The world is now changing faster than ever since the last ice age 10,000 years ago and the main cause of this change is man. Allowing changes to continue unchecked is reckless at the very least. Observing these changes and being able to convince others that we should or should not undertake activities that affect the environment will require well-qualified people with a relevant environmental degree.
It has often been said that the education offered at colleges and universities is a direct response to the labor market and trends in it. If so, the future for professionals with an environmental science degree couldn’t be brighter.
After the industrial and informational age, we are rapidly entering the ecological age, in which the environment and its characteristics are of paramount importance.
Never before have we, as a society, paid real attention to the environment and many would argue we still aren’t paying enough attention. The continuous exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources and the continuous generation of heat and waste have caused severe damage to the environment.
We live in an age where knowing, understanding and adapting to the environment is no longer an option – it is the only way forward. This era requires qualified professionals, especially those with professional degrees in environmental sciences.
A number of allied degrees find their place alongside traditional environmental science degrees. Major corporations have, for a long time, been required to comply with industrial safety and security requirements. In industries like biotechnology, due to the nature of the products, there are many opportunities for disaster.
Disaster management and hazardous materials management are fields of study that are in high demand by today’s high-tech industries. While these studies are often not comprehensive enough to be offered as degrees on their own, these courses are often partnered with environmental science degrees as part of a package deal.
For an environmental science degree student, it can be an advantage. While pursuing their main course of study, they can obtain qualifications in a number of allied fields. This makes them professionals who are able to enter a wide range of industries when they graduate with an environmental science degree.
As a result of long-standing lobbying, the United States is home to some of the world’s largest and best-funded environmental groups and many of the professionals who work in these groups have degrees in environmental science.
There are jobs with government agencies, lobbying with political groups and institutional organizations, and research positions with other research institutions and organizations. More opportunities exist in the environmental safety departments of major oil companies and even faculty positions at colleges that offer environmental science degrees. They all offer lucrative positions that professionals with an environmental science degree can hope to secure.
An environmental science degree does not deal with environmental topics alone. Due to the nature of their work, professionals with an environmental science degree need to be equipped with allied subjects such as compliance, law, criminal justice, and public communication.
The coursework that ultimately leads to a degree in environmental science is varied and interesting. It is likely that someone with an environmental science degree will be charged with protecting our environment as a result of which we need the best!
If you have a concern about the world we live in or have a desire and determination to do something to improve an increasingly deteriorating habitat, an environmental science degree would be an excellent place to start.
Anyone who aspires to be an environmental professional will usually need to attend a bachelor’s degree in environmental science before going for a master’s or doctoral degree in environmental studies.
Environmental science degrees are offered at all major colleges and universities throughout the United States and the Western world. An environmental science degree can be taken full-time, part-time or by distance learning, so whatever your circumstances you can contribute.