Planning for What Comes Next: Jobs and Graduate School
With a baccalaureate degree, graduates are prepared to advance to graduate school or seek entry-level employment in the diverse and vigorous environmental job market. Environmental technology has quickly 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.
SNRE graduates have found employment in twenty-seven states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five 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. For more information on the field, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics's Occupational Outlook Handbook for Environmental Scientists and Specialists.
Examples of Job Titles in the Environmental Science Field
| Air Quality Analyst | Environmental Social Scientist |
| Aquatic Biologist | Environmental Specialist |
| Biologist | Environmental Technician |
| Botanist | Environmental Trainer |
| Climate Change Adaptation Planner | Field Technician |
| Climate Change Mitigation Specialist | Greenways Coordinator |
| Conservation Scientist | Hazardous Materials Specialist |
| Ecologist | Hydrologic Technician |
| Engineering Assistant | Industrial Hygiene Specialist |
| Environmental Analyst | Natural Resource Planner |
| Environmental Consultant | Nature Preserve Manager |
| Environmental Coordinator | Project Manager |
| Environmental Data Analyst | Research Scientist |
| Environmental Educator | Risk Assessor |
| Environmental Extension Agent | Sales Representative |
| Environmental Lawyer | Social-ecological Resilience Specialist |
| Environmental Manager | Stormwater Program Manager |
| Environmental Permitting Specialist | Sustainability Coordinator |
| Environmental Planner | Utility Projects Coordinator |
| Environmental Policy Analyst | Wastewater Treatment Specialist |
| Environmental Project Manager | Water Quality Analyst |
| Environmental Protection Specialist | Wetlands Scientist |
| Environmental Research Scientist | Wildlife Biologist |
| Environmental Safety Specialist | Wildlife Ecologist |
| Environmental Sanitarian Specialist | Wildlife Manager |
| Environmental Scientist | Zoologist |
Many of our baccalaureate students enter the private sector, which hires approximately 11% of our graduates. Most graduates are employed as environmental engineers or environmental consultants. Others are employed in a wide range of positions, including real estate, small business and other professional companies. About 10% work in government agencies. Over 50% of our graduates go on to graduate or professional school, engaging in a range of fields including interdisciplinary ecology, law, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, earth and life sciences, and journalism. These individuals seek to develop mastery in these fields or to enter the job market at a level that maximizes income and workplace responsibility.
Potential Graduate Degree or Professional Programs
| Anthropology | Journalism and Communications |
| Botany | Landscape Architecture |
| Business | Latin American Studies |
| Ecology, Interdisciplinary | Law |
| Education | Political Science |
| Entomology and Nematology | Resource Economics |
| Environmental Engineering Sciences | Soil and Water Sciences |
| Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences | Urban and Regional Planning |
| Forest Resources and Conservation | Wildlife Ecology and Conservation |
| Geography | Zoology |
Research Opportunities - research experiences as an undergraduate will improve your resume and help you determine what you want to do for a career.