Environment Courses

A photo of white capped mountain in the distance.

Photo by Flickr user blmiers2

Like so many of the tough problems tackled by MIT, solutions to the world's increasingly urgent environmental challenges will come from interdisciplinary perspectives.

From the small, tangible scale on campus (such as campus-wide recycling and composting scraps from the preparation of food in campus cafeterias) to the broad, technology-driven solutions for the world (researching ways to construct cleaner coal-fired power plants and bringing "smart bikes" to Denmark), the MIT community is working to solve the myriad challenges facing the environment today.

MIT's interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research is particularly effective for tackling environmental issues, and the courses below represent a broad spectrum of environmental concepts and concerns. Whether considering ways to redesign New Orleans to prevent flooding during future hurricanes, or seeking improvements in waste containment, the tools to solve the world’s toughest environmental problems can be found here.

The following courses represent a selection of Environment-related courses at MIT.

From exploring use of natural light and heating in new building construction to understanding how thermal hydraulics can be used to generate cleaner energy, these courses provide resources for understanding the current energy crisis and ways to develop solutions to this world-wide problem.

Environment Courses


Air

Course # Course Title Level
1.061 Transport Processes in the Environment Undergraduate
12.003 Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics Undergraduate
12.102 Environmental Earth Science Undergraduate
17.906 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy Undergraduate
1.84J Atmospheric Chemistry Graduate
10.571J Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Graduate
11.540J Urban Transportation Planning Graduate
12.842 Climate Physics and Chemistry Graduate

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Biological Organisms

Course # Course Title Level
20.102 Macroepidemiology (BE.102) Undergraduate
20.104J Chemicals in the Environment: Toxicology and Public Health (BE.104J) Undergraduate
1.212J An Introduction to Intelligent Transportation Systems Graduate
1.89 Environmental Microbiology Graduate

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Communities and the Built Environment

Course # Course Title Level
1.101 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering Design I Undergraduate
4.001J CityScope: New Orleans Undergraduate
4.401 Introduction to Building Technology Undergraduate
4.411 Building Technology Laboratory Undergraduate
11.001J Introduction to Urban Design and Development (Spring 2006) Undergraduate
EC.715 D-Lab: Disseminating Innovations for the Common Good Undergraduate
STS.038 Energy and Environment in American History: 1705-2005 Undergraduate
4.163J Urban Design Studio: Providence Graduate
4.175 Case Studies in City Form Graduate
4.406 Ecologies of Construction Graduate
11.301J Introduction to Urban Design and Development (Fall 2006) Graduate
11.493 Legal Aspects of Property and Land Use Graduate

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Culture and Society

Course # Course Title Level
3.987 Human Origins and Evolution Undergraduate
5.92 Energy, Environment, and Society Undergraduate
10.492-1 Integrated Chemical Engineering Topics I: Process Control by Design Undergraduate
11.007 Resolving Public Disputes Undergraduate
11.122 Environment and Society Undergraduate
12.103 Strange Bedfellows: Science and Environmental Policy Undergraduate
17.181 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy Undergraduate
17.547 Government and Politics of China Undergraduate
21A.338J Gender, Power, and International Development Undergraduate
21A.342 Environmental Struggles Undergraduate
21H.206 American Consumer Culture Undergraduate
21L.449 End of Nature Undergraduate
21W.775 Writing about Nature and Environmental Issues Undergraduate
EC.715 D-Lab: Disseminating Innovations for the Common Good Undergraduate
STS.038 Energy and Environment in American History: 1705-2005 Undergraduate
4.163J Urban Design Studio: Providence Graduate
4.175 Case Studies in City Form Graduate
10.805J Technology, Law, and the Working Environment Graduate
11.301J Introduction to Urban Design and Development Graduate
11.363 Civil Society and the Environment Graduate
11.366J Planning for Sustainable Development Graduate
11.368 Environmental Justice Graduate
11.370 Brownfields Policy and Practice Graduate
11.373 Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy Graduate
11.375 Role of Science and Scientists in Collaborative Approaches to Environmental Policymaking Graduate
11.601 Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning Graduate
21H.968J Nature, Environment, and Empire Graduate

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Energy

Course # Course Title Level
2.60 Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion Undergraduate
4.401 Introduction to Building Technology Undergraduate
14.44 Energy Economics Undergraduate
22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation Undergraduate
22.033 Nuclear Systems Design Project Undergraduate
22.081J Introduction to Sustainable Energy Undergraduate
STS.038 Energy and Environment in American History: 1705-2005 Undergraduate
2.500 Desalination and Water Purification Graduate
22.812J Managing Nuclear Technology Graduate

