Although the School’s programs don’t have a track record yet, discussions with and interest from employers indicate that there is a demand for employees and leaders who know what sustainability is and understand its complexity, understand how to approach problems and solutions, and know how to work with and draw from different disciplines.
Sustainability graduates of the BA and BS in Sustainability are prepared for admission into strong graduate and professional schools or may assume positions in industry, consultancy, utilities, regulatory agencies, non-profits, non-governmental organizations, or local, state or federal government.
Sustainability graduates of the MA, MS, and PhD in Sustainability are also prepared for admission into strong graduate and professional schools or may assume positions in higher education, industry, consultancy, utilities, regulatory agencies, non-profits, non-governmental organizations, or local, state or federal government.
Recent interest in sustainability within business and government has created new employment opportunities in the field. By engaging a breadth of knowledge and experience, and by acquiring the skills to integrate various domains of knowledge, sustainability students prepare themselves for a variety of careers to help find solutions to challenges having to do with biodiversity and habitats, climate, economy and society, energy, materials and technology, governance and policy, international development, urbanization, and water.
The types of positions that graduates will go into will depend on how they form their program of study. Since the School’s sustainability programs allow for customization, career opportunities will depend on the student’s interests, the courses they take, and other academic and professional experience they have (e.g., internships, study abroad, and work and volunteer experience).
The following job titles were taken from a search of various sustainable job postings. Possible types of positions include: Project Coordinator, Project Manager, Sustainability Officer, Sustainability Analyst, Sustainable Design Professional, Engineer, Environmental Research Assistant, Sustainability Consultant, Energy Efficiency Analyst, Operations Manager, Development Specialist, Resource Manager, etc.
The following list of organizations was taken from a search of various sustainable job postings. Possible types of organizations graduates may work with include: Computer systems, communications, environmental management, architecture, planning, design, construction, non-profit organizations, independent “green” businesses, media/marketing, parks and recreation, horticulture, agriculture, hospitality industry, travel and tourism, etc.