CAREER OPPORTUNITIES - Environmental scientists working for governmental agencies may direct and conduct stream monitoring programs, underground water and soils cleanup programs or programs to protect them from pollution or help make and enforce regulations to protect endangered ecosystems of plants and animals.
- Environmental scientists with public utility companies help select the most environmentally appropriate routes for power transmission lines, manage air emission programs and hazardous waste management.
- With a petroleum company or a mining company, an environmental scientist might help design a waste-water treatment facility or monitor air quality in the vicinity of a refinery or open-pit mine.
- An environmental scientist with a consulting firm might advise a municipal government on the most suitable location for a sanitary landfill or a department store chain on the best place for a mall.
PLAN OF STUDY Environmental Science (B.S.) WHAT YOU WILL LEARN The environmental scientist must be well trained in the fields of - agriculture
- biology
- chemistry
- economics
- geography
- geology
- mathematics
- and must be able to apply information drawn from these fields to the solution of environmental problems
DEGREE OPTIONS/FUTURE ACADEMIC PATHS Undergraduates are encouraged to conduct or to participate in emerging and ongoing research activities at WTAMU. This hands-on experience makes WTAMU’s environmental science graduates very competitive in the job market. In addition, many environmental science graduates are able to obtain research grants or local employment and are able to pursue a Master’s Degree in Environmental science. This early research experience provides the student with a head start on his/her advanced degree. Research areas include; research on Golden Algae (impacting fisheries throughout the world) , pesticide and herbicide effects on aquatic systems, ecological risk assessment (contaminant effects on ecosystems) , dust and odor abatement and monitoring, contaminant fate and transport modeling, endocrine effects on terrestrial and aquatic systems, hazardous waste cleanup and safe disposal and oil spill damage assessment and recovery. | CAREER CLOSE-UP Environmental Scientists and Specialists Median wage (TX) - $73,490
Median wage (US) - $67,360 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians Median wage (TX) - $43,080
Median wage (US) - $43,520 | 