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Governance

Course # Course Title Level
5.92 Energy, Environment, and Society Undergraduate
12.085 Seminar in Environmental Science Undergraduate
12.103 Strange Bedfellows: Science and Environmental Policy Undergraduate
14.44 Energy Economics Undergraduate
17.181 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy Undergraduate
17.547 Government and Politics of China Undergraduate
17.559 Comparative Security and Sustainability Undergraduate
17.906 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy Undergraduate
21A.338J Gender, Power, and International Development Undergraduate
21A.342 Environmental Struggles Undergraduate
EC.715 D-Lab: Disseminating Innovations for the Common Good Undergraduate
1.253J Transportation Policy and Environmental Limits Graduate
1.725J Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport Graduate
2.964 Economics of Marine Transportation Industries Graduate
10.805J Technology, Law, and the Working Environment Graduate
11.362 Environmental Management Practicum: Brownfield Redevelopment Graduate
11.366J Planning for Sustainable Development Graduate
11.368 Environmental Justice Graduate
11.370 Brownfields Policy and Practice Graduate
11.373 Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy Graduate
11.375 Role of Science and Scientists in Collaborative Approaches to Environmental Policymaking Graduate
11.479 Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries Graduate
11.493 Legal Aspects of Property and Land Use Graduate
11.540J Urban Transportation Planning Graduate
11.601 Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning Graduate
11.943J Urban Transportation, Land Use, and the Environment Graduate
14.475 Environmental Economics and Government Responses to Market Failure Graduate
15.023J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy Graduate
17.410 Globalization, Migration, and International Relations Graduate
17.422 Field Seminar in International Political Economy Graduate
22.812J Managing Nuclear Technology Graduate
ESD.72 Engineering Risk-Benefit Analysis Graduate

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Health and Nutrition

Course # Course Title Level
20.102 Macroepidemiology (BE.102) Undergraduate
20.104J Chemicals in the Environment: Toxicology and Public Health (BE.104J) Undergraduate
1.725J Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport Graduate
2.500 Desalination and Water Purification Graduate
10.805J Technology, Law, and the Working Environment Graduate
11.479 Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries Graduate

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Markets

Course # Course Title Level
3.080 Economic & Environmental Issues in Materials Selection Undergraduate
17.181 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy Undergraduate
17.547 Government and Politics of China Undergraduate
2.964 Economics of Marine Transportation Industries Graduate
11.601 Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning Graduate
14.475 Environmental Economics and Government Responses to Market Failure Graduate
15.023J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy Graduate
17.422 Field Seminar in International Political Economy Graduate
MAS.666 Developmental Entrepreneurship Graduate

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Material Goods and Waste

Course # Course Title Level
1.101 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering Design I Undergraduate
3.080 Economic & Environmental Issues in Materials Selection Undergraduate
10.492-1 Integrated Chemical Engineering Topics I: Process Control by Design Undergraduate
21H.206 American Consumer Culture Undergraduate
EC.716 D-Lab: Waste Undergraduate
1.34 Waste Containment and Remediation Technology Graduate
1.725J Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport Graduate
1.76 Aquatic Chemistry Graduate
1.85 Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering Graduate
2.500 Desalination and Water Purification Graduate
11.479 Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries Graduate
22.812J Managing Nuclear Technology Graduate
ESD.123J Systems Perspectives on Industrial Ecology Graduate
ESD.S43 Green Supply Chain Management Graduate

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Mobility

Course # Course Title Level
1.201J Introduction to Transportation Systems Graduate
1.253J Transportation Policy and Environmental Limits Graduate
2.24 Ocean Wave Interaction with Ships and Offshore Energy Systems (13.022) Graduate
11.540J Urban Transportation Planning Graduate

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Soil

Course # Course Title Level
12.102 Environmental Earth Science Undergraduate
12.109 Petrology Undergraduate
12.110 Sedimentary Geology Undergraduate
12.114 Field Geology I Undergraduate
1.72 Groundwater Hydrology Graduate

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Systems Perspectives and Analysis

Course # Course Title Level
12.000 Solving Complex Problems Undergraduate
14.44 Energy Economics Undergraduate
STS.038 Energy and Environment in American History: 1705-2005 Undergraduate
11.943J Urban Transportation, Land Use, and the Environment Graduate
15.023J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy Graduate
17.410 Globalization, Migration, and International Relations Graduate
ESD.72 Engineering Risk-Benefit Analysis Graduate

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Water

Course # Course Title Level
1.061 Transport Processes in the Environment Undergraduate
12.003 Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics Undergraduate
12.102 Environmental Earth Science Undergraduate
1.63 Advanced Fluid Dynamics of the Environment Graduate
1.72 Groundwater Hydrology Graduate
1.76 Aquatic Chemistry Graduate
1.77 Water Quality Control Graduate
1.85 Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering Graduate
2.24 Ocean Wave Interaction with Ships and Offshore Energy Systems (13.022) Graduate
2.500 Desalination and Water Purification Graduate
2.964 Economics of Marine Transportation Industries Graduate
11.479 Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries Graduate

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