Careers
ENS B.A. Career Opportunities
Many argue that the 21st century will be the “century of the environment”. There’s a growing consensus that sustainability and environmentalism are growing mega-trends and they will offer “ahead-of-the-curve” careers. The interdisciplinary nature of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program offers a vast array of jobs in a variety of fields, as shown below:
- Environmental non-profit work
- Parks, recreation, and conservation management
- Environmental consultancy
- Green building and design
- Sustainable agriculture
- Environmental policy at local, state, and federal levels
- Renewable and clean energy systems
- Corporate social responsibility
- Green business
- Corporate environmental compliance management
- Environmental law (with appropriate training)
- Outdoor and environmental education, sustainability awareness and outreach
- Environmental engineering
Careers in Kentucky
Kentucky offers many environmental and sustainability focused job opportunities including:
- Alltech
- Environmental Assessments LLC
- Lexington Division of Air and Water Quality
- Toyota (which has a new CSR sustainability focus)
- Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
- Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
- Kentucky State Nature Preserves
- Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund
- Louisville Nature Center (check other nature centers, too!)
National Opportunities
We strongly encourage our students to look beyond Kentucky to find jobs in environment and sustainability fields. Examples of these include:
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- California Department of Conservation (check out other states, too!)
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources (check out other states, too!)
- Green Environmental Management Corporation
- 3Degrees
- Tesla
- Smithsonian National Zoo (check other zoos, too!)
- San Francisco Zoological Society
- The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
- Audubon, Berkshire Natural Resources Council
Websites to Start Your Search
For more information on jobs, internships, and general career advice in the fields of environment and sustainability, check out the following websites:
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Environmental Career Opportunities is a platform for employers to post applications for environmentally focused internships, jobs, and degree programs. All opportunities are categorized by both state and the position’s specific field (e.g. law and policy, renewable energy, etc.). Applications for international opportunities are available as well.
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Environmental Career has opportunities that are posted from employers. Job opportunities are searchable by location, category, or specific company. Individuals are also able to upload their resume for employers to view.
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Sustainable Business has sustainability news, networking, and jobs for green businesses. Jobs are posted daily, and searches can be sorted by skill level, among other things.
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AIESEC has programs posted for international internships in sustainability. Internships are divided into two categories: “Global Talent” focuses on professional career development and “Global Entrepreneur” focuses on opportunities for students to learn and contribute to a startup company focused on sustainability.
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This website provides information and recommendations on how to successfully pursue a specific career or field of interest, including green careers and non-profit work. This “guide” includes information on where the most job opportunities are located on the national scale, scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in green fields of study, available internship programs, and job-seeking resources.
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Idealist is a broad search engine that can be used to find jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, events, and organizations. Opportunities can be searched by radial distance, type of organization, and organization’s area of focus.
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This website provides information on green careers and the opportunities available to graduates of green degree programs. A career map for popular green career paths with common job for that career path. Job resources are also available.
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EcoEmploy lists environmental jobs/internships, environmental agencies, and government jobs. Job opportunities are listed by date posted.
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The United Nations Environment offers both internships and career opportunities. Opportunities can be searched via category or UNEP division.
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The EPA offers various environmentally focused internship and career opportunities. Positions can be searched by salary, location, and title.
- Fund for the Public Interest runs campaigns for environmental organizations and offers full time positions.
