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Environmental Science

Industry Areas

Here are examples of industry areas students enter with this major, jobs/internships, typical employers that hire students, skills employers look for, and examples of where alumni work.  To find more information make an appointment with your career counselor/advisor.

Industry Areas for Environmental Science
Industry|Employers
Job|Roles
Skills
Alumni

Environmental Remediation/Compliance

Federal government:

Army Corps of Engineers

Department of Defense

Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Interior: Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Surface Mining, Bureau of Land Management

Department of Agriculture

Natural Resource Conservation Service

Agricultural consulting firms

Environmental consulting firms

• Ground Water

• Surface Water

• Soils

• Air

• Sediments
• Remediation
• Liability
• Audit
• Compliance
• Sustainability

• organizational

• analytical thinking/problem solving

• communication

• teamwork

• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• Quantitative

• Leadership

• Interest in Sustainability

• Project Management

• Problem solving

• United Airlines, Senior Manager

Waste Management

Federal, state and local government:

Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Energy

City/county waste management departments

Recycling centers

Private waste management firms

Consulting firms

Nonprofit organizations

Risk Assessment

Quality Control

Logistics

Planning

Recycling

Transportation

Compliance

Environmental Engineering

Public and Environmental Health

Industrial Hygiene

organizational

analytical thinking/problem solving

communication

teamwork

knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

Quantitative

Leadership

Interest in Sustainability

Project Management

Problem solving

Stepan Company, Regulatory Specialist
Rust-Oleum, Senior Corporate Regulatory and Hazardous Materials Specialist

Soil Science

Federal government:

Environmental Protection Agency

Natural Resource Conservation Service

Department of Agriculture

Department of Health and Human Services

State farm bureaus

Environmental research laboratories

Agricultural or environmental consultant firms

Privately owned farms and ranches

Universities

Soil and Water Conservation

Land Use Planning

Waste Disposal

Environmental Compliance

Reclamation of Contaminated Lands

Landfill Operation and Monitoring

Agrichemical Management

Fertilizer Technology

Agricultural Production: Food and Fiber

Research

Education

organizational

analytical thinking/problem solving

communication

teamwork

knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

Quantitative

Leadership

Interest in Sustainability

Project Management

Problem solving

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Water Program Manager

Air/Water Quality Management

Federal, state and local government:

Environmental Protection Agency

Geological Survey

Natural Resource Conservation Service

Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of Agriculture

Public works departments

Consulting firms

Private laboratories

Nonprofit organizations

Water treatment plants

Consumer products manufacturers

Testing/Analysis

Watershed Management

Stream Restoration

Sustainable Infrastructure

Risk Assessment

Project Development

Compliance

Permitting

Modeling

organizational

analytical thinking/problem solving

communication

teamwork

knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

Quantitative

Leadership

Interest in Sustainability

Project Management

Problem solving

Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Ecosystem Health Program Lead and Research Associate

Planning & Conservation

Federal, state and local government:

Environmental Protection Agency

Natural Resource Conservation Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Fish and Wildlife Service

National Park Service

Department of Agriculture

Department of Transportation

Public works departments

Planning departments

Utilities companies

Forestry companies

Indian nations

Mining companies: petroleum, mineral

Consulting firms

Real estate development companies

Market research companies

Colleges and universities

Nonprofit organizations

Land trust organizations: The Nature Conservancy or Trust for Public Land

Zoological parks

Natural Resource Management: Land, Soil, Water, Plants, Animals

Sustainability Management

Water Resources

Aviation Planning

Transportation Planning

Building/Zoning

Land Acquisition

Land Use

Recreation Management

Park/Preserve Management

Mining

Construction

communication

complex problem solving

monitoring

judgment and decision making

coordination

critical thinking

analysis

Quantitative

Leadership

Interest in Sustainability

Project Management

Problem solving

Montana Fish Wildlife and Park, Research Wildlife Biologist
Eel River Watershed Improvement Group, Biologist
Walt Disney World, Wildlife Research Center Manager

Environmental Education and Communication

Public and private schools, K-12

Two-year community colleges/technical institutes

Four-year institutions

Museums

Zoos

Nature centers and parks

Publishing companies: scientific magazines, professional journals, periodicals, textbooks, online publishers

Newspapers

Educational and scientific software companies

Environmental organizations

Government agencies

Nonprofit organizations

Teaching:

Elementary

Secondary

Post-Secondary

Non-classroom Education

Technical Writing

Editing

Illustrating

Photography

Public Relations

• advanced verbal and written communication

• flexibility and versatility

• ability to research and think critically

• strong interpersonal  skills

• creativity

• editing and attention to detail

• teamwork

• active listening  and interviewing

• time management

• computer and technical skills (in various forms of electronic media)         

• Eastern Research Group, Inc., Environmental Communication Specialist
• Allegheny Mountain Institute, Senior Fellow
• Solar Reserve, Director of Communications

Environmental Law

Law firms

Large corporations

Federal and state government:

Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Justice

Attorney General Offices

Political Action Committees

Nonprofit organizations, i.e. Green Action and Natural Resources Defense Council

Political Action/Lobbying

Regulatory Affairs

Science Policy

Patent Law

Non-profit or Public Interest

Environmental Law

Mediation

Administrative

Analytical Thinking

Attention to Detail

Time Management

Writing Skills

Active Learning

• Energizer Holdings, Regulatory Counsel
• Akzo Nobel Inc, Senior Legal Counsel - Health, Safety, and Environ
• Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University

Country, state, and federal environmental agencies

Federal Municipal Archives

National and State Endowments for the Humanities

Legislative, executive, or judicial officials

Political action committees

Special interest groups

Political parties

Campaigns (national, state, or local)

• Public Policy

• Research

• Regional Planning

• City Management

• Intelligence

• Foreign Service

• Law Enforcement

• Legislative, Executive, or Judicial Services

• Program Administration

• Elected or Appointed Leadership

• Campaign Management

• Staff Administration

• Special Interest Advocacy

• Administrative

• Communication

• Foreign Language

• Multitasking

• Leadership

• Prioritizing

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Scientist
• Syracuse-Onondaga County, Planner
• U.S. Department of State, Jefferson Science Fellow
• Pitkin County, Energy Manager

Environmental planning and consulting

Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental resources management

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ University

Geosyntec Consultants

Associate

• Human capital

• Strategy & Operations

Analyst

• Data

• IT

• Financial

• Marketing

Quantitative

Leadership

Interest in Sustainability

Project Management

Problem solving

Problem-Solving Skills

Analytical Thinking Skills

Leadership & Team Based Skills

Business Judgment

Communication Skills

Project Management

Professionalism
• WRA, Biologist
• AECOM, Environmental Analyst
• Bradburne Briller & Johnson, Staff Scientist
• Environmental Resources Management, Environmental Consultant
• Stratus Consulting, Associate
• CH2M Hill, Environmental Scientist
• ICF International, Conservation Planner

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

  • Research (19%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Program and Project Management (7%)

Professional Associations