Environmental Science Degree Online

Help solve real environmental challenges through data with the BS in Environmental Science with a concentration in Data Analytics in Science program.

As an environmental scientist, your work is critical in preserving the health of the planet. By supplementing your skills with expertise in statistics, data collection and database environments, you can take your work a step further - using numbers to tell stories for conservation organizations, policy makers and more.

Career outlook:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Big Data is transforming organizations across industries. Job prospects for mathematicians and statisticians, for example, are set to soar 30% through 2028, far faster than the national average for all occupations.²

Outside of those roles, data analysis can be an especially powerful tool for an environmental scientist. Corporate entities, for example, rely on data to help improve their sustainability efforts. Government agencies tap into data to pass public policies for environmental conservation. Furthermore, data can help shine a light on public health issues – such as the release of toxins and industrial chemicals into the atmosphere.

Courses in the data analytics in science concentration are designed to grow skills that can help set you apart from other professionals in your field. You’ll learn how to apply quantitative and qualitative models for making predictions, diagnose organizational problems and find data to solve them, and create structured database environments that incorporate basic processing functionality.

Courses may include:

• Applied Statistics II for Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Gathering Requirements and Collecting Data
• Introduction to Structured Database Environments

Learn how to look at the environment from all angles. Focus on conservation and management of natural resources. Enjoy putting your passion for the environment to work with the online Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in Natural Resources and Conservation. This focus helps you develop a broad skill set that employers want. You’ll be able to solve environmental problems like climate change and energy issues.

Learn how to analyze the way that the human and natural world work together. Create an understanding of ecology. Apply fieldwork, report writing and crafting an ethical framework for how you approach protecting the planet.

Career outlook:

Careers with a focus in natural resources and conservation can take you anywhere. You could work as a climate change analyst, industrial ecologist or environmental health and safety specialist. You could work at the federal or local levels. You may even work for corporations or nonprofits, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.²

Courses may include:

• Conservation Biology
• Global Climate Change
• Energy and Society

Flexible

With no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7.

Affordable

Take advantage of some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation, plus financial aid for those who qualify. We also make it easy to transfer to SNHU by accepting up to 90 credits from your previous institution.

Respected

Founded in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 100,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.

Recently, Southern New Hampshire University has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:

• “Most Innovative” regional university honors from U.S. News & World Report each year since 2015
• A $1 million grant from Google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth
• Recognition as a 2017 Digital Learning Innovator by the Online Learning Consortium

Network

As an Southern New Hampshire University student, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 200,000 peers, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. Our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate your industry. Plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities.

See why 96% of students would recommend SNHU.*

Part of our mission to expand access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. That’s why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials.

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 6 (8-week) undergraduate terms.

Simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options, answer all your questions and walk you through the application process. Start by:

• Completing a free undergraduate application
• Providing previous institutions attended – so we can retrieve transcripts for you at no cost

Test scores are not required as part of your application.

Perhaps the best part of earning a degree in environmental science – other than saving the world – is that you can apply your learning in so many different ways.

"There are so many career options for graduates in this field," said Dr. Kelly Thrippleton-Hunter, technical program facilitator for science at SNHU.

"Careers in environmental science can include working directly with natural resources. It can involve creating policies that promote conservation actions to regulate and manage those resources. Or it can involve helping companies in complying with those policies," Thrippleton-Hunter said.

Federal and state agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, provide some of the largest opportunities for employment in this field. Local agencies and private environmental consultancy companies provide good options as well.

With this dynamic, interdisciplinary degree, you can do anything from become a conservation scientist, to an environmental engineer. You can become a forester. You can educate the next generation of environmentalists as a teacher. Or you can go the more technology-based route with a career as a geospatial analyst, industrial ecologist, or climate change analyst. The possibilities are truly endless.

