Brandeis for Environmental Studies vs. UVM Rubenstein School for Environmental Science

Weighing two VERY different, but wonderful schools. Looking for advice for DD regarding Brandeis’ Environmental Studies and Biology majors vs. The University of Vermont’s Environmental Science major at the Rubenstein School. (Brandeis does not have an environmental science major).

DD is not 100% sure of her career path but generally speaking she thinks that she wants to do environmental assessment, either in the public or private sector. She could, of course, change her mind regarding her area of interest. She is not that interested in attending graduate school after college and wants to be prepared to jump right in to her career, though perhaps go back to school at some point.

The Rubenstein school at UVM offers an enormous variety of environmental majors and concentrations. We attended the admitted students day and were impressed with the school and the practical experience offered through service learning, internships, etc. But, I would describe it as pretty focused path, with little room to explore beyond the Rubenstein School. On the other hand, DD LOVES Brandeis and it’s been her dream school on many fronts. Brandeis’s overall excellent reputation cannot be overlooked either. Unfortunately, their admitted student day is not until the end of April and we would greatly appreciate some advice now.

Bottom line … Thoughts on how the two schools stack up against each other? And, their respective environmental programs? Will DD gain the practical experience at Brandeis necessary to jump right in without graduate school? Are employers in the field potentially more interested in students coming out of Rubenstein vs. Brandeis? Or, should we be less focused on career vs. academic exploration at this point? Thank you so much.