<p>My freshman son is crafting an interdisciplinary major from his environmental studies major focusing on sustainable architecture. I’m excited for him as a freshman. I believe he mentioned to me that his advisor just came from Western Washington. It’s a great major and one that I don’t know much about for kids like my son whose interests are broad and encompass the sciences and the humantities and arts.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys, my oldest D is beyond undergrad school, but she is also someone with broad interests that encompass the sciences, humanities and arts. She is pursuing specialized grad degree programs in Sustainable Design and I mention is as it sounds like your son is putting together an UG major in Sustainable Architecture and that is my D’s chosen field.</p>
<p>American University has an Environmental Studies major that you can link up with their School of International Service. Lots of NGO work needs this sort of background.</p>
<p>NC State University has The College of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources.
Some of the majors offered are:
Enviromental Science
Forest Management
Natural Resources-Ecosystem Assessment
Natural Resources-Policy and Administration
Natural Resources-Marine and Coastal Resources
Environmental Science-Watershed Hydrology
Environmental Technology
Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences</p>
<p>90,000 acres of college forests provide the largest university owned forest land for teaching, research and demonstration in the nation. </p>
<p>S1’s degree from NCSU is Natural Resources -Policy and Administration</p>
<p>Environmental Studies is interdiscplinary so students will generally gravitate toward their area or industry of interest. For some that will be governmental and for others a particular industry or a particular field (eg water rights management) as well as toward their strength (eg communication, science, design, etc.)</p>
<p>I have to say that I am extremely skeptical of the value of an environmental studies degree. At some schools, it seems to involve reading John Muir and taking an introductory ecology course. There is an enormous difference between environmental studies–which is a warm-fuzzy major–and an environmental science degree, which involves serious science. Sadly, the students seem to confuse the two areas and expect to get science jobs without the appropriate background.</p>
<p>Environmental studies is getting a lot of buzz these days, but where are the jobs? I talked to a woman just yesterday whose daughter graduated two years ago with an environmental studies major and hasn’t found work. She’s in Kentucky, though, so it may be that the jobs are elsewhere.</p>
<p>spdf it would depend on her program. Most environmental studies programs my son was looking at have concentrations like design/architecture, water/land management, public policy etc. Each concentration lends itself to different career paths. The jobs are all over the country but it appears to me that the clusters are in states with water, land and energy resources and clearly the policy making urban areas like D.C.</p>
<p>My son’s major requires classes appear similar to PackMom, a couple bio, a couple geology, a couple chemistry, a couple econo/business, one anthro…then the concentration classes which he won’t get into full tilt until maybe junior year centered around the area of interest and a capstone senior project. Like we said earlier a major for kids with broad interests in humanities and sciences. Kids that like the research/lab aspects stay in that concentration, kids that like communication and public policy concentrate in “their” interest area and so on and so forth. I don’t like to differentiate between “hard” and “soft” it’s really more about specific interests. Mine happens to be very interested in architecture with found materials. </p>
<p>Probably depends on the college how developed the major is at the particular institution just like any major. My son’s program I believe, grew out of the geology department a couple decades ago as the petroleum, energy and mining industries started looking for and recruiting at his school for students that had broader experience than a straight geology major which the school was “known for” at that time.</p>
<p>Like any major always good to do the research.</p>
<p>I was an environmental consultant for 15 years before becoming a SAHM. I have been out of the business for a while so my info may be a bit off. Environmental Studies is usually a soft degree. Environmental science majors usually end up doing wetland studies, stream restoration work or environmental health and safety. Geology majors tend to end up doing hazardous waste studies, environmental studies and remediation. Engineers conduct studies and do design work in water, soil and air. </p>
<p>Four types of organizations hire environmental majors: universities (teaching and research), government, consulting firms and companies who need to conduct studies or provide reports to the government. They all have pros and cons, depending on what kind of life style you want and how much money you want to make. Environmental scientists make the least amount of money and don’t improve a lot over time unless they become a principal in an engineering company and get a stake in the company. </p>
<p>Without a doubt engineers are the leaders in these organizations and have the best chances at employment; with the exception of perhaps forest or park rangers. Environmental scientists are the lowest paid in consulting or the private sector. If a career in the environment is really what someone is looking for, I would recommend getting an environmental engineering or civil engineering degree. </p>
<p>ES might be a great major to pair with something more practical, or to minor in with another major. For example, Landscape Architecture and Environmental studies would probably go really well together, and with the increase in interest in green building and planning cities and neighborhoods that are environmentlaly sustainable as well as functional for residents, there could probably be quite a lot of work there.</p>
<p>thanks geogirl1…i had a feeling that was the case which is why i am encouraging my son to study engineering rather than attending his full ride small school envirn. sci course</p>
<p>I think you have to look at the individual college and see how they have structured the major. Some have structured the program so effectively the students are getting a core from a specific department. Some you can get the major and the degree without ever taking a hard science course. Others you take base courses across many disciplines and then specialize. Middlebury has one of the older programs in the country and has much good information about this major for students/parents that are interested.</p>
<p>I realize that some schools may slap * environmental* on a course, which might have as much meaning as " natural", or even " organic", but what I think is new, is the way that we are getting more information about how fields overlap and that since what type of jobs our kids may have in 10 years, may not even have been invented yet, a broader knowledge base, may be more advantageous than trying to specialize too early.</p>