Careers with Impact

In the environmental field, the 3 Pillars of Sustainability are: Social, Environmental and Economic. Various career opportunities fall under each of the pillars, some examples are listed below:

• Social:
  • Advocate for climate change and sustainability
  • Environmental education and communication
  • Outdoor education
  • Parks and recreation
  • Sustainability coordinator
• Environmental:
  • Air, water, and soil quality monitoring
  • Community-supported agriculture
  • Conservation biology
  • Environmental engineering
  • Renewable energy design and construction
• Economic:
  • Consulting firm
  • Marketing and research firm
  • Resource management, assessment, and protection

Opportunities on Campus:

• Check out all open positions on Handshake
• Consult with NAU Career Development
• Apply for an internship with Interns to Scholars (a Boundaryless program)

Organizations in Flagstaff: 

• Intern, Volunteer, or work with Willow Bend – an Environmental Education Center
• Interested in working with children? Work with Camp Colton!

Organizations in Arizona:

• Arizona Conservation Corps
• Arizona Game and Fish Department
• Arizona Parks and Recreation Association
• Environment Arizona
• Watershed Management Group

Organizations in the United States:

• Spend a summer in a different state working on a farm with WWOOF
• Work with the National Park Service – they offer various summer programs and internship opportunities

Organizations around the World: 

• Travel to a different country and conduct an environmental internship with CERES
• Gain knowledge and experience through interning or working with LeadLocal
• Volunteer with the Peace Corps to make long-lasting changes around the globe
• Connect with NAU Center for International Education to explore more opportunities for studying abroad and conducting internships around the globe.

To find courses that interest you while also learning more about the environment, sustainability, or sustainable development, access the NAU course catalog and search by keyword to find courses. To find majors, minors, and certificates that interest you while also learning more about the environment and sustainability, access the NAU academic catalog and search by keyword to find courses. Suggested keywords: sustainability, sustainable, environment, environment, environmental, water, and more!

Highlights of “Green” Bachelors Degrees:

• Environmental Engineering (BS)
• Environmental Sciences (BS)
• Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA)
• Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BS)
• Forestry (BS)
• Geology (BS)
• Geography, Environment, and Society (BS)
• Parks and Recreation Management (BS)
• Secondary Education: Earth Science
• Secondary Education: General Science 

Highlights of “Green” Masters Degrees:

• Climate Science and Solutions (MS)
• Environmental Engineering (MS)
• Environmental Science and Policy (MS)
• Forestry (MS)
• Geographic Information Science with Remote Sensing (MS)
• Geography (MS)
• Geology (MS)
• Sustainability Communities (MA)

Highlights of “Green” Certificates:

• Community Planning (Graduate Certificate)
• Conservation Ecology (Graduate Certificate)
• Ecological and Environmental Informatics (Graduate Certificate)
• Environmental Economics (Undergraduate Certificate)
• Environmental Narrative (Graduate Certificate)
• Fire Ecology and Management (Undergraduate Certificate)
• Forest Health and Ecological Restoration (Undergraduate Certificate)
• Greenhouse Gas Accounting (Graduate Certificate)
• Human Dimensions of Forestry (Undergraduate Certificate)
• Natural Resource Management (Graduate Certificate)
• Wildlife Ecology and Management (Undergraduate Certificate)
• Wind Energy (Undergraduate Certificate)