College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Environmental Science and Sustainability Bachelor's Degree

Physical and biological science. Social, political, and technological aspects of the environment. Sustainability.

A Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Sustainability from Michigan Technological University provides you with the tools to create a sustainable future for the environment. Integrate societal needs and perspectives with science-based environmental practices. Gain an understanding of the natural world and how resources in our own backyard can be applied to global issues. Become what tomorrow needs.

There's no better place to study natural resources than the wild Keweenaw Peninsula, bordered by Lake Superior and blanketed with forests and wetlands (and 218+ inches of snow each winter). First-year students have two outdoor field labs and are all eligible to be paid as Earn and Learn students—an experience that gets you involved in research right away, so you can acquire the hands-on knowledge and skills to land a summer job or internship after your first year. Other schools own forests—but our students explore 3,650 acres of woodland right outside the back door at the Ford Center and Forest. In your junior year, you'll spend 14 weeks learning in these woods, covering the elements of forested landscapes in a blend of classroom and field study through our Integrated Field Practicum.

Our graduates have hundreds of hands-on learning hours in the field, working on projects from classroom labs to research. This experience puts our students a step above the rest when it comes to working for government agencies, nonprofits, consulting firms, and others.

What Will I Study?

Students studying environmental science and sustainability gain a technical foundation in measuring and monitoring environmental factors and the environmental challenges faced by society.

  • Learn the fundamentals of environmental sustainability.
  • Explore social and cultural aspects of the environment and how society perceives sustainability.
  • Understand the policies and regulations that create a more sustainable future.
  • Collaborate with leading scientists to address issues in climate change, environmental policy, and sustainable use of natural resources.
  • Apply your skills to land a summer job in your field, and start building a career after your first year of classes.
  • Explore undergraduate research opportunities.
  • Network with forestry professionals visiting the Natural Resource Career Fair, or, in the classroom, connect with faculty leaders in the Society of American Foresters.

Specialize Your Degree

Concentrate your studies in one of three available tracks to gain an interdisciplinary perspective on Climate Science, Environmental Policy, or Geospatial Science. 

Climate Science

Complete classes on the science of climate change, wildland fire, and environmental biogeochemistry. Use team dynamics and decision-making to gain workplace-ready skills.

Environmental Policy

Take courses related to policy, such as Conservation Biology and Wetlands, as well as social sciences classes, to broaden your perspective on the links between the environment and the needs of humans.

Geospatial Science

Complete courses that add the ability to collect, visualize, and communicate geospatial data to your skill set. Understand the physics relevant to remote sensing technologies.

Be Career Ready

Our graduates attain careers with federal agencies (such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Agriculture, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), state agencies, nonprofits, and private companies. 

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science hosts its own Natural Resource Career Fair. Each year, around 20 companies from across the US travel to Michigan Tech in late fall to educate and recruit employees.

Career Opportunities for Environmental Science and Sustainability

  • Environmental Scientist
  • Environmental Policy Specialist
  • Conservation Scientist
  • Sustainability Specialist
  • Air Quality Forecaster
  • Climate Change Specialist
  • GIS Technician or Analyst
Students in the woods simulating rain.
From monitoring materials exposed to extreme weather to analyzing wildlife habitat, our research forest hosts year-round management practices, studies, and demonstrations for students, researchers, and the public.

What is Environmental Science and Sustainability?

Environmental science and sustainability are two closely related fields that focus on understanding, protecting, and preserving the natural environment and its resources. Environmental science seeks to understand the natural world and its processes, while sustainability seeks to ensure that human activities are conducted in a way that maintains the health and viability of the natural world while promoting human well-being over the long term. Together, these fields play a vital role in addressing the environmental challenges facing our planet and working toward a more sustainable future. While they share common goals, they have distinct areas of emphasis and approaches.

What is Environmental Science?

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in the environment. Environmental scientists seek to understand how natural systems function, how human activities impact the environment, and how to mitigate or manage these impacts. Encompassing a wide range of topics, including ecology, geology, chemistry, biology, physics, and sociology, it explores natural ecosystems, pollution, climate change, and conservation—including gaining knowledge of environmental processes, identifying environmental issues, and providing data insights to inform environmental policy and management decisions.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is a concept and practice that aims to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It involves finding ways to balance economic, social, and environmental interests to create a more equitable and enduring society. Sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns to address broader aspects of human well-being. It encompasses economic sustainability (ensuring long-term prosperity), social sustainability (equity, justice, and quality of life), and environmental sustainability (protecting natural resources and ecosystems). The goals of sustainability include reducing resource consumption, minimizing environmental degradation, promoting social equity, and fostering economic stability. It involves strategies like sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, green building, and responsible consumption.

