<p>I agree with some of the posters that choosing an environmental minor or perspective to architecture, design and whatever is a great idea. Looking into the future, I think innovators will come from people looking to find new energy sources, retrofitting current building infrastructure, or finding biological or chemical answers for today’s engineering questions. These will be engineers, biologists and chemists. Two years of chem, bio, math is a great base for many future careers. However, it is not enough to be on the cutting edge. A BS degree in engineering, biology or chemistry with the knowledge that graduate work will be required is more in line with our future “environmental” needs as a civilization. The bottom line is that the kinds of people who will solve our problems in the future will be people who are highly specialized in science and engineering. Many will find careers in managing and implementing the new technology. Those people will not need to be as specialized.</p>
<p>Keep the discussion going, please … S has decided to switch from pharmacy to ES. He wants a program that is science-based but with more emphasis on biology than on chemistry (so he’s not interested in Env Eng). He doesn’t want the forest/stream type ES - more the renewable energy, clean energy, effects of toxins on people, stuff along those lines.</p>
<p>Momofthreeboys, is your S at Middlebury? My S wouldn’t be interested in an LAC (not a good fit - he needs a bigger school). He is considering UMich, but is open to other ideas.</p>
<p>[ENVS</a> Homepage](<a href=“http://www.enviroscience.uconn.edu/envs.majorrequirements.html]ENVS”>http://www.enviroscience.uconn.edu/envs.majorrequirements.html)</p>
<p>Kelsmom, have him check out UCONN’s website, UCONN has a lot to offer.</p>
<p>My D2 is an Environmental Studies major. All I can say to her is pad your resume. Make yourself look really good in addition to this major because it is not very marketable. It’s kind of today’s 70’s-80"s English (History, etc.) majors.</p>
<p>My D2 was asked by one of her professors to do research w/ him next semester. She decided to do it. This could potentially help her zero in on possible job opportunities or graduate school interests.</p>
<p>She also has other good stuff to put on her resume to make her a very desirable. She is an RA, a tutor for calculus and has done a semester abroad, etc. </p>
<p>Hell, I’d hire her!!</p>
<p>The Claremont colleges have an interesting Environmental Analysis major that students from any of the five Claremont Colleges can pursue, and it draws faculty from all five colleges as well. The program started at Pomona and has been running for years there, but is now expanding to a five-college curriculum this year, drawing on the talent from the entire consortium.</p>
<p>[Hightower</a> Helps Launch 5-C Environmental Analysis Program](<a href=“http://www.hmc.edu/newsandevents/hightower-environmental-analysis-program.html]Hightower”>http://www.hmc.edu/newsandevents/hightower-environmental-analysis-program.html)</p>
<p><a href=“5C Environmental Analysis Program”>5C Environmental Analysis Program;
<p>[SUNY-ESF:</a> SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry](<a href=“http://www.esf.edu/welcome/facts.htm]SUNY-ESF:”>http://www.esf.edu/welcome/facts.htm)
^check out what SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry has to offer. It’s located on the campus of Syracuse University.</p>
<p>[SUNY-ESF</a>, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry](<a href=“http://www.esf.edu/admissions/programs.htm]SUNY-ESF”>http://www.esf.edu/admissions/programs.htm)
^link to their programs</p>
<p>@morrismm: what does your daughter wish to do with her ES major?</p>
<p>I saw the SUNY-ESF info earlier & thought it looked really interesting. I ran off some info & gave it to my S to review. Not sure if he ever looked at it … hopefully, he will get serious by Christmas break so he can get his transfer apps done. If not, he knows it’s 4 years & the parental wallet closes up. ;)</p>
<p>I’m reading this thread with interest since my D is a freshman Environmental Studies major. Her interests lie in the renewable energy, sustainability area, even though her college does not offer any courses that address this.</p>
<p>She has set her sights on an elite graduate school, and in checking the requirements, has discovered that she needs a solid science background. She will either petition her school to design her own Evironmental Science major, or switch to a Biology major.</p>
<p>I’m relieved that she has come to this conclusion so early in the process. A strong science background will serve her well, no matter what she ends up doing in life. Plus, I’m starting to have serious concerns about the probability of a career in the area she wants without an engineering degree.</p>
<p>At any rate, from what I am reading on this thread, she will not be on the fast track to a high paying salary. Crossing fingers that all will work out in the end.</p>
<p>S2 is a Civil and Environmental Engineering student at UCD. He looked into the L&S Environmental Science program and it just didn’t have enough science for his interests. I think of Environmental Science as being more policy focused than science focused. </p>
<p>As others have indicated, there is a range of programs with ‘Environmental’ in the title, and they vary as to emphasis and curriculum</p>
<p>My s is combining Historic Preservation and Urban Planning majors with an Environmental Studies minor. Right now, he is interning with a highly skilled (and well paid) master mason.</p>
<p>I think my s may become a highly educated bricklayer, upon graduation. (Which would be a very cool thing, I think.)</p>
<p>My S’s major was Natural Resources-Policy and Administration conc.
