Pathway
Environment & Sustainability
Studying and managing natural systems, conservation, climate, water, energy, land. Mixes fieldwork with data, and the job market has broadened well beyond parks.
Majors
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Engineering
- Forestry / Natural Resources
- Marine Biology
- Geology
- Sustainability Studies
Jobs people do
- Environmental scientist
- Conservation technician (two-year path)
- Environmental engineer
- GIS analyst
- Park ranger
- Sustainability coordinator
Watch out
The choices that quietly close a door here
Assuming this field is all fieldwork.
Most environmental jobs are heavy on data, modeling, permits, and reports. Students who avoided math end up locked out of the better-paid roles.
Instead Take Statistics and keep the math sequence going.
Skipping Chemistry because ecology sounds like biology.
Environmental chemistry is central to water, soil, and air work, and it's a required course in these programs.
Instead Chemistry sophomore year, no exceptions on this path.
Course ladder
Grade by grade
Course names differ at every school, and graduation requirements differ by state. Take this list to your counselor so the two of you are working from the same page.
Grade 8
- Algebra I if availableWorth doing
Grade 9
- BiologyLoad-bearing
- GeometryLoad-bearing
- English 9Load-bearing
Grade 10
- ChemistryLoad-bearing
Water and soil work is chemistry. Not optional for the science track.
- Algebra IILoad-bearing
- Agriculture, forestry, or environmental CTE courseWorth doing
Grade 11
- AP Environmental ScienceLoad-bearing
- PhysicsWorth doing
Required if you're leaning toward environmental engineering.
- StatisticsWorth doing
Environmental science is field data plus statistics.
Grade 12
- AP Biology or second chemistry courseWorth doing
- Calculus, if heading toward engineeringWorth doing
- GIS or geospatial courseIf you have room
GIS skills are directly hireable and rarely taught in high school.
Outside class
Envirothon
Team competition across soils, forestry, wildlife, and water. The closest match to the actual work.
From grade 9
Local watershed or land trust volunteering
Monitoring, restoration, invasive removal. Real field data, and they always need hands.
From grade 9
Youth Conservation Corps or a summer field job
Paid outdoor work with federal and state agencies. Applications open in winter.
From grade 10
Run a measurable sustainability project at school
Waste audit, energy audit, native planting. Measure before and after.
From grade 10
Things to build
Collect a year of data on one local thing
Stream quality, bird counts, temperature. A year of consistent data is a genuine research asset.
From grade 10
Learn GIS and map something local
QGIS is free. A good map of a real local issue is worth more than most essays.
From grade 11
Is this actually a fit for you?
Ten minutes of questions, and Bearing turns this into a plan that starts from the grade you're in.
Take the survey