Sustainable Engineering Minor

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Contact Information

Dr. Jennifer Benning, Program Coordinator
Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Civil/Mechanical 237A
(605) 394-2425
E-mail: Jennifer.Benning@sdsmt.edu

Sustainable engineering describes a new approach for solving complex classes of social problems that result from the rising competition for increasingly limited supplies of resources, water and land. Sustainable engineering seeks to transform engineering practice to meet these challenges. Interdisciplinary in nature and application, sustainable engineering involves the application of life cycle assessment and other innovative techniques to determine the long term implications of a proposed design solution with the ultimate goal of minimizing overall environmental impacts from products, services, businesses, communities and nations, as well as create engineering solutions that are fair and just in a global societal context.

Students from any major at the School of Mines may pursue a minor in sustainable engineering by completing 18 credit hours of coursework that includes two required courses.

Required courses

CEE 325 Introduction to Sustainable Design Credits: (3-0) 3
CEE 425/525 Sustainable Engineering Credits: (3-0) 3

Engineering Electives

Six elective credit hours are selected from the following list of engineering courses with sustainability content. Three of the twelve required and elective engineering course credits are required to be outside the student’s major.
CEE 326 Environmental Engineering I Credits: (3-0) 3
CEE 337 Engineering Hydrology Credits: (3-0) 3
CBE 455/555 Pollution Phenomena and Process Design Credits: (3-0) 3
IENG 352 Creativity and Innovation Credits: (1-0) 1
IENG 431/531 Industrial Hygiene Credits: (3-0) 3
IENG 451/451L Operational Strategies/Lab Credits: (2-1) 3
IENG 475/475L Computer-Controlled Manufacturing Systems and Robotics Credits: (2-1) 3
MET 220 Mineral Processing and Resource Recovery Credits: (3-0) 3
MET 310 Aqueous Extraction, Concentration, and Recycling Credits: (3-0) 3
MET 321/321L High Temperature Extraction, Concentration, and Recycling/Lab Credits: (3-1) 4
MEM 120 Introduction to Mining, Sustainable Development and Introductory Management Credits: (2-0) 2
MEM 405 Mine Permitting and Reclamation Credits: (3-0) 3
CBE 485/585 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Credits: (3-0) 3
CBE 485L/585L Renewable and Sustainable Energy Lab Credits: (0-1) 1
ME 269/269L Energy Systems Product Development and Design/Lab Credits: (2-2) 4

Science or mathematics electives

Three elective credit hours are selected from the following list of science or mathematics courses with sustainability content.

Note: GEOG 400 may be counted as a science OR social science elective, but not both.
AES 403/503 Biogeochemistry Credits: (3-0) 3
AES 405/505 Air Quality Credits: (3-0) 3
AES 406/506 Global Environmental Change Credits: (3-0) 3
BIOL 311 Principles of Ecology Credits: (3-0) 3
BIOL 341 Microbial Processes in Engineering and Natural Sciences Credits: (3-0) 3
GEOL 351 Earth Resources and the Environment Credits: (3-0) 3
GEOG 400 Cultural Geography Credits: (3-0) 3
MATH 451/551 Math Modeling Credits: (3-0) 3

Humanities/Social Science Electives

Finally, three elective credit hours are selected from the following list of humanities/social science courses with sustainability.
ANTH 210 Cultural Anthropology Credits: (3-0) 3
ENGL 300 The Literary Experience of Nature Credits: (3-0) 3
HUM 200 Connections: Humanities & Technology Credits: (3-0) 3
POLS 250 Introduction to International Relations Credits: (3-0) 3
POLS 407 Environmental Law & Policy Credits: (3-0) 3
GEOG 400 Cultural Geography Credits: (3-0) 3
These course requirements provide students with the broad, cross-disciplinary background that leads to the type of interdisciplinary, systems thinking that is essential for developing sustainable solutions.