Deciding when to take each course in the ERE program can be a daunting task. Be sure to meet with your ERE faculty advisor each semester for useful advice.  In addition, many students use the flow chart to assist in deciding what course to take.  Advice from previous students is also very helpful. Lastly, the following list gives course selection advice that faculty advisors will generally give students. The list is separated into sections pertinent to the number of ERE units that you have completed. ERE units include all ERE, Math, Physics, Chemistry and Biology courses.

• Challenging four year graduation plan
• Students with 0-30 engineering units
• Students with 30-60 engineering units
• Students with 60 or more engineering units
• Advice for students considering graduate school

Challenging Four Year Graduation Plan

The following is a suggested schedule for completing the ERE program in 4 years.  Please note that most students take longer, as they are not able to successfully complete 17 units a semester.  Many students must work outside of school, have family responsibilities, or for some other reason must take a lower unit load.

Year 1

Semester	Course	Units
Fall	CHEM 109	5
	ENGR 115	3
	General Education Area A-1	3
	General Education Area A-2	3
	Institutional Requirement 1	3
		17
Spring	CHEM 110	5
	MATH 109	4
	ENGR 215	3
	General Education Area D-1	3
	Institutional Requirement 2	3
		18

Year 2

Semester	Course	Units
Fall	MATH 110	4
	BIOL 105	4
	ENGR 210	3
	ENGR 225	3
	General Education Area C-1	3
		17
Spring	MATH 210	4
	ENGR 211	3
	ENGR 325	3
	ENGR 351	4
	General Education Area C-2	3
		17

Year 3

Semester	Course	Units
Fall	ENGR 313	4
	ENGR 322	4
	ENGR 326	3
	ENGR 331	3
	General Education Area C-3	3
		17
Spring	PHYX 110	4
	ENGR 333	4
	ENGR 330	3
	Science Elective	3
	General Education Area E-1	3
		17

Year 4

Semester	Course	Units
Fall	PHYX 315	3
	ENGR 416	3
	ENGR 440	3
	Engineering Design Elective 1	3
	General Education Upper Division-1	3
		15
Spring	ENGR 410	3
	ENGR 492	3
	Engineering Design Elective 2	3
	Engineering Design Elective 3	3
	General Education Upper Division-2	3
		15

*All subject specific courses in the above 4-year plan are described in the HSU Office of Registrar's Course Descriptions section for each respective subject here.

Advice for Students with 0-30 Engineering Units

• The ERE Curriculum meets the Lower Division Area A Critical Thinking Requirement. So ERE students are not required to take Logic, Critical Thinking, Critical Writing, etc.
• Engineering Majors need only one Area C Upper Division G.E. course and one Area D Upper Division G.E. course of the G.E. Upper Division G.E. Component.
• You can plan your G.E. courses to simultaneously fulfill your Diversity and Common Ground Requirements. For example, Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 104) fulfills 3 units of the Area D Lower Division requirements. This course also counts for 3 units of the Diversity and Common Ground Requirements.
• Don't put off completing the second semester of General Chemistry (CHEM 110). The labs will be difficult to schedule later in your program.
• Take a math class every semester.

"Every semester you don't take math is a semester you'll be here longer." ---- Professor Elizabeth Eschenbach

• Consider a minor in another area. Environmental Resources Engineering graduates have earned minors in areas including Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Information Systems, Language, and Environmental Ethics.
• Work with your faculty advisor to develop your equivalent of the 4-year graduation plan.

Advice for Students with 30-60 Engineering Units

• Start the compuational methods series (Computational Methods I, II, and III  - ENGR 225, ENGR 325, ENGR 326) after you have completed Statics (ENGR 210) so you will have completed enough engineering courses by the time you get to ENGR 326.  In ENGR 326 you will design your own project, and you need to have enough engineering background to have an excellent project.
• Take Fluid Mechanics (ENGR 333) and the Computational Methods I, II, and III (ENGR 225, ENGR 325, ENGR 326) as early as possible. Most of the later courses require the skills and knowledge learned in these classes.
• If you plan to take energy design courses (ENGR 471, ENGR 473, ENGR 475, ENGR 477), plan on taking General Physics II (PHYX 110) and Introduction to Electronics & Electronic Instrumentation (PHYX 315) early, as these courses are prerequisites. However, if you do not plan on taking energy design courses and you need some flexibility in your schedule, you can take the Physics courses later in your program.
• It is important to always keep an up-to-date résumé. Services and workshops are available through the Career Center, or ask a professor to look it over for you. A completed résumé is one less obstacle when looking for an internship or job.