The SNHU Career Center is a great place for career support and advice at any time in your career, even after you have graduated. You can get support with resume writing or find connections for local professional organizations. You may find projects or internships, or even prep for interviews. As a SNHU graduate, you will be part of a lifelong alumni network, perfect for networking and making connections.

Absolutely! With a degree in environmental science, you can gain the skills needed to preserve and protect our precious natural resources.

In addition to a strong foundation in the physical and biological sciences, you'll gain many other skills. You'll learn communication skills and project management experience. You can receive training in research and analysis. These skills are transferrable to many careers, from the private sector to nonprofits, in the field, in a lab or in the office.

According to Dr. Kelly Thrippleton-Hunter, technical program facilitator for science at SNHU, "there will always be a workforce need for the protection of the environment and our natural resources." Conservation jobs are so diverse that an environmental science degree opens up many career possibilities for graduates in this field.

And with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting higher than average job growth for the field of environmental science from 2018 through 2028², the future of this career field is truly bright.

As a truly interdisciplinary field, the environmental science major includes instruction in five key areas:

1. Biology is the study of living organisms. Zoology, botany, microbiology and ecology all fall under the biology umbrella.
2. Earth science is the study of the earth’s nonliving systems. It includes geology and paleontology, as well as climatology and hydrology. Everything to do with the physical earth, atmosphere and climate are included in the study of earth science.
3. Physics is the study of matter and energy. Engineering of any kind is based in the principles of physics.
4. Chemistry studies chemicals and their interactions with one another. Biochemistry and geochemistry are subsets of this, focusing on the chemistry of living things and the chemistry of rocks, soil and water, respectively.
5. Social sciences studies human beings and how they interact with each other and the environment. Social science majors offered at Southern New Hampshire University include our online sociology degree and anthropology degree online.

Collectively, these fields ensure that you are well-versed in the ways that the earth, and all elements of it intersect. You'll study the earth's living and non-living elements, and how all things relating to matter and energy intersect. You can also study how human populations affect and are affected by changes in the environment.

But, you won't stop there. "Students with an environmental science major have the chance to combine this core education with engagement in experiential learning opportunities that go beyond the classroom," said Dr. Kelly Thrippleton-Hunter, technical program facilitator for science at SNHU. "This provides them with additional skill sets, opportunities, and knowledge to help each student meet their own unique career goals."

Studying the environment, climate change and how humans play a major part in the health of our planet is exciting. Protecting the planet is a noble career. To succeed in this major, it helps to feel comfortable with science as a whole. Your study will include the study of geology, chemistry, biology and physics.

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this degree, you will also learn writing and communication skills. You will also learn math and statistics. This makes a well-rounded education that positions you to do great work in whichever career you ultimately choose.

"Students can tailor their experience by incorporating experiential learning courses, internships and volunteer opportunities into their learning paths," said Dr. Kelly Thrippleton-Hunter, technical program facilitator for science at SNHU. "This makes the learning even more fun while also allowing you to gain desirable skills that fits with your unique career goals," she said.

Yes! An online environmental science degree is a great way to learn about the natural world right where you are. Through online learning, you set the pace. Complete your work when and where it works best for you. Your fieldwork will be right in your community. Through online learning, you can literally be in the field while you learn about environmental issues around the world.

Many students at Southern New Hampshire University are working adults who are already employed in the field but need a degree to advance. Or, they are stay-at-home parents who are looking to enter the workforce. Or maybe they are students who were sidetracked by a variety of circumstances and are coming back to complete an unfinished degree.

"The online platform of this program provides our students with the flexibility they need to earn their degree and, best of all, allows them to make a difference in the world," said Dr. Kelly Thrippleton-Hunter, technical program facilitator for science at SNHU.

At SNHU, being online doesn't mean hands off. Jill Nugent, associate dean of science for online STEM programs, said that through a partnership between the SNHU Arboretum and online science programs, students will "have access to specialized tools and technology to generate data. SNHU students around the globe are able to access data and conduct meaningful research."