Combine a love for nature with cutting-edge research to create a sustainable future for our planet in this innovative environmental science degree.
Program skills
The practice of environmental science demands that students be well-rounded specialists. To accomplish this, each student is required to complete an environmental science concentration in one of the following areas: digital imaging, environmental biology, environmental economics, environmental public policy, mathematics and statistics, or remote sensing. Students also may develop a self-designed concentration in an area of personal interest, subject to approval from an environmental science review committee. RIT’s stature as a top technical university gives our students a significant advantage as technology revolutionizes the way environmental data are collected and analyzed.
Program facilities equipment
Students have access to ten student/faculty research laboratories and a Greenhouse and plant tissue culture facility. Students are also equipped with GIS Software (ArcGIS & IDRISI, access to ENVI and ERDAS), Garmin and Trimble GPS receivers, soil sampling equipment, soil analysis equipment, water sampling devices, multimeters, individual probes for water quality analysis, LiCor light meter with 2 pi and 4 pi sensors, Hach LDO oxygen meters, ponar dredges, plankton samplers, macroinvertebrate nets/samplers, and a library of field reference texts. The Environmental Science program also runs and maintains an on-campus bird banding facility (RITBO).
Program job titles reported
City Research Scientist; Education Presenter; Environmental Analyst; Environmental Scientist; Field Biologist; Graduate Research Assistant; LiDAR Technician; Philanthropy and Operations Coordinator; Physical Scientist; Pump and Process Operator Trainee; Remote Sensing Technician; Research Engineer
Select program hiring partners
Bausch Health Companies, Dow, Microworks POS Solutions, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, The Seneca Nation of Indians, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Services
Industries
72%
Outcome Rates*
86%
Knowledge Rate
| Outcome | % of Students |
|---|---|
| Employed | 33.00% |
| Full-time Graduate Study | 39.00% |
| Alternative Plans | 0% |
Experiential Learning
Cooperative Education
Cooperative education, or co-op for short, is full-time, paid work experience in your field of study. And it sets RIT graduates apart from their competitors. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries. RIT co-op is designed for your success.
Co-op is optional for students in the environmental science degree.