Hello! I am currently a junior in high school and thinking about what classes to take next year has led me to thinking more about what I am going to major in in college. So, I know I want to major in environmental science or something similar (such as Georgetown’s environmental biology program). I have wanted to go down this path for years and do not see myself changing that dream any time soon. However, I am a bit nervous about what fields I can go in to with just an ES degree. Because of this, I was considering also adding in a computer science major and double majoring (or doing something like a combined major if it’s offered like at northeastern). I think this would allow me to work in creating models (which I think I would really enjoy and would be meaningful work) and could even give me a leg up in a research position (but I’m not entirely sure about that). I know I have a lot of time to decide what I am going to do, so it may seem dramatic to be thinking about my major so much when I still have to get into a school, but it has been stressing me out lately. Does anyone have any insight on if adding a second major of computer science to environmental science would be helpful or if it would just add an extra layer of stress to my college life without any real benefits post grad.
Also, if I do decide that I might want to add a CS major, I would fill one of my free blocks with AP computer science next year, but that would basically be my only exposure to the area of study before college (if that impacts your advice at all).
It’s smart to think about adding a more quantitative and/or tech oriented skill-set to an environmentally-oriented major. However, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a whole second major, and it also doesn’t necessarily need to be CS.
Taking AP CS could be a great way to get your feet wet, if it’s well taught at your high school. It’s definitely good to get a basic understanding of how programming works. But a lot of people these days tend to think of CS as the go-to practical/employable major, when in reality, studying data science, statistics, and/or GIS may dovetail better with your interests. These skills will be directly applicable to the kind of data that environmental scientists gather and study, whereas the nuts and bolts of computer science theory and practice are somewhat farther removed from the environmental pursuits.
Look at Data Analytics majors like these:
https://data-analytics.osu.edu/
They automatically include an additional academic concentration besides data science (which can be environmental science), and you’ll gain experience at applying data analytics skills to your field of choice.
A stats major or minor can make you a more desirable job candidate too. And GIS skills are sought after as well; minors and certificates in this area are quite common, and some schools have full undergraduate majors like this one: | Department of Geography
There are so many ways to blend the study of environmental science with GIS, data science, and stats. CS, on the other hand, will require lots and lots of time taking a deep dive into CS theory that may not serve your ultimate objectives. If you learn the basics of CS and really love it, great! But if it doesn’t become a passion, you don’t need a full degree in it to enhance your primary major.
amazing! thank you so much for the insight :))