Co-op/
Internship Encouraged
Salary and Career Info
Environmental Science BS
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
Project Manager; Animal Care Assistant; Environmental Consultant; GIS Analyst; Wetland Scientist
Select program hiring partners
Contech Engineered Solutions; Bausch Health Companies; Dow; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Rochester Museum & Science Center; The Seneca Nation of Indians; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Services
100%
Outcome Rates for Environmental Science BS
Total percentage of graduates who have entered the workforce, enrolled in full-time graduate study, or are pursuing alternative plans (military service, volunteering, etc.).
66.67%
Knowledge Rate
Total percentage of graduates for whom RIT has verifiable data, compared to national average knowledge rate of 41% per NACE.
| Outcome | % of Students |
|---|---|
| Employed | 100.00% |
| Full-time Graduate Study | 0% |
| Alternative Plans | 0% |
Experiential Learning
Cooperative Education
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Science co-ops include a range of hands-on experiences, from co-ops and internships and work in labs to undergraduate research and clinical experience in health care settings. These opportunities provide the hands-on experience that enables you to apply your scientific, math, and health care knowledge in professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.
Co-op is optional for students in the environmental science degree.
Careers in Environmental Science
There is a great need for individuals who have both a strong background in environmental science and the ability to participate in an interdisciplinary problem-solving team. Upon graduation, students will be valued for their broad understanding of environmental science, their depth of knowledge in a particular aspect of environmental science, and their ability to attack and solve tough environmental problems.
National Labs Career Events and Recruiting
The Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education offers National Labs and federally-funded Research Centers from all research areas and sponsoring agencies a variety of options to connect with and recruit students. Students connect with employer partners to gather information on their laboratories and explore co-op, internship, research, and full-time opportunities. These national labs focus on scientific discovery, clean energy development, national security, technology advancements, and more. Recruiting events include our university-wide Fall Career Fair, on-campus and virtual interviews, information sessions, 1:1 networking with lab representatives, and a National Labs Resume Book available to all labs.