Sustainability Minor

Career Areas

• Policy Analysis
• Public administration
• Research
• Community development
• Program development
• Political campaigns
• Advocacy/Lobbying

Employers

• State and local government
• Planning and development commissions
• National, state, or local parks or recreation departments
• Social service agencies
• Peace Corps and AmeriCorps

General Information

• Complete coursework in statistics and social research.
• Seek leadership roles in student government or campus organizations.
• Become familiar with the government application process.
• Gain experience through internships, volunteer or other part-time positions.
• Develop excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and the ability to work in a group.
• Research environmental issues regularly.

Career Areas

• Land and Water Conservation
• Natural Resource Management
• Land Acquisition
• Advocacy/Lobbying
• Administration and Management
• Recreation Planning
• Research
• Ecotourism

Employers

• Local planning agencies
• Environmental advocacy groups
• Non-profit organizations
• Government agencies
• National Park Service
• State, county, or city parks
• Environmental periodicals
• Tourism agencies

General Information

• Take courses in ecology, environmental science, and statistics.
• Join environment-related student organizations.
• Join professional associations and environmental groups as ways to network.
• Volunteer to work on environmental clean-up projects with an organization.
• Participate in travel and/or recreation programs.
• Learn environmental laws and regulations.
• Develop excellent communication skills, both oral and written, as well as the ability to work as part of a team.

Career Areas

• Teaching (Elementary, Secondary, Post-secondary, Non-classroom education)
• Technical writing
• Editing
• Illustrating
• Photography
• Public relations

Employers

• Public and private schools, K-12
• Two-year community colleges/technical institutes
• Four-year colleges and universities
• Museums
• Zoos
• Nature centers and parks
• Publishing companies
• Environmental organizations
• Government agencies
• Nonprofit organizations

General Information

• Gain experience working with students through tutoring, part-time employment or volunteering.
• Learn to work well with people of varying backgrounds and skills.
• Develop excellent interpersonal, communication and content area knowledge.
• Master’s degrees may be sufficient for teaching at community or two-year institutions.
• Take advanced courses in technical writing or journalism classes or consider a minor in either.
• Seek related volunteer or paid experiences with student/local publications to increase marketability.
• Consider earning an advanced degree in a communications field to specialize in.

Career Areas

• Natural resource management
• Sustainability management
• Water resources
• Aviation planning
• Transportation planning
• Land acquisition
• Recreation management
• Renewable energy

Employers

• Federal, state, and local government: 
  • EPA
  • NOAA
  • Fish and Wildlife Service
  • National Park Service
  • Department of Agriculture
• Department of Transportation
• Public works departments
• Wildlife ranges
• Market research companies
• Nonprofit organizations
• Land trust organizations
• Zoological parks
• Consulting firms

General Information

• Obtain experience through volunteer positions such as Student Conservation Association, and seek leadership positions.
• Develop knowledge of land and water policies, ecology and conservation history.
• Hone communication and negotiation skills for interacting with various stakeholders: land owners, elected officials, and conservation and community representatives.

Career Areas

• Energy Law
• Natural Resources Law
• Environmental Law

Employers

• Law firms
• Corporations
• Federal/State agencies
• Environmental compliance services companies
• Regulatory commissions
• Advocacy organizations
• Public interest groups

General Information

• This area involves rights to resources including those in the Earth and dangers in production of energy as well as transportation, taxation, patents, clean air and water, and government regulation.
• An undergraduate major in environmental science, agriculture, engineering, or science may be good preparation.
• Students interested in attending law school may choose any major of interest.
• Develop strong research, communication and writing skills.
• Participate in student government.
• Completing the law degree, Juris Doctor or JD, typically takes three years of full-time coursework.
• After completion, one must pass a state bar examination in order to practice law in that state.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends, laws and, policies specific to area of interest (e.g., conservation, regulation compliance, etc).