Other options (in his dept.) were Natural Resources-Ecosystem conc. or Watershed Hydrology conc. They also have an Environmental Technology degree.</p>
<p>He’s currently an Ensign in the U.S. Navy so not really using his degree at this point:)</p>
<p>I think my s may become a highly educated bricklayer, upon graduation. (Which would be a very cool thing, I think.)
Then he can learn how to do dry stack.
[Cob</a> Workshops : Apprenticeship](<a href=“http://cobworkshops.org/topic/events/apprenticeship/]Cob”>Cob Workshops : Apprenticeship)
[Historic</a> Preservation Program - University of Oregon](<a href=“http://hp.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?mode=fieldschools&page=croatia]Historic”>http://hp.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?mode=fieldschools&page=croatia)</p>
<p>My S told me today that he will concentrate on the bio end … “because I might just end up being a high school science teacher after all is said and done.” Not a bad fall-back. I guess I need to stop worrying about the kid; he’ll figure it out.</p>
<p>I looked at the environmental studies major at D’s school. It seems like a very good major for pre-meds and pre-laws, and could be a good option for students who are not yet sure which science they will choose for specialization or who are interested in eventually pursuing graduate studies in paleontology, anthropology/archaeology, or (with just an extra course or two) more traditional specialties such as various types of geology, biology, chemistry, anthropology, and so forth. I can also imagine that graduates would be suitable for various administrative positions in government or private firms, or for teaching secondary science.</p>
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<p>Do not really know mdh625. That is why I am hoping doing research with a professor will help her hone in on some more specific ideas. </p>
<p>I do not even know what she is going to be working on with the professor. She is abroad this semester, so our communication is less frequent and not as detailed. </p>
<p>Her main base abroad this semester was Geneva, Switzerland, although she is currently in Croatia for awhile. She had to do a fairly extensive independent study project for the abroad program. This included a lot of research and interviews with professionals in the area she was researching. Her topic was something related to the Kyoto Protocol. Her paper is 52 pages long, plus she had to do a half hour presentation. She conducted many interviews w/ people at the UN, etc. I am hoping this project also helped her realize possible jobs she might be interested in or subjects she might want to pursue in graduate school.</p>
<p>Right now my D’s favorite is SUNY ESF, we’re in NY state and she loved her visit there. She likes the small school atmosphere, but also the large school benefits of Syracuse University. She’s looking at possible pre-med, but definitely a biology major. There seem to be a lot of research opportunities for under grads, something she’s shown an interest in. But…it does get cold in Syracuse!</p>
<p>My S is a snowboarder who loves the cold & snow! :)</p>
<p>I think the future of geog/enviro studies is a concern. What kind of jobs can you get with this major. Many like at UCLA are not science based. enviro studies is like a half version of enviro science. There is no bio, chem, physics, or calc. When looking up enviro studies on google, monster, indeed or major job search sites, the job listings are primarily for enviro science. There is a huge difference between the two. Also, UCLA has GIS, geographic information systems. It is a minor though, but job postings want gis and IT skills. So it is like a half version of IT, I don’t think you could get a job with just gis, you would need IT skills too. With only a half version of enviro science and a half version of IT. I can’t really see the job potential being great even though it is from UCLA. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>This is kind of an old thread- but I expect most people with enviro degrees expect to be going on to graduate school.</p>