The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) is one of the largest programs in graduate environmental education and research in the United States. The Department includes 35 primary faculty with interests in fields ranging from chemistry, microbiology, and engineering to economics, planning, and public administration. Thirty-six adjunct faculty are drawn from the major institutions in the Research Triangle Park. The student body is composed of 144 graduate students and 11 undergraduate students. Over 2200 graduates are distributed worldwide. Michael D. Aitken is ESE's Chair.

ESE is one of the few degree-granting units at a research university that integrates environmental science with health, engineering, and public policy analysis. ESE faculty collaborate with units in UNC's School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business, as well as the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, City and Regional Planning, Economics, Geology, Marine Sciences, Mathematics, Public Policy, the Carolina Environmental Program and curricula in Ecology, and Toxicology.

ESE offers five graduate degrees:

• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (MSEE)
• Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

ESE undergraduate degree:

• Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH)

Research and teaching in ESE encompasses the chemical, biological, toxicological, and physical aspects of environmental and engineered processes, as well as the social, political, and legal considerations involved in managing the quality of our water, soil, and air resources.