Program Design
The field of environmental science has enjoyed rapid growth since the mid-1980s. Occupational employment projections compiled by the CT State Department of Labor show that job opportunities are expected to be very good for environmental scientists. An increase in local, state and federal laws concerning environmental issues has provided increased opportunity for professionals in this field.
Growth is also expected to be fueled by demands for waste regulation and for compliance monitoring. The emerging field of sustainable energy is spurring the growth of job opportunities as a result of the ever-increasing awareness to monitor and improve the quality of the environment, to study the effect that human activity has on terrestrial and aquatic systems, and to find ways to restore them. As the demand for oil and other fuels continues to increase, bringing with it the threat of increased pollution, an increasing amount of research is focusing on the development of alternate renewable and non-polluting energy sources. Finally, data from the Geological Society of America (GSA) show a rapid increase in positions supporting the fields of geohydrology, environmental geology and engineering geology. Increasingly, public policy is requiring that industries comply with environmental regulating air and water quality. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition)
Curriculum
The Environmental Science associate degree program, with its strong foundation in basic sciences and mathematics, will allow students interested in transferring to continue their studies in geosciences (including hydrology, soil, and agricultural resources), ecology (including forestry and wildlife biology), energy resources and sustainability, natural resources management and environmental biology or chemistry.
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