Dear Melissa, It is never to late to become an engineer! I encourage you to pursue your interest and explore what options are available to you. Your strong skills in math will certainly support your pursuit of an engineering degree. I wouldn't let chemistry hold you back. First, consider contacting the engineering department at your current school- to review how many of your undergraduate classes would count towards a BS in Civil Engineering. Most likely, you have taken a good portion of the first/second year requirements already and another 4 years would not be necessary. Secondly, graduate programs in engineering often have students from other disciplines. However, given your background in Geography, there may be some undergraduate classes that would be required in order to transition into a Civil Engineering graduate program. It is hard to recommend which path to take, without knowing more about your specific situation. I can offer a few pieces of advice during your decision making: 1) Make a Pro/Con list, actually write them down- it is amazing how easy some decisions are when you see it on paper! 2) Choose an engineering program with a good intern/co-op program to gain some real-world experience while you finish your degree. 3) If financial support is a major decision-maker, investigate potential scholarships through organizations (e.g. Society of Women Engineers). Good luck to you! Kristin Malosh, P.E.

Nourhan, Environmental Engineering and Engineering Sciences both sound like excellent programs. In order to choose between the two, I suggest researching what types of jobs graduates with these two majors hold and see what interests you. Whatever your engineering discipline, you can apply your degree in several different fields. For example, I am an environmental engineer and I work as a Project Manager for a consulting firm. I assist all different kinds of industries with obtaining environmental permits and applying the environmental regulations that may affect their industry. Other environmental engineers I know are environmental lawyers, business owners, or work for large chemical manufacturing plants. In response to your second question, there are a variety of possible degrees that could lead you to Green Building design. Certainly architects and environmental engineers could work in that industry, but there are several other disciplines that could be involved as well. For example, civil engineers could research more environmentally-friendly building materials and chemical engineers could research a new chemical that could be applied to that building material to make it even more energy efficient. A degree in engineering can be applied in a variety of ways, depending upon your interest! Good luck!

Shamma, All engineering disciplines require studying the fundamentals of engineering, which includes mechanics and electronics. However, these are not the focus of an environmental engineering degree. I found that classes like Statics and Electrical Engineering were fun because there were so many different engineering majors all in the same class. The salary for Environmental Engineers is not typically on the high end of the salary range, but I would definitely say it is good enough. Many environmental engineers do obtain a Professional Engineering (PE) license. Depending upon what type of job you are interested, a PE license may be a benefit. I started my career as an environmental consultant and used my PE license to enhance my credentials. For example, some state environmental regulations require a PE to certify contingency plans for industrial facilities. I know environmental engineers in a variety of careers – you could work for the US EPA, you could own your own environmental consulting business, you could be an environmental manager at an airline, or an operations manager at a steel mill. The doors are open for Environmental Engineers! I hope this helps- good luck! Kristin