building Performance and Energy Management
Sustainable Building Performance Management
Small Watershed Hydrology 2
Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment and Control 2
Bioprocess Engineering 2
Introduction to Watershed Modeling 2
Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries (Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States) 7
Biological Process Plant Design 2
Separation Processes 2
Mass Transfer
Energy and Climate Change Solutions
Introduction to Environmental Engineering (Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States) 2
Water and Wastewater Treatment Design 2
Fundamentals of Public Health Engineering 2
Environmental Sustainability - A Systems Approach 1,2
Air Resources Engineering 2
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management 2
Sustainable Land Development 2
Hydrology 2
Groundwater Resources 2
Hydraulic Structures 2
Water Resources Planning 2
Coastal Engineering 2
Urban Water Sustainability 2
Natural Disaster Mitigation and Recovery 2
Microgrids
Alternate Energy for Climate Sustainability 2
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment 1
Manufacturing Processes
Global Issues in Industrial Management 2
Risk and Hazard Control 2
Principles of Industrial Hygiene 2
Fundamentals of Materials Engineering 2
Materials Selection and Design I and II 2
Bio-Inspired Technology 2
Energy Systems for Buildings 2
Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Global Society 1
Internal Combustion Engines 2
Advanced Technology for Motor Vehicles 2
Engineering Acoustics 2
Energy and Raw Materials: Geopolitics and Sustainable Development
Leadership for Responsible Mining 2
Applications in Mineral Processing 2
Mine and Water Reservoir Engineering
Environmental Management for Mining and Geoenergy 2
Fundamentals of Nuclear Engr 2
Fundamental of Nuclear Engr 2
Radiation Detection, Protection and Shielding 2
Nuclear Fuel Cycle 1
Interdisciplinary Electives
Select 6 hours of the following:6
Environmental Law
Environment and Sustainable Development Economics (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences ; Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States)
Environmental Economic Analysis and Management
Sustainable Development Economics
Animal Agriculture and the Environment
Environment and Building Systems 2
Environment and Building Systems 2
General Microbiology
Ecology 2
Freshwater Ecology 2
Environmental Toxicology 2
Global Change Ecology 2
Plant Ecology 2
Chemical Ecology 2
Green Chemistry
Materials Chemistry in Energy Sciences
Land-based Systems for Waste Treatment
Wetland Soils and Mitigation
Environmental Economics 2
Literature and the Environment (Pathway 1a or Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
Soils in the Landscape
Fundamentals of Environmental Science (Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States)
Physics of Pollution
Plant Materials for Environmental Restoration
Environmental Microbiology
Water Quality
Environmental Soil Chemistry
Bioremediation
Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands
Insects and Human Society (Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Pesticide Usage
Aquatic Entomology 2
Freshwater Biomonitoring 2
Principles of Fish and Wildlife Conservation (Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Fish, Fishing, and Conservation (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences ; Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Fish Ecology
Forest Ecosystems (Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Ecology of Appalachian Forests (Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Forests, Society & Climate (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences or Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Leadership for Global Sustainability (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities or Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
Principles of Watershed Hydrology
FREC 3604
Watersheds and Water Quality Monitoring
Principles and Practice of Agroforestry
Environmental Justice (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
Geography of Resources
Elements of Geology
Environmental Geosciences
Oceanography
Environmental Geochemistry
Groundwater Hydrology
American Environmental History (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities or Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences)
Plants and Greenspaces in Urban Communities (Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences)
Watershed Sensitive Site Design and Construction
Evolution of the American Landscape (Pathway 1a or Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
Global Ethics (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
Global Environmental Issues: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Human Behaviors and Natural Environments (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences ; Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States)
Environmental and Sustainability Issues in Housing (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences ; Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States)
Structure and Properties of Sustainable Biomaterials
Circular Economy Analytics for Sustainable Systems (Pathway 5a)
Global Forest Sustainability
Sustainable Nature-Based Enterprises
Green Building Systems
Chemistry and Conversion of Sustainable Biomaterials
Sustainable Biomaterials and Bioenergy
Society, Sustainability Biomaterials and Energy
Sustainable Biomaterials Enterprises
Plant Polymers & Biocomposites
Environmental Justice
Future of Cities (Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences or Pathway 6a ; Pathway 6d)
Creating the Ecological City
Science, Techology, and Environment (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities)
Energy and Society (Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities or Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences) 4,6
Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning
Land Use and Environment: Planning and Policy
Community Renewable Energy Systems
Planning of the Urban Infrastructure
Subtotal12
Total Credits18
1

These courses count either as a required course or an engineering elective, but not both

2

Prerequisites and non-major enrollment restrictions apply.

Graduation Requirements

To complete a minor in Green Engineering, students must:

  1. Complete a total of 18 credits
    1. 6 credits of required courses
    2. 6 credits of engineering electives from list
    3. 6 credits of interdisciplinary electives from list
  2. Complete all courses as an A-F grade mode
  3. Earn a minimum 2.0 GPA for the 18 credits that fulfill the minor

Additional Comments

  1. Review the course prerequisites when deciding on the electives.
  2. Not all courses are offered each term.
  3. 1000 level courses will not be considered for substitutions.
  4. Senior Capstone Design projects and Undergraduate Research in engineering departments are eligible as engineering electives if the project focuses on environmental impacts. See program advisor for advance approval of projects.
  5. Other courses, including Study Abroad, may be substituted on a case-by-case basis with approval from the Green Engineering Director and College of Engineering Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (e.g., NR/GEOG 3954 Study Abroad may be substituted if the Stud Abroad trip is concerned directly with environment and sustainability.)
  6. Dr. Sean McGinnis, Director of Green Engineering (287 Holden Hall), will act as an advisor for all student pursuing a Green Engineering minor. Email: smcginn@vt.edu, Website: www.eng.vt.edu/green