Environmental Studies

What Can I Do With a Major in Environmental Studies?

Individuals majoring in Environmental Studies are dedicated to a cause and may be interested in preserving the world in which they live.

Before you begin to look at the different types of opportunities available to Environmental Studies majors, you must look at yourself and ask yourself a few basic questions:

What am I good at?

Understand your major strengths, skills and accomplishments.

What do I like to do?

Examine your interests. What kind of life style do I want to lead? Examine your values...is money what you're after, job security, challenging work?

If you are having trouble answering these questions, you are not alone. Make an appointment with an advisor in the Career Center. We want to help you!

POSITIONS

Once you know yourself, you are ready to decide where and how you want to apply this knowledge.

A bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and the appropriate skills and/or experience can lead to positions as:

Geographic information specialist
Environmental educator
Environmental journalist
Environmental filmmaker
Environmental photographer
Environmental manager
Industrial hygienist
Community planner
Fund-raiser
Recycling markets developer
Risk assessment expert etc...

Experience in the field or an advanced degree could lead to certain positions as:

Toxicologist
Wetlands ecologist
Environmental teacher
Environmental professor
Environmental engineer
Field chemist
Hydrologist
Forester
Air quality engineer
Environmental protection specialist

For information on graduate schools, consult Peterson's.

EMPLOYMENT

Environmental Careers can be found in many different areas such as:

Resource recovery - waste to energy
Water quality monitoring/treatment
Air quality
Land/Water resource management
Waste management
Energy
Agriculture
Wildlife management
Environmental advocacy
Environmental consulting
Environmental testing and analysis etc...

Typical places of employment are:

Environmental companies
Foundations
Research organizations
Associations
Small, entrepreneurial operations
Corporations
Government agencies
Schools, colleges and universities
Federal, state and local agencies etc..

 

LEARN MORE

To help you decide which area to pursue you must do in-depth research into each area of specialization and/or industry you have an interest in.

St. John's University Department of Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies Career and Job Resources on the Internet

Places to begin:

Talk to people in the field, talk to your professors, write to and/or join one of the following associations:

Student Conservation Association Internship information - P.O. Box 550 Charlestown, New Hampshire 03603 (603) 543 - 1700 www.sca-inc.org

Environmental Careers Organization 179 South Street Boston, Mass 02111 (617) 426 - 4375 www.eco.org

National Association of Environmental Professionals 6524 Ramoth Drive Jacksonville, FL 32226 (904) 251 - 9900 www.naep.org

Get involved in an Environmental Group such as:

The Environmental Defense Fund
Green Peace
The World Wildlife Fund

For additional lists of Associations consult the Encyclopedia of Associations