The Environmental Studies concentration allows for an exploration of science policy and resource management. Students are encouraged to participate in both scientific and applied research that connects science to the Golden Isles community. Internships and independent study opportunities will provide experiences in environmental communication, conducting sustainability assessments, and working with local environmental organizations. Previous students have worked with the Glynn Environmental Coalition and the Satilla River Keeper. Currently, plans are being developed to offer internships with the Environmental Justice Advisory Board as well as 100 miles.
Environmental Science students in either the Natural Sciences or Environmental Studies concentration will complete a solid-core of courses that introduce them to field-and-data-based research approaches. Our students have the opportunity to gain experience in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), software (QGIS and ArcGIS), STELLA, a visual interface systems-modeling software, and R, an open-source statistical programming environment.
Students will gain a holistic understanding of how to conceptualize and investigate Earth processes. First-year students begin by examining the foundations of the Earth in Physical Geology and Historical Geology. They build on their understanding of Earth processes through completed general science education courses in chemistry, biology, and Earth Systems. Their upper-level courses develop content-knowledge in physics followed by GIS, hydrology, sustainability, statistics, oceanography and climate change. Senior Seminar is designed to professionally prepare students for job interviews, graduate school applications, and refine student research design thinking. Environmental Studies electives are integrated in a way that allows students to specialize in what they are most interested in (public management and policy, environmental history and psychology, etc).
Environmental scientists with a concentration in Environmental Studies have an inherent emphasis on human dimensions and application of the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, and earth science to solve societal problems. Environmental Studies professionals lead the application and management of solutions provided by environmental scientists and engineers.
Environmental Studies graduates excel in a wide variety of careers, though most work for the government (federal, state, or local) or for private companies. In these roles, Environmental Studies graduates lead sustainability efforts, develop policy, and facilitate communication in multi-stakeholder groups. Additionally, these professionals also serve in critical community management roles centered on environmental justice and community resilience.
In 2019, the median pay for environmental scientists in the United States was over $71,000, and the typical entry-level education was a Bachelor’s degree. Employment of environmental scientists and specialists is projected to grow eight percent over the next decade – must faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for environmental scientists is increasing as the public becomes more interested and concerned with hazards facing the environment and heightened demands placed on the environment.
For more information on environmental science careers, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ webpage on environmental scientists and specialists.
Heidger, an Environmental Science and Public Management double major, is spending her summer in France preparing for her future environmental sustainability career.
“I’ll be in a sustainability concentration in the fall, and that really allows me to take the science behind it all and pair it with the writing, and learn how to translate the science into change and action.”
James Deemy is a hydrologist and environmental scientist. He has a broad background in biology, ecology, and geology. His research interests focus on assessing the hydrologic connectivity between isolated, ephemeral wetlands and watersheds. He has specifically assessed the water quality and quantity of agricultural storm-based flows that connect wetlands to nearby waters in southwest Georgia. James also has active research in water resources education.
