Considering Environmental Science Major

[HardcoreRomantic]

I'm in my second year at the U of Minn, and right now, and this is what I'm looking at for a major. I'm most interested in the Environmental Monitoring and Analysis focus and the Soil and Water Sciences. I'm just wondering if anyone works in either of these or a similar field.

What kinds of places do you work for? What do you/don't you like about it? Is there a similar field of study you might recommend instead?

 

[vi edit]

I don't have one, but my best friend (and a number of people I know from college) had Environmental science degrees.

Most of the ones I know do lab & field work for state DNR's. My friend in particular is a limnologist working for the State of Iowa doing water samples in creeks and state waterways. They sample water for chemicals and bacteria and also check for the types of fish that live in the water bodies they sample.

A number of the people that I know from my school that graduated with the degree also work for a state department doing similar work.

A few managed to hook up with a previous professor doing some sort of research for a private grant out in Oregon. Not sure what they are studying in particular.

The work isn't easy. It isn't clean. It doesn't pay well. And you really have to put in your dues before you get hired on full time with benefits. Plus, you are at the disposal of state budgets. Sadly, environmental/research departments are some of the first ones to get cut back on so job safety isn't as good as other governement jobs.

 

[novasatori]

you could probably also work for the http://www.usace.army.mil/

 

[bonkers325]

are you looking for desk job, lab job, or field work? in any case, you will need to know lots of chemistry!

i have an environmental engineering degree and its easy to get a job, but you will burn out if you dont like the work (most EPA/DEC remediation/cleanup jobs which take anywhere from 1-20 years from start to finish, depending on the size of the job). as an env. engineer u will go out to the field and oversee the site, make sure soil borings are done right, take notes/descriptions, etc.

with an environmental science degree, u can also do environmental engineering/management work, but u will be more on the desk side of things and rarely will u go out to the field.

with a soil and water sciences degree, i'd imagine you'd learn a lot about hydrology and groundwater movement, which pretty much falls into the category of environmental engineering/science. more field work, i'd guess.

 

[The Stigenator]

I have a degree in environmental sciences. I work for Cal/EPA - Dept of Toxic Substances Control as a Scientist.
The pay isnt that great (starting or even with experience) but its a stable job barring the state budget passing. I would suggest an engineering field. Cause atleast here ppl with engineering degrees make more $$ than us scientists even though we do the same thing.

Now in private firms, the pay is better about 15K/yr more than what i make at the state for a starting salary.

Its a good degree but if you are out to save the environment and be that crusader, working for the state wont do it. there are lots of private companies and stuff but seriously we're underpaid regardless of which group we go into (private/public/non profit). You join this because you have a love for the outdoors and you want a safer environment to live in.

Anyway PM me if you got questions. Your field isnt bad.. Monitoring and Analysis will focus on stuff like ground water/air/invasive species monitoring. Its an interesting field. Just let you know doesnt matter what your exact field is.. you wont be working in that field. Finding a job that does environmental monitoring and analysis can be done but finding companies to hire you straight out of college is impossible. Thats why i am working for the state, cause private companies want ppl with expereince. I would suggest interning atleast 2 times (over the summer) with companies that do this kind of work, or work as a student assistant with the state govt. You need expereince, cause i had none.

By the way the environmental field is very broad, so they are still working out the kinks.


By the way in teh pecking order.. its easier to get a job as an environmental engineer, then environmental sciences major and then environmental studies major.

The difference between sciences and studies is that one is more science track, the other is more policy/law/ethics/art track.

 

[HardcoreRomantic]

Yeah, I'm really wanting to more lab and field work. The reason I was looking at environmental science is because a lot of the coursework here is very hands on. So maybe environmental engineering instead?

 

[The Stigenator]

You can do lab / fieldwork with anything. I know ppl with environmental sciences and studies doing ground water monitoring. It depends on who hires you and what kind of jobs you are targetting. Yes its easier to get a outdoor job with an engineering degree, but you wont be prevented from one in a sciences / studies degree.

and for the record, i do go out and survey stuff, i have a sciences degree and i am a scientist.

 

[HardcoreRomantic]

That's awesome to hear. I'm actually going to be talking to an advisor about possibly doing an individualized study to get the most I can from both the science and engineering side of things. I'm basically finished with all my liberal ed requirements, and all the core classes are the same anyway. I just like the science focus more than the IT focus.

 

[Casawi]

I know it took my friend 4 years to find a job after college, unless of course you are considering grad school.

Good luck

 

[HardcoreRomantic]

Yeah. I definitely want to do grad school. And hopefully since at least one internship is required to graduate, that'll help with the experience.

Thanks for the comments so far

I'm sure in the next week or so after advising meetings and such, I'll have more questions posted on here too.

 

[richardycc]

there is no money in science, and you need a Ph.d to be in charge of anything, otherwise, you will always work for someone that has a ph.d or or an old guy with no degree that has been with the company for a long time. you will most likely doing most of the dirty work, such as collecting water samples, setting and retrieving the air sample bombs. we had a lot of environmental science major contractors at my last job, it is kinda sad. I got out the science field, and glad that I got out. I am not trying to discourage, but that's how it is.