The School of Environmental Science and Engineering (SESE) of Chang'an University offers the first level two doctoral degrees in water conservancy and environmental science and engineering. SESE also hosts a number of key laboratories, including the laboratory for subsurface hydrology and ecological effects in arid regions for the Ministry of Education, the Open Research Laboratory of Water Resources and Land in Arid and Semi-arid Areas for the Ministry of Land and Resources, the Chang'an University sub-center of urban environment and sustainable development and the laboratory center of water, environmental, chemical and bioengineering for the Ministry of Education. The SESE currently has 122 staff, including 26 professors, one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and five Distinguished Professors of the "Hundred Talents Program" in Shaanxi Province. SESE College also has a Changjiang scholar innovation team attached to the Ministry of Education's program of "arid groundwater resources development and utilization and water environment protection".

The SESE has undertaken more than 100 research projects including the "973" and "863" projects, Chinese Natural Science Foundation project, projects provided by the Ministries of Science and Technology, Education, Communications, Land and Resources, Construction and the China Geological Survey. Annual research funding is about 30 million RMB. The SESE has produced a wealth of scientific research, with more than 50 national, provincial and ministerial scientific and technological awards, including the first and the third prize for national scientific and technological progress. SESE outputs include publication of more than 60 academic books and 500 academic papers of which many papers have been published by SCI, EI and ISTP database.