Oregon Tech faculty encourages environmentally responsible citizenship by incorporating sustainability concepts into regular coursework across all disciplines while programs such as Manufacturing, Civil and Renewable Energy Engineering, Environmental Sciences, and Business Management address sustainable practices directly. Many courses are offered at Oregon Tech that focus specifically on different sustainability issues.
In 2005, Oregon Tech furthered its commitment to sustainable power by introducing the first Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy Systems in North America (now known as Renewable Energy Engineering or REE). Oregon Tech's renewable energy program establishes the engineering principles graduates will need to develop, promote, and implement sustainable energy technologies.
Sustainability is incorporated into many aspects of the Civil Engineering Program at Oregon Tech. Students are exposed to new alternatives in infrastructure design such as pervious pavements, efficient and recycled/recyclable steel structures, wastewater treatment innovations, and low-impact foundation technology. Students learn the details of the LEED for New Construction design criteria as well as integrated design procedures in project planning that emphasize collaborative engagement. Students apply this knowledge in their senior design project where sustainability is emphasized in planning and engineering a commercial or residential development project.
The hands-on Environmental Sciences program at Oregon Tech integrates field and laboratory work into the curriculum. Graduates are highly skilled in the methodology and practice of environmental assessment and have been actively recruited by a diverse group of firms and government agencies.
The Oregon Tech Environmental Sciences degree offers an interdisciplinary Sustainable Technologies emphasis offering courses on life cycle analysis, renewable energy, biofuels, ocean renewable energy, green house gas emissions inventories, and fuel cells.
Oregon Tech offers numerous courses related to sustainability. The following are just a sample:
Renewable Energy Engineering:
- REE 201 Introduction to Renewable Energy
- CHE 260 Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy Applications
- REE 331 Fuel Cells
- REE 463 Energy Systems Instrumentation and Control
- REE 412 Photovoltaic Systems
- REE 439 Energy Systems Management & Auditing
- REE 455 Energy-Efficient Building Design
- REE 407 Green House Gas Emissions Accounting
Civil Engineering:
- CIV 315 Principles of Environmental Engineering
- CIV 371 Introduction to Transportation Engineering
- CIV 362 Hydrology and Surface Water Management
Environmental Sciences:
- BIO 111 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
- BIO 225 Riparian Assessment Methods
- CHE 231 & 232 Streamwater Chemistry & Sampling
- BIO 485 Klamath Bioregional Studies
- CHE 315 Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology
- BUS 415 Environmental Regulation
- CHE 465 Fate and Transport of Pollutants
Manufacturing Engineering:
- MET 160 Materials I (Life Cycle Analysis)
- MET 360 Materials II (Life Cycle Analysis)
Social Sciences:
- ANTH 335 The Built Environment
- HIS 356 A History Of Energy