Academic Options
The Environmental Studies Program is committed to preparing students to help meet the environmental challenges facing us locally, nationally and globally.
A degree in environmental science provides the background, training, and experience to pursue many career paths. Our graduates have successful careers with private environmental consulting firms, in environmental education, and with local, state, and federal environment and resource agencies.
Many of our graduates continue their education by pursuing graduate degrees in science, public administration, and law.
Analytical Sciences Option
The Analytical Sciences Option is designed to produce chemists who are particularly interested in the chemical pollutants that are being released into the air, earth, and water environments of our planet.
They may find jobs with local and state health departments, state and national environmental protection agencies, and local testing laboratories, as well as in the private chemical-producing industries. Typically graduates work as laboratory and field technicians who sample and analyze chemical pollutants.
| Advisor: Dr. Andrew Miller | Catalog Information |
Earth Sciences Option
The Earth Sciences Option is designed to prepare students for a career in environmental geology. Today many environmental problems are associated with the earth and our use of it.
Thus, contamination of surface and underground waters, pollution of the soil, and construction of dams and other large structures all require earth science environmental specialists to either help alleviate the problem created by misuse or avoid environmental problems during project development.
Many public and private agencies, including engineering and construction firms, have jobs for people trained in this area.
NOTE: Dr. Dere and Dr. Maher will have limited availability during Fall 2022. Please contact Dr. McCarty if you have questions.
| Advisors: Dr. John McCarty, or Dr. Kelly Deuerling, or Dr. Ashlee Dere, or Dr. Jon Schueth | Catalog Information |
Geography and Planning Option
The Geography and Planning Option is primarily designed to produce local and regional planning specialists who have a good understanding of environmental problems. Anytime humans change the nature of the landscape by constructing new housing developments, highways, shopping centers, etc. a potentially negative environmental impact on the natural landscape exists. Today planners who are environmentally sensitive are in great demand to help avoid the common confrontations that arise between developers and those groups that are affected by the project.
| Advisor: Dr. Rex Cammack or Dr. John McCarty | Catalog Information |
Life Sciences Option
The Life Sciences Option is designed to prepare a student for jobs in environmental biology which have something to do with the impact of modern technology and change on life forms.
These include working as pollution monitoring technicians for various public agencies such as county and state health departments, as well as state and national environmental protection agencies; students may also find themselves attracted to jobs with local, regional, and national nature conservation agencies, both public and private.
These jobs may involve monitoring endangered species, evaluating habitat, making inventories of wildlife, or interpreting nature as a ranger in a public or private environmental education center.
| Advisor: Dr. David Manning, or Dr. Tim Dickson, or Dr. John McCarty | Catalog Information |