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Studying Environmental Science at Weber State

Weber State’s environmental science program prepares students to meld the life and physical sciences to assess and protect environmental quality, ecosystem functioning and human health. If you have a passion for the environment and want to make a difference for the long-term viability of ecosystems and human communities, consider this degree. Learn more about our program.

Environmental Science Highlights

This is the first interdisciplinary program at the bachelor’s level within the College of Science. It provides the opportunity to choose from a broad suite of courses across all departments within the college — Botany & Plant Ecology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics & Astronomy, Zoology — as well as from relevant courses in departments across campus including Economics, Geography and Sociology. All these fields are central to environmental protection.

An environmental scientist is a problem solver who works on complex issues such as:

  • Climate change
  • Natural resource management
  • Sustainability
  • Ecosystem conservation
  • Environmental regulation

Our majors learn to view and interpret the Earth as a complex system that supplies the requirements and resources for viable natural ecosystems and healthy human communities. This learning is set within the context of challenges facing society, like natural hazards, pollution and resource scarcity.

  • Dr. Demetrios Pagonis, a student advisor, is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Contact Dr. Pagonis.

Visit the Environmental Science office, co-located with the Center for Science and Math Education in room 204 on the second floor of Tracy Hall (south side, upstairs from Starbucks).  

Watch: Environmental Science at WSU

Beyond the Classroom

This program involves collaboration between faculty and students. All science majors have access to outdoor “natural laboratories,” well-equipped labs, opportunities to do undergraduate research, student organization events and extracurricular activities. Faculty and staff provide a breadth of expertise spanning the broad field of environmental science. We have extracurricular activities through the Sustainability Practices & Research Center (SPARC) and Environmental Ambassadors programs, and opportunities for undergraduate research, internships and volunteering are also available.

What You’ll Learn at Weber

You will learn to view and interpret Earth's surface as a complex system that supplies the requirements and resources for viable natural ecosystems and healthy human communities.

You will conduct research in the outdoor laboratory of northern Utah’s mountains and lakes, along with our modern and well-equipped laboratories on campus, to explore issues of environmental health and natural resource management.

Upon graduation, you’ll have gained important skills in critical thinking, data collection, data analysis and communication that will allow you to address interdisciplinary problems in an ever-changing world.

You can expect to complete courses in:

  • Life science
  • Physical science
  • Mathematics

What You Can Do After Weber

This degree will prepare you for entry-level jobs in the environmental sector of STEM-related careers and for graduate programs in environmental science and related fields, such as natural resource management or environmental law and policy. You can also begin a career path toward positions with:

  • Municipal, county, state, and federal government agencies that manage natural resources, public lands, and/or enforce environmental regulations
  • Non-governmental organizations dedicated to environmental protection
  • Consulting firms that specialize in helping clients address environmental issues or in assisting regulatory agencies in assessing environmental conditions
  • Colleges and universities that engage in environmental research
  • Large private companies that utilize natural resources and hire their own environmental staff

Career & Salary Outlook

The career and salary outlooks for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science are both good. Our country will need environmental scientists for the foreseeable future. In 2018, the median salary for environmental scientists was $71,130 per year.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that environmental science jobs will grow by 8% between 2018 and 2028, faster than the average for all occupations in the U.S.