Environmental Science and Sustainability – Bachelor’s Degree Program (BS)
Earn your Environmental Science and Sustainability bachelor’s degree from University of Montana
Gain the knowledge and skills to solve complex environmental problems and advance sustainability. The bachelor’s degree in environmental science and sustainability at UM connects science and practice, taking advantage of the amazing outdoor classroom that is western Montana.
As an ESS student, you’ll engage in real-world learning through class field trips, immersive field courses, summer fieldwork, and internships that traverse the region’s mountains, rivers, and valleys, and connect you with leaders in the ESS field. You’ll work with ESS faculty, who conduct cutting-edge research to solve today’s environmental problems and build solutions that work for people and nature.
As an environmental science major, you can specialize in ecosystem science and restoration, climate science and environmental change, water resources, environmental policy and planning, sustainable livelihoods, and communities, or use the highly flexible resource conservation option to design your own emphasis.
of UM’s Franke College of Forestry and Conservation graduates are employed or in graduate school
environmental science and sustainability concentrations to help focus your expertise.
acres of forest and rangeland managed for faculty and student research and learning
Concentrations options within environmental science and sustainability
Climate Science and Environmental Change
Ecosystem Science and Restoration
Environmental Policy and Planning
Sustainable Livelihoods and Communities
What can you do with an environmental science degree?
The environmental science bachelor’s degree can prepare students for a wide range of career pathways. Our alumni go on to successful careers as field ecologists, educators, hydrologists, public land managers, soil scientists, water planners, policy analysts, naturalists, environmental analysts, social scientists, and more. Many work on ecosystem restoration and climate change.
ESS alumni work for federal and state agencies, local government, nonprofits, and private industry. Many of our alumni pursue graduate studies or attend law school.
Why employers choose UM environmental science graduates
UM’s environmental science and sustainability degree provides the education that enables students to apply science to solve real-world problems — skills that are highly valued by employers in Montana and across the nation.
In addition, our concentrations are specifically designed to address current and emerging issues in environmental sustainability and natural resource management, and our coursework is continually updated to include the latest science and the skills that employers require.
Environmental science jobs
Our environmental science bachelor’s degree graduates work for government agencies, nonprofits, and private businesses around the world. There is a wide range of jobs in this field, including:
- Field ecologist
- Public land manager
- Restoration consultant
- Biological technician
- Environmental planner
- Watershed coordinator
- Sustainability coordinator
- Climate solutions analyst
Environmental science salary
How much can you make with an environmental science degree? Here are the average salaries for some of the top jobs:*
- Environmental science and protection technician: $47,370
- Conservation scientist: $62,410
- Environmental scientist and specialist: $76,530
- Conservation Scientist: $63,750
- Hydrologist: $81,270
*Based on recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Video: Academics + Community + Outdoors
Experiential learning in the environmental science and sustainability degree program
As an environmental science major, you’ll learn outside the classroom through field labs and courses, internships, study abroad programs, capstone projects, and undergraduate research. We teach you to understand the world through science and explore how science and innovation can solve pressing environmental problems.
Field experiences in the environmental science degree
Traverse the shores of Flathead Lake, the forests of the Swan Valley, and the slopes of the Mission Mountains as you learn about social-ecological systems and the solutions to sustain them. Meet with leaders from tribes, rural communities, nonprofits, and federal agencies who are transforming conservation and environmental sustainability. At UM, field-based learning throughout the curriculum provides first-hand experience of the wild landscapes that protect our watersheds, biodiversity, and the open spaces where farmers and foresters produce resources that sustain human communities.
Environmental science and sustainability internships
Participate in a wide range of summer internships and environmental jobs. Your faculty mentor will work with you to find opportunities that match your interests and career goals. Find more resources to help with internships and jobs.
Study abroad opportunities for environmental science and sustainability majors
Study environmental science and sustainability abroad through field-based courses that focus on environmental and conservation issues overseas. Environmental science and sustainability majors qualify for Franke Sustainability Fellowships, which fund international research and education focused on sustainability. Learn more about study abroad opportunities at the University of Montana.
Career development in the environmental science and sustainability bachelor’s degree program
As an environmental science major at UM, you can enjoy a wilderness hike and unwind by the campfire while also building professional networks that lead to jobs and connections with people who share a passion for the natural world. We offer numerous opportunities to build your professional network through internships, field trips, summer jobs and working with faculty mentors who are leading environmental scientists. It’s why 97% of Franke College of Forestry and Conservation alumni are employed or in graduate school.
Student organizations for environmental science majors
Make new friends and find new adventures through UM’s Outdoor Program, which offers skills classes and trips that take you out into the environment around the globe. Other clubs you may be interested in as an environmental science and sustainability major include:
- Fire Club
- UM Society for Ecological Restoration
- Climate Response Club
- International Development Studies Club
- Student Recreation Association
- American Fisheries Association
Environmental science and sustainability scholarships
In addition to program-specific scholarships, majors in environmental science and sustainability also qualify for Franke College of Forestry and Conservation scholarships, which complement other scholarships and financial aid opportunities awarded at UM.
Environmental science and sustainability degree requirements
Coursework for the bachelor’s degree in environmental science and sustainability is integrative, drawing on physical, biological, and social sciences, and a range of skills that enable students to use science to solve environmental problems and advance sustainability. Specialization areas are available in ecosystem science and restoration, environmental policy and planning, climate science and environmental change, sustainable livelihoods and communities, water resources, and resource conservation.
View all classes for the bachelor’s degree in environmental science and sustainability.