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
Animal care assistant, Customer care associate, Environmental Consultant, GIGP Capstone Project Team Member, GIS analyst, Lab tech, Staff scientist, Wetland scientist
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
67%
Outcome Rates*
46%
Knowledge Rate
| Outcome | % of Students |
|---|---|
| Employed | 50.00% |
| Full-time Graduate Study | 17.00% |
| Alternative Plans | 0% |
Experiential Learning
Cooperative Education
What makes an RIT science and math education exceptional? It’s the ability to complete science and math co-ops and gain real-world experience that sets you apart. Co-ops in the College of Science include cooperative education and internship experiences in industry and health care settings, as well as research in an academic, industry, or national lab. These are not only possible at RIT, but passionately encouraged.
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.