The Environmental Engineering Department (EED) of Istanbul Technical University (ITU), being one of the leading departments of the Turkish Republic (TR) in the field of environmental engineering education and research, had first started as a graduate program in 1973 within the School of Civil Engineering. At that time, a double stage education model; which consisted of a 4-year Bachelor and a 1.5-year Masters education, was offered in the University. The department itself was established in 1975, followed by the initiation of the Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Program (EEUP) in 1978. EEUP at ITU had started with a group of staff consisting of 2 Professors, 4 Research Assistants with Ph.D. degrees and of 4 Research Assistants conducting their graduate studies. In 1982, the EED has been relocated to the Ayazağa Campus under Civil Engineering Faculty.
EED had promoted and practiced the English-Supported Education (ESE), initiated in the 1989-1990 academic year in coordination with the University. ESE was an option, in which the students, who chose to pursue this path, could take some of the elective courses in English. Compulsory bilingual education was started in the 1997-1998 academic year. Additionally, successful EEUP students have the opportunity to get a second undergraduate degree under the Double Major Program comprising 9 different undergraduate programs of ITU.