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There is no such thing as an "environmental major." The job of building a sustainable society requires scientists, engineers, policy specialists, technicians, educators, communicators, managers, fundraisers, entrepreneurs, financial professionals, and many others.
Many college majors can prepare you for a career in environmental and conservation work.
So how do I know which major to pick?
The most important first step is to begin the process of narrowing your interests. If you can identify your career goal more specifically, you can determine what kind of college education is best for you. Do you like working outside? Do you like to write? All of these things can help you picture the career you want to create.
Web sites with career information:
Environmental Careers Organization
Click on “Careers” to find a nice section where you can post questions and get answers from an Environmental Career Professional, as well as great tips about hot skills in demand.
What do I need to do to have a career working in the environment?
Mastery of your scientific material is not enough! The EPA’s (Environment Protection Agency) Workforce Assessment Project determined that the agency had plenty of good engineers and scientists, but that there was a real need for people who could bring people together, and who could communicate well with the public, in addition to demonstrating a mastery of science and technology.
Of special interest in the environmental field right now is mastery of information technology, including GIS & GPS. GIS is the use of computers to generate sophisticated maps for water resources, wildlife distribution, land use planning, etc. GIS is rapidly becoming an extremely important factor in all areas of the environmental sector.
The other “hot” tool in environmental studies is molecular technology. Internships or other work where you use GIS and/or molecular tools will give you an advantage when you apply for a full-time position.
Majors you can choose in the College of Natural Science at MSU to pursue environmental studies:
 Environmental Zoology
Environmental Microbiology
Environmental Biology--Botany
Environmental Geoscience
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Plant Biology
Earth Science
Entomology
Environmental Science and Management Concentration
Also check out:
Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment
Additional sources of information:
Great Lakes Careers: Career profiles and other information
Ecology and statistics as a career
A day in the life of a Forestry Service Employee
Careers in Zoos and Aquariums from the American Zoological Society
Careers in Water Quality (Water Environment Federation)
Hot Topics in Waste News; also a series of links to major industrial and non-profit employers!
An online group at Yahoo: EnviroJobs.
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Ecologists
Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists
Environmental Technicians
Liquid and Solid Waste Operators
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