Students working with solar panels in an environmental science lab
Trained to tackle such hot-button issues as global warming, sustainability, and ecosystem preservation, environmental scientists are uniquely prepared to face the future. Our degree program in environmental science pairs the social and political focus of our environmental studies major with a rigorous science curriculum. By your junior year you'll be required to select a science concentration in chemistry, biology, or anthropology. This combination of critical-thinking skills and hands-on science will prepare you to work effectively with environmental policy makers, educators, and scientists alike.
Real-world experience is a hallmark of the program. Having received more than 20 external grants in the last five years, our faculty members provide exceptional summer research opportunities. Locally our students have mapped bird habitats with GPS equipment; analyzed soil and water samples using gas chromatography; and conducted molecular DNA analysis of plants and hybridizing birds. They've also studied plant-insect coevolution in Ecuador, the impact of ecotourism in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and primates in the tropical rainforests of Panama. Our partnerships with EcoVillage of Ithaca, Sustainable Tompkins, and the History Center in Tompkins County expand your options beyond the campus. As the second-most ecofriendly city in the United States, the Ithaca community brims with environmental internship opportunities.
Graduates pursue careers in areas such as aquatic toxicology, wildlife conservation, environmental science education, solar technology, and renewable energy. Whether you're passionate about preserving the world's natural resources or solving ecological challenges with a scientific approach, an environmental science degree from Ithaca College will set you on the path to making a positive difference.