Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science and Engineering

Course Description

Core Courses

Advances in Environmental Science and Engineering (3 Credits)

This course focuses on conducting comprehensive analysis and systematic discussions of various issues, perspectives, ideas, technologies, and environmental events faced by the international frontier of environmental science and engineering. The course aims to attract students' attention to cutting-edge environmental issues, to develop their international perspectives, problem-solving and communication abilities.

Literature Review and Research Proposal (2 Credits)

The objective of this course is for students to discuss their dissertation with their supervisor. Students are required to read literatures, which they search themselves or are recommended by supervisor, to have a comprehensive understanding of status quo and outstanding issues in their research field and to be prepared for research proposal. The research proposal is evaluated mainly based on the following criteria: (1) 30%: Comprehensiveness and in-depth overview of research field and related research history and status quo; (2) 25%: Innovativeness of the selected topic; (3) 20%: Possibility whether the selected topic can be completed on time; (4) 25%: Importance of the results obtained after the dissertation is completed. Students can only write their thesis upon completing the oral defense and gain the credit after passing the assessment of the faculty committee.

Academic Activities (2 Credits)

Academic reports and research progress updates on cutting-edge scientific issues will be organised regularly by DESE or other teachers (at least once a month). Students are required to attend academic seminars or other activities for at least ten times. Their supervisors record their attendance and their grade is based on both attendance and performance on academic deiscussion.

Elective Courses

Water Pollution Control Engineering (3 Credits)

This course systematically introduces the methods and principles of various water environment pollution control technologies, including methods and principles of Physics, Physical Chemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology. The application of these methods in water pollution control will also be covered.

Environmental Chemistry (3 Credits)

The environmental issues concerning China and the world are closely integrated in this course, which covers the pollution chemistry issues and effects involved in the migration and transformation processes of pollutants in atmospheric, aquatic, rock, and biological medium environments. It provides a comprehensive and in-depth explanation of the basic principles and knowledge of environmental chemistry.

Eco-hydraulics Engineering (3 Credits)

This course offers basic knowledge of stream ecology, the different types of wetlands and their restoration methods, and various engineering measures for ecological rehabilitation. It covers the developmental laws of estuarine deltas, impacts of artificial land creation, algal blooms, marsh grasses and mangroves, as well as the influence of climate change on estuarine invertebrates and fish. In addition, this course explores the topic of invasive species and its management strategy, along with the basic principles of eco-hydraulic engineering.

Air Pollution Control Engineering (3 Credits)

The issues of air pollution are discussed in this course and it explains its sources, causes, physical and chemical processes, management and governance. It also delves into the three major international topics in atmospheric environment, which are acid rain, ozone layer depletion and global warming, and explores their origins, hazards, scientific understanding and preventive strategies, etc.

Soil Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (3 Credits)

Students can have an accurate understanding of the role and position of soil in the environment and learn about the basic components, properties, and classification of soil. They can understand the process and mechanism of soil formation, development, degradation, and recovery; become familiar with the damage caused to soil ecosystems by different types of pollutants, and master the content of bioremediation of contaminated soil, implementation and management of remediation projects for contaminated sites, etc.

Solid Waste Control and Recycling Technology (3 Credits)

This course starts from the fundamentals of urban solid waste generation and resource utilization, introduces resource utilization techniques systematically, such as collection, transportation and compaction, crushing and grinding, sorting, dehydration, incineration, pyrolysis, and biological treatment of solid waste. It also covers hazardous waste treatment and disposal, integrated planning schemes for solid waste treatment and disposal, and other related topics.

Environmental Fluid Mechanics (3 Credits)

The fundamental knowledge and methods of fluid mechanics are introduced, including hydrostatics, kinematics, dynamics, dimensional analysis and similar principles, laminar and turbulent boundary layers. It also covers the movement characteristics of environmental fluids (such as the atmosphere, rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater) and the transport process of substances in environmental fluids.

Special Topic on the Interaction of Multi-media Environment in Coastal Zone (3 Credits)

This course mainly focuses on hot issues related to multi-medium environmental impacts on coastal zones, including gasification changes and responses, monitoring and warning, risk assessment and control of emerging pollutants, etc. It focuses on the interinfluences and interactions among multiple media, such as water, air, and soil, and various research subjects, like plants, cities, etc.

Environmental Statistics (3 Credits)

The basics of mathematical statistics, including philosophy, political economy, and mathematical statistics are covered in this course, allowing students to master the ideas and basic methods of mathematical statistics. It also introduces the application of statistics in environment, teaching students how to use corresponding statistical software, such as SPSS, Excel, etc.

Machine Learning (3 Credits)

Machine learning is an important branch of computer science. This course focuses on introducing the basics of machine learning and discussion of some classic and commonly used machine learning methods (such as decision trees, neural networks, support vector machines, Bayesian classifiers, ensemble learning, clustering, dimensionality reduction, and metric learning etc.).

Artificial Intelligence Principles (3 Credits)

This course is about artificial intelligence systems, problem-solving, planning, and learning. Firstly, the System section covers introduction and system theory, while the Problem-Solving section discusses about problems searching, problems optimisation, game problems, and constraint problem solving. In the Planning section, it consists of space-time correlation planning and decision-theoretic planning. Lastly, the Learning section discusses about the three perspectives on machine learning.