Advice for Students with 60 or more Engineering Units

Planning for graduation

You should begin to plan to make sure you have fulfilled all the requirements to graduate. To graduate you need to make sure that you have fulfilled three requirements:

• Graduation Contract. Your Graduation Contract should be turned in about a year before you plan to graduate. Your Graduation Contract is due no later than two weeks after the beginning of the semester. The Graduation Contract is a list of the courses you have completed, the grades received in those courses, and the courses you intend to take to complete your B.S. Degree in Environmental Resources Engineering.
• Application for Graduation. Your Graduation Contract should be turned in at the same time as your Application for Graduation, a simple form available in the Registrar's Office.
• Graduation Writing and Proficiency Exam. In order to graduate you must pass the Graduation Writing and Proficiency Exam (GWPE). The exam is given once in the Fall semester and twice in the Spring semester. Students are eligible as soon as they have completed English 100 and reached Junior status. The exam takes four hours and involves writing two essays.

Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Exam

Engineering registration (also known as engineer licensing) in the United States is an examination process by which a state's board of engineering licensing determines and certifies that you have achieved a minimum level of competence. The first exam in this process is the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam (also known as the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Exam). The FE exam covers basic subjects from mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering. The exam is an eight hour long test that most HSU students take in Sacramento or San Francisco. Students passing the exam receive their EIT license, the first step in attaining a Professional Engineering license. Keep the following in mind as you prepare for the exam:

• Having as EIT license can help you get your first job and completing the series of professional engineering licensing exams often results in a pay raise.
• You should take the test as soon as you have passed your engineering science courses. The test is given once every semester. You can plan ahead as the test dates are known several years in advance.
• FE Exam study manuals are often available through the Environmental Resources Engineering Student Association or the Society of Women Engineers. For more information, visit the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying website or get in touch with any of the current faculty members.
• The ERE department teaches a course to help students review for the FE Exam. Our program has a very high pass rate compared to the rest of California.

Advice for students considering graduate school

You should know why you want to attend graduate school. A masters degree increases your career opportunities, provides you with additional credentials and can allow you to specialize in a field of interest. A doctorate will allow you to further specialize. With a doctorate you can consider a career in research or in academia, where you will teach and do research.

There are two types of Masters Programs: Research Based and Project Based

• A research based masters develops your research skills and prepares you for pursuing a doctorate. It is a good way to test if you like doing research. A disadvantage of a research based masters is that the research may have an indefinite time line. Therefore, it might take you longer than you expect to finish.
• A project based masters will have a well defined project and a more definite time line, but will not provide you with research experience.

Most firms do not prefer a research based masters versus a project based masters, but some doctorate programs may prefer a research based masters degree.

The degrees associated with the research and project based programs vary. The names mean different things at different universities. Some of the potential degrees are:

• Master of Engineering
• Master of Science
• Doctor of Engineering
• Doctor of Science

If you are considering graduate school keep the following in mind.

• Keep your GPA high, especially in your 400 level courses. 
• Consider reading a book on preparing for graduate school. Many people find the graduate school experience quite different than undergraduate.
• If you think you may be interested in participating in research, try to get involved with an ERE faculty research project or a summer undergraduate research program, such as the one through the National Science Foundation.
• If you intend to get a Ph.D. in Engineering, take more mathematics and chemistry as an undergraduate. These courses will only help you.

Graduate School Planning and Scheduling

Once you decide you want to go to graduate school do a literature search, pick an area of study, and then ask faculty to help you find programs and people in that area. Identify people with whom you would like to work. Are they doing research that interests you? Visit the Career Center for further information on searching for graduate schools.

Applications for graduate schools are generally due from December 15 through March 1. Applications require a series of steps.

• Take the GRE exam. Many schools require both the General and the Engineering Subject Exam. The General Exam is very similar to the SAT. Be sure to study for the GRE; you can improve you score significantly.
• You will need Letters of Recommendation. Be sure to give your references plenty of time to complete these for you. Remind them a few days before they are due.
• Your application process will likely require a "Statement of Interest". Get help from a professor to create a concise and well formed statement.

Once accepted to a graduate school visit prospective schools, if possible, to meet with faculty AND graduate students. Acceptance letters and coordinated visits usually occur in March and April.