Sustainability, Environment & Energy
The Sustainability, Environment and Energy Career Community encompasses careers focused on understanding, protecting, and improving the natural world and the systems that support it. From civil and environmental engineering to marine science, environmental policy, and renewable energy, this Community prepares students to address some of the most pressing challenges facing communities and ecosystems worldwide. Professionals in this field work across sectors including government, nonprofits, engineering firms, and research institutions to build a more sustainable future.
The roads, dams, bridges, water treatment plants and all other public projects that affect society’s daily lives are developed by civil engineers. Civil engineers also perform the structural design and analysis of buildings, such as skyscrapers. Other areas of civil engineering include construction project management, construction automation, environmental engineering, traffic analysis, and mechanics of materials.
Environmental engineers are involved in water and air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, and public health issues. Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies and evaluate the significance of the municipal sewage and industrial wastewater systems. They analyze scientific data, research controversial projects, and perform quality control checks.
Skills & Competencies
- Project scheduling
- Hydrology & hydraulics modeling
- Environmental regulations (EPA, NEPA compliance)
- GIS mapping & spatial analysis
- Structural analysis & AutoCAD / Revit
Example Job Titles
- Civil / Structural Engineer
- Environmental Engineer
- Transportation Planner
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Water Resources Engineer
Civil and environmental engineering careers span infrastructure, water resources, environmental compliance, and sustainability consulting. Use Forage virtual simulations to explore engineering career environments, prepare for technical interviews with our Interview Type: Technical guide, and explore ASCE and ASHRAE professional associations in our resources library.
You can also utilize the Library’s Civil & Environmental Engineering guide for technical standards, sustainable design, and environmental engineering research, and more tools like the Civil Engineering Database (ASCE) for all publications of the American Society of Civil Engineers, GreenFILE (EBSCOhost) for sustainable building and environmental scholarship, and Engineering Village for comprehensive engineering literature on infrastructure and environment.
Resources: Forage | Interview Type: Technical | Library Guide
For more information, please visit the department website.
Environmental Science and Environmental Studies are interdisciplinary studies that focus on how humans interact with the earth and the environment. As demand grows for renewable energy and green technologies, Environmental Science/Studies majors have the opportunity to work in a variety of growing fields, including pollution control, law and politics, marine biology, sociology, economics and business.
Minors: Geology, Environmental Geology, Environmental Studies, Marine Studies
Skills & Competencies
- Writing Proficency
- Hydrology & hydraulics modeling
- Environmental regulations (EPA, NEPA compliance)
- GIS mapping & spatial analysis
- Structural analysis & AutoCAD / Revit
Example Job Titles
- Environmental Scientist / Ecologist
- Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist
- Sustainability Coordinator / ESG Analyst
- Conservation Scientist / Wildlife Biologist
- Environmental Policy Analyst
Environmental science and studies careers span research, policy, advocacy, conservation, and sustainability management across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Use GoinGlobal to explore environmental roles globally and understand international work authorization, connect with environmental professional associations including AERE and AEESP in our resources library, and use Big Interview to practice communicating your research and field experience.
You can also utilize the Library’s Environmental Science guide for climate, energy, and ecology research, and more tools like GreenFILE (EBSCOhost) for nearly 300,000 records connecting environment with law, health, agriculture, and technology, E&E News (Politico Pro) for daily energy and environment reporting including ClimateWire and GreenWire, and ScienceDirect Topics (Elsevier) for foundational overviews of new environmental research areas.
Resources: GoinGlobal | Big Interview | Library Guide
For more information, please visit the department website.
