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With the recent trend toward green living and environmentalism, it comes as no surprise that more and more students wish to pursue careers in the field of sustainability. Though it is possible, with good networking skills and connections, to obtain a job in sustainability without a degree, this is not incredibly common, and many students feel safer and better-prepared for the workplace with at least a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in sustainability.
Sustainability degree programs are becoming much more common, and a large number of schools now offer this field of study. Programs in sustainability are often largely or completely interdisciplinary, combining coursework from the fields of biology, chemistry, architecture, business, agriculture, political science, and sociology. Students planning to seek a sustainability degree should carefully examine their options, and should take the time to consider exactly what sort of work they want to do in the field of sustainability. Sustainability jobs range from architecture and design to conservation biology to engineering to social work, and beyond. The range of possible positions and areas of expertise is incredibly wide, and students should choose to focus on one or two areas that they particularly enjoy. Sustainable design and ecological architecture, for instance, require unique coursework, but are fields in which there is a high demand for trained professionals right now. Students should specialize if they are ready, but should also seek to be well-rounded, with a variety of knowledge in the field of sustainability and a firm grounding in the hard sciences.
For students who have finished undergraduate study, there are still a number of options for obtaining a sustainability degree. Some schools offer Master of Arts or Master of Science programs in sustainability, environmental studies, or related fields, though at this point in their studies, students are often expected by university programs to specialize more clearly in a certain area of sustainability. Many schools are also beginning to offer programs which allow students to achieve doctoral degrees in sustainability, allowing them to become experts in the field and perhaps to return to academia and expand course offerings even further.
