<p>know the upsides/downsides of this type of degree. My D mention that she may be interested in pursing a degree in Environmental Science. Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>DS is pursuing Chem E with a focus in environmental engineering. Seemed like a more employable degree than environmental science, but I'm not sure about that
;)</p>
<p>These programs vary A LOT. Environmental science programs tend to be more rigorous than environmental studies programs, but that's just one vague rule of thumb. I have seen a lot of extremely bright students graduate from environmental science/studies programs without a really good understanding of science. So I tend to recommend more traditional majors with a minor or an interest in environmental issues.</p>
<p>seashore, thanks for the heads up. anxiousmom, you're right environmental science seems a bit vague for employment, but i don't know anything about the field, so I don't know for sure.</p>
<p>Heard about a new program at Penn State - I think it's an environ eng minor even for non-eng students. PSU researched it with hiring companies who were very excited by it.</p>
<p>Try searching for this on CC. There was an environmental science thread rolling around a couple weeks ago.</p>
<p>You might check out some of these links (some are jobs/careers and some are schools) :
Cyber-Sierra's</a> Natural Resources Job Search: Organizational Sources for Conservation and Environment Jobs
Directory</a> of Environmental Programs
Find</a> Environmental Schools & Degrees - On Campus and Online - EnviroEducation.com
EcoEmploy.com</a> - Environmental Jobs and Careers
Environment</a> Web Directory</p>
<p>this is a huge field- although she may want to consider getting a physics( or)biology(or)chemistry degree with an environmental emphasis, as an " environmental" science degree, may be not deep enough for undergrad.
Actually implications in just about any field can impact the environment, and the perspective from a business or anthropological standpoint can be valuable as well.</p>
<p>This just my general feeling.</p>
<p>There are a lot of employers re: the environment. For example this quarter I am taking a class on how to help tribes and local governments and businesses, to fish & use their land more sustainably.
Government is a huge employer.</p>
<p>At the UW
The</a> Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies</p>
<p>and the other UW
UW</a> envisions a new Environmental College</p>
<p>Even in construction</p>
<p>What</a> is LEED Certification? — NW Green Campus</p>
<p>Green</a> Jobs | TreeHugger</p>
<p>This is a broad field under the rubic of Biology. Distinct from Environmental Studies in that E.Studies is more policy/law focused, as I understand it.</p>
<p>Many colleges offer and Environmental Science major or Ecology major. So choose your college based on your preferences.</p>
<p>You also may want to check out colleges that offer Natural Resources degrees. It is similiar to Environmental science but may have a broader appeal. S1's school has an entire College of Natural Resources with many different majors falling underneath it. S1 is a Natural Resource major with a concentration in Policy and Administration. His roommate's major is Natural Resources- Marine and Coastal conc.</p>
<p>Mom112233- I sent you a PM :)</p>
<p>I'm good friends with several faculty members of the Environmental Sciences Department at our local flagship state university. I envy them their academic schedules (one took his kids on a summer-long amusement park tour last year), plus I take business trips to places like NYC, they go to places like Fiji. I <em>gotta</em> think this is a currently very strong field that is only going to come into greater demand as we all start thinking about protecting the planet a bit more.</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread. S is interested in the renewable energy aspect of environmental science. Any thoughts and suggestions?</p>
<p>Guillaume, take a loot at Lehigh University and Duke University, for example.</p>
<p>
[quote]
This is an interesting thread. S is interested in the renewable energy aspect of environmental science. Any thoughts and suggestions?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>"Renewable energy" is a very broad field, so it matters a lot what type of renewable energy they're interested in. Materials Science is getting a huge push from the public interest in solar cells, and ChemE and MSE are both getting big boosts from fuel cells.</p>
<p>If you're interested in more general environmentally friendly industrial practices, there are green chemistry programs which focus on eliminating waste and creating chemicals/stuff using less harmful ingredients and methods of production.</p>
<p>Mechanical engineering is also an option if you're interested in heat flow and increasing the efficiency of engines and the like (which can be expanded to wind turbines, the turbines run by the steam produced by nuclear generators, turbines at hydroelectric plants, and all of those things).</p>
<p>As more and more companies realize that "going green" is not just a good PR move, but a good economical one I'm sure you'll see more traditional engineering/science fields offering specialties in environmental applications.</p>
<p>Penn State also has an "energy engineering" and an "energy, business and finance" major. The second one looks very interesting.</p>
<p>A friend's D. received an environmental science degree from UVA, although this may not be the exact name of the major. She got a good job with a medium sized environmental consulting firm, but according to the owner (a friend of mine) there was definitely a bias against her that the interviewing partner had to overcome because she didn't have a geology or engineering degree. It's a relatively new discipline and so it may take a little selling in the job market.</p>
<p>Very helpful advice. thank you all.</p>
<p>Just to get a better picture on the future of sustainability as a career,
you may want to check out Arizona State University's new program in Sustainability. I believe they are the 1st major university in the US to offer this as a singular major, although I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Their website is pretty interesting--check it out. My husband, who is an environmental scientist, feels this area would offer great job opportunities.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech also has a focus on sustainability. Very competitive admissions at GT, however.</p>