Abstract: Academic competition is an important carrier for achieving the integration of innovation and entrepreneurship education and professional education in universities, and it is also a key path to improving the comprehensive quality of students. The article takes the environmental engineering major of East China University of Technology as an example, and takes “competition into the classroom” as the entry point to carry out the “integration of specialized and creative education”. It explores the practical path of competition into the classroom to empower the “integration of specialized and creative education” from three modules: First class begins, theoretical courses, and practical courses. This study has certain practical significance for promoting the cultivation of applied talents in local universities.

Key words: “Integration of specialization and innovation”, Competition empowerment, Environmental engineering, Practical path, First class begins, Cultivation of applied talents