"I was at work on the phone with the City of Dallas discussing an environmental problem and I actually knew what I was talking about because of our Study Abroad class. After I got off of the phone I thought to myself, wow, I never had to deal with that type of problem before but I could talk about it intelligently and it was due to the Environmental Study Abroad program in Belgium!"

Participant on the Summer 2005 Belgium Environmental Soil and Water Program

  The Soil, Water and Environmental Study Abroad Program in Belgium provides undergraduate students (both engineering and non-engineering students) with an opportunity gain international experience and at the same time take two Texas A&M University courses for six hours of credit. The three courses, AGSM 335 (Soil and Water Management), AGSM 337 (Technology for Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering) and BAEN 460 (Principles of Environmental Hydrology) will be offered the second summer session (July 9 to August 14) in 2008. AGSM 335 and AGSM 337 are non-engineering courses while BAEN 460 is an engineering course. Engineering students should signup for BAEN 460 and AGSM 337.

     These courses will be taught at the Katholieke University of Leuven, in Leuven, Belgium, which is only 30 km east of Brussels. AGSM 335 and BAEN 460 are a basic environmental hydrology classes and AGSM 337 is an overview of the processes involved in wastewater treatment, especially small, on-site wastewater treatment systems. Classes are taught on Tuesday and Wednesday with field trips on Thursday. The field trips are day-trips to visit interesting water and wastewater projects unique to Europe. This schedule also provides students with five, four-day weekends to travel and explore Belgium and / or other countries. Belgium is centrally located in Western Europe with quick and easy access to the Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxemburg and England.

There are work-study positions available for BAEN and AGSM students. Each work-study student will work 10 hours/week during the program and will earn $500 for their services. However, students must be approved for the program before they can apply for the position. Interested students should contact Dr. Cady Engler or Dr. Patricia Smith.

Additional Links

• Dr. Munsters's Web Page
• Powerpoint Presentation from Dr. Munster for Belgium Environmental Soil & Water Program
• Poster for Belgium Environmental Soil & Water Program
• Also visit the International Agriculture Programs web site.
• State Department Consular Information Sheet-Belgium

Course/Syllabus

Description

Professor(s)

AGSM 335

Water and Soil Management (3 hrs)

Patricia Smith

AGSM 337

Technology for Environmental and Natural Resource Engineering (3 hrs)

Cady Engler

BAEN 460

Hydrologic Principles in Agriculture (3 hrs)

Patricia Smith

BAEN 465

Design of Biological Waste Treatment Systems (Pending Approval) (3)

Cady Engler