Jobs and Graduate School with the Baccalaureate Degree in Environmental Science

The baccalaureate degree prepares graduates to seek entry-level employment in the diverse and vigorous environmental job market or to advance to graduate or professional school. Environmental technology has become one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy. Government policies have yielded cleaner air and water. Industry is rapidly adopting sustainability as a driver of its corporate strategies and is adopting new technologies that have added to the bottom line, generated or saved jobs, and greatly improved the environment. The Environmental Science degree prepares graduates to be involved in career and personal activities that emphasize the management of all components of the bio-physical environment. This includes a strong emphasis on the relationships of the human environment (social, cultural, economic) with the bio-physical environment. Graduates with the Environmental Science degree are engaged in such activities as pollution control, waste management, remediation, land and water use and management, endangered species, urban and regional planning and many others. Prospective employers often include the words “interdisciplinary experience desired” in job advertisements.

Employment History of SNRE Graduates with the Baccalaureate Degree

More than 40% of our Environmental Science graduates go on to graduate or professional school, either immediately or within a year of two of graduation in a range of fields including interdisciplinary ecology, law, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, earth and life sciences and journalism/communications. Generally these individuals seek to develop mastery in these advanced fields, or they intend to enter the job market at a level that maximizes income and leads to a policy or management role with the employer.

The single biggest employer of our baccalaureate students is the private sector, which hires about 44% of our graduates. Environmental/engineering employees the largest group with the next largest group in environmental consulting. Another large group cuts across a diverse set of companies including real estate, small business and other professional companies. About 32% work in government agencies with most working in state agencies, followed by federal agencies and then local governments. Most state and federal agencies prefer to hire at the master's or doctoral levels.

SNRE graduates have found employment in 27 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and more than 5 countries. More than 60% of undergraduates find employment in Florida. Only a very small percentage of undergraduates find employment internationally, in contrast to the SNRE graduate students who go on to advanced employment opportunities. See Graduates and their Careers for a complete and recent update of the employment history of SNRE graduates.  For more information on the sucess of SNRE students, read the report -- Graduates and Their Careers.

Students seeking employment after completing the Environmental Science degree might expect to see such job titles as:

Students seeking advanced study at the University of Florida might consider:

Academic Programs

Professional or Business-related degree programs