鈥淪ustainability鈥� is one of the most popular buzzwords out there right now. From clothes, coffee, and construction to food, forestry and farming, sustainability plays a huge role in the products and services that are most prevalent in our lives. But what about a sustainability degree?
The same way the term sustainability has broad and varied applications, earning a degree in sustainability can put you on a career path with a seemingly infinite number of options. Studying sustainability at 猫咪社区 is about understanding the complex and overlapping relationship between society, the environment, and the economy. Our students learn the ins and outs of how sustainable businesses operate while also staying true to their passions for protecting the planet.
鈥淸The industry needs] sustainability professionals who understand business and commerce at all levels; government ministers, company boards, and across operational levels,鈥� says聽聽at The Crown Estate. 鈥淪trong influencers, change managers, and those with the ability to implement an agenda are skills that are required. Sustainability professionals need to be able to get under the skin of the business, to challenge and change it in a constructive way.鈥�
So, there鈥檚 definitely a need, but we understand you want some specifics about what you can actually聽do聽with a degree in sustainability. Don鈥檛 worry; we鈥檝e got you covered.
We dug into research from the聽聽(USDOL) to help you understand the options you have if you choose to earn a聽sustainability degree. We profiled a broad selection of job titles, daily tasks, necessary skills, and job outlooks for those pursuing this path.
Table of Contents
- Sustainability Careers for ‘Business Savvy Nature Lovers’
- Career Outlook for Sustainability Majors
- Day-to-Day Tasks You’ll Perform
- Knowledge You’ll Need to Acquire with a Sustainability Degree
- The Bottom Line
Sustainability Careers for 鈥楤usiness Savvy Nature Lovers鈥�
Careers in sustainability are wide and varied and there鈥檚 no single best way to make it part of your professional life. It鈥檚 important people who choose to go into this field bring with them a passion for affecting change, some technical know-how when it comes to business or computer software, and a stubbornness about protecting the environment.
鈥淭here are multiple ways to bring sustainability into your career path,鈥� says聽聽at Sustainalytics. 鈥淐reating positive impact for the environment, society, and economy more broadly can be present in roles you may not expect.鈥�
Career outlook for sustainability majors*
The vastness of the discipline and the myriad directions your career could take means a sustainability degree should be considered a gateway program. Whether you decide to pursue the society, environment, or economy career path will determine whether or not you鈥檒l need more school or additional certifications. The good news is that sustainability as a business concept is here to stay and the career outlook for these fields looks promising.
Just keep in mind that the salaries listed in the graphic represent a nationwide median that includes workers at all levels of education and experience. Once you find a job, your salary can vary significantly based on geography and employer and those listed here shouldn鈥檛 be considered a starting salary.
Day-to-day tasks you鈥檒l be asked to perform
Depending on the path you take toward a sustainable career, your day-to-day tasks will vary but will likely include the following. We鈥檝e broken down the list into our three areas of emphasis so you can match your interests and abilities to the best opportunities out there. According to USDOL, here are the most common tasks you鈥檒l be asked to perform.
Society track
- Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects and develop strategies or methods to minimize the impact
- Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems
- Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment
- Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems
- Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions
Environment track
- Develop sustainability project goals, objectives, initiatives, or strategies in collaboration with other sustainability professionals
- Assess or propose sustainability initiatives, considering factors such as cost effectiveness, technical feasibility, and acceptance
- Monitor or track sustainability indicators, such as energy usage, natural resource usage, waste generation, and recycling
- Research or review regulatory, technical, or market issues related to sustainability
- Collect information about waste stream management or green building practices to inform decision-makers
Economy track
- Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements
- Emphasize product features based on analyses of customers’ needs and on technical knowledge of product capabilities and limitations
- Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales
- Compute customer’s installation or production costs and estimate savings from new services, products, or equipment
- Study documentation or other information for new scientific or technical products
Hopefully it鈥檚 becoming clear that sustainability careers can include everything from helping customers find alternative energy solutions to identifying land management problems to constructing green buildings. 鈥淪ustainability鈥� isn鈥檛 a career choice in itself; it鈥檚 a choice you make about the kind of job you want to have within your field.
Knowledge you鈥檒l need to acquire with a sustainability degree
Because sustainability degree-holders have wide and varied career options, it鈥檚 crucial to prepare yourself with a diverse foundation of coursework. Obviously, you鈥檒l need to take classes in environmental science, but other skills can provide a knowledge base that will complement the work you鈥檙e already doing.
Regardless of which path you choose鈥攕ociety, environment, or economy鈥攕ustainability majors should consider building additional skills in these areas:
Society track
- Administration & Management: Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources
- Engineering & Technology: The practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services
- Education & Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects
Environment track
- Building & Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads
- Design: Design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models
- Engineering & Technology: The practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services
Economy track
- Customer & Personal Service: The principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
- Sales & Marketing: The principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems
- Production & Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods
The bottom line
Keep in mind, earning a degree in a sustainability is a way to keep the environment first and foremost in your mind as you provide products or services to people, businesses, or governments. Think of it like a layer on top of the subject you choose to study and the career you eventually pursue.
Don鈥檛 let the ambiguity of the concept dissuade you from pursuing a career in sustainability. The 21st Century has seen a push toward environmental friendliness and it鈥檚 something more and more organizations and consumers are prioritizing.
When it comes time to decide what to do with that sustainability degree, Menzies encourages college grads to be creative. 鈥淩esearch companies, start-ups, public sector, and nonprofit organizations that you think would be rewarding to work for and apply for roles that align with your values,鈥� she says.
What can you do with a degree in sustainability? Your options are almost limitless. The field requires curious minds who have a passion for protecting the planet. It鈥檚 a competitive career path that requires academic excellence, but also one that鈥檚 projected to grow at an above-average rate over the next decade. 猫咪社区 – Distance Education’s BS in Environmental Studies is a great option for earning a degree that will empower you with the knowledge about the complex and overlapping relationship between society, the environment, and the economy – a key to succeeding in today’s professional world.
The bottom line: There will be plenty of sustainability jobs available, across a wide variety of industries, for college grads who take their studies seriously. 聽
*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics聽听补苍诲听
Photo credit: Heather Husen [CC BY-SA 4.0 聽(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