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying environmental science and sustainability at Michigan's flagship technological university.

  • 8:1
    student-to-faculty ratio
  • 25
    typical lab size
  • 3.5K
    acres to explore at our residential field camp

Diverse Ecosystem of Environmental Stewardship

If you have a love for the woods and a desire to sustain resources for the future, you will feel at home in Michigan Tech's College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES). Our College is a community on a first-name basis, connected by a shared passion for study, research, and work centered on forest health and ecosystem integrity.

Similar to the Keweenaw Peninsula’s biodiverse ecosystems, CFRES is a community of undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni who learn, lead, and thrive in the College's unique environment. You’ll notice flags from countries around the world when you step through the doors of our atrium. We are a safe space for all who love natural resources, with a strong commitment to a sense of community.

5,850+ Acres of University Forestland

Our forests are your living lab—and playground. The University owns 5,866 acres of forestland. Undergraduate students in forestry, wildlife, ecology, and soils perform a minimum of 714 hours of outdoor coursework to fulfill degree requirements.

Learn how to navigate among the trees, count board feet, identify forest pests and diseases, and explore ways to mitigate them. Take a swim in the Sturgeon River while taking water samples, quantify woody and herbaceous plants, design maps, and learn to mark timber. Work closely with your peers and professors to create management plans that best suit the environment for the changing climate. Tap maple trees, learn the history of syrup-making, and process your own maple syrup at the Nara Family Maple Center.

Integrated Field Practicum at the Ford Center

The Integrated Field Practicum (IFP) is the cornerstone of natural resource management at Michigan Tech, and stands out as the only off-campus, semester-long field practicum in the United States. Offered in the fall and summer, students in their junior year get to live, learn, and play in our 3,700-acre research forest for a whole semester. Spend a few hours in the classroom and the rest of the day outdoors at Michigan Tech’s Ford Center, just over 40 miles from our main campus.

Take waypoints and design maps. Get your hands dirty and your feet wet exploring soil, geology, and climate. Collect fungi or insects for a specimen collection. Hug trees as you measure stand basal area. Learn to determine canopy health. Collect photos from camera traps. Mental and physical challenges prepare students for careers in our four land management degree programs.

4+1 Accelerated Master of Forestry

Earn an accelerated master’s degree with just one additional year of study beyond your bachelor’s degree in forestry. Start your Master of Forestry degree your senior year, saving time and money on the graduate degree. This professional degree expands your qualifications and experience in mapping, analyzing, managing, and communicating forest and environmental resources issues. A master’s degree provides greater opportunity for career advancement and a higher starting salary.

Tomorrow Needs Sustainable Forest Management

Healthy, intact, functioning ecosystems support both human health and the health and well-being of other species, from trees to birds, fish and insects. Join a community that believes in renewable resources, sustainability, and multiple-use forests in a sustainably driven society at an R1 flagship public research university powered by science, technology, sustainability, and passion. Graduate with a foundation of knowledge and real-world experience in natural resource management.


Undergraduate Majors

Documenting knapweed in dunes. Analyzing northern peatlands. Growing woody mass for biofuels. Conserving the California condor. As the largest forestry program in Michigan, we offer students access to far-reaching ecological programs with global impact (like the longest-running predator-prey study in the world).

Or, start with our General Forestry option and give yourself time to decide.

Student Learning Goals for Environmental Science and Sustainability

Students in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science can expect to achieve the following learning goals—which also align with the University's Undergraduate Student Learning Goals.

Degree Learning Goals

  1. Explain core concepts in the field of environmental science and sustainability.

  2. Identify and evaluate sources of information relating to the environment and sustainability.

  3. Summarize and analyze alternative solutions to situations or problems associated with issues in environmental science and sustainability.

  4. Communicate effectively (orally and in writing) about issues related to environmental science and sustainability.

  5. Recognize the professional standards that ensure their behaviors are consistent with working in the environmental science field.

  6. Perform effectively in teams.

Concentration Learning Goals

Climate Science

Students will explain atmospheric processes, describe defining features of climates, and discuss the major factors that influence climate change

Environmental Policy

Students will evaluate and apply environmental policy to environmental and sustainability issues.

Geospatial Science

Students will integrate the use of geospatial tools to address issues relating to the natural environment.