To develop solutions for human-caused environmental change, we must first understand the principles of the natural environment. The Environmental Science major is an interdisciplinary science program that focuses on the use of natural systems to solve environmental problems, such as restoring ecosystem health, protecting water quality, and sustaining soil resources. These issues are at the forefront of the most pressing challenges facing the world.
Students in this major take an array of science courses to foster understandings of the environment, its components and processes, and techniques for managing and restoring ecosystems within it. The Environmental Science major investigates how to sustainably manage natural resources amidst disturbances, such as the changing climate, to support and preserve biodiversity.
Meet current Environmental Science students
Specializations
All environmental science students take a core set of courses in environmental sciences that build knowledge in water quality management, ecology, chemistry, and human interactions with the natural environment. Students expand upon this foundation by specializing in one of four areas:
Ecosystem Restoration: This specialization examines how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems function at physical, biological, and chemical levels. With this knowledge, students learn how to manage, preserve, and restore ecosystems through hands-on experiences in classes.
Environmental Molecular Science: Students in this specialization are interested in pursuing answers to environmental challenges by studying components up close at the smallest level of atoms, cells, and molecules. This specialization is well-suited for students who wish to obtain an advanced graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in the fields of environmental microbiology, geobiology, or biogeochemistry.
Soil Resources and Environmental Sustainability: Study the nature, ecology, formation, and classification of soils to understand how soil is a core component of our environment. By taking classes that teach how to sustain soil health, students are prepared to solve pressing issues related to sustainable agriculture, nutrient runoff, habitat restoration, and stormwater management.
Water Science: Water quality and water quantity issues are two of the biggest environmental challenges in our world. This specialization focuses on freshwater ecology, the role freshwater plays in natural and human systems, and the competing and growing demands for water.
View the Environmental Science Curriculum
Career Outcomes
On average, 93% of Environmental Science students are employed or enrolled in graduate or professional school within 6 months of graduation with a reported average starting salary around $45k. Typically, about 17% of ES grads go directly into graduate or professional school.
Careers in environmental science incorporate understandings of our natural world through work in both the field and the lab. With such broad applications, students in the environmental science field can obtain a diverse array of jobs in the public and private sector.
Here are some examples of positions acquired by Environmental Science graduates immediately following graduation between 2018 and 2023:
Plant Health Care Specialist, Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation, Ohio
Geographic Information Systems Analyst, Apple, Inc., Texas
Aquatic Specialist, AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management, OH
Fire Ecology Intern, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
Water Research Analyst, City of Columbus, Ohio
Natural Resources Specialist, Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio
Environmental Health Specialist, Columbus Public Health Department, Ohio
Environmental Scientist, Environmental Resources Management, Ohio
Environmental Technician, Midwest Biodiversity Institute, Ohio
Field Crew Lead, Montana Conservation Corps, Montana
Research Assistant, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio
Isolated Wetland Permit Reviewer, Ohio EPA, Ohio
Environmental Specialist, Ohio EPA, Ohio
Ecosystem Restoration Specialist, Resource Environmental Solutions, Ohio
General Scientist, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Maryland
Hydraulic Technician, USDA – Agriculture Research Service, Ohio
Soil Conservationist, USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ohio
Environmental Stewardship Associate, Walking Mountains, Colorado
Selected graduate programs pursued by ES students upon graduation between 2018-2023:
Columbia University, Environmental Science & Policy
Hawai’i Pacific University, Marine Science
New York University, Environmental Science
Northwestern University, Energy and Sustainability
University of Denver, Ecological Justice & Social Work
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences
University of Pennsylvania, Environmental Water Resources Management
The Ohio State University:
Architecture
Earth Science
Environment and Natural Resources
Environmental Science
Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering
Law
