Professional Development for the Environmental Sciences

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

Professional Development for the Environmental Sciences is a seminar course that will help students in the major get the most out of their undergraduate experience as they move through the program. The primary purpose is to orient students early in their college career to the many opportunities that exist both in and outside the university, and to help their career discernment and development. Students will also be given opportunities to explore relevant issues and access information that will help guide planning for their major, both inside and outside the classroom as well as careers beyond university. The topics covered during the course will range from an exploration of the major differences among sub-disciplines within Environmental Sciences, to more practical aspects of planning and achieving milestones in the development of a career, be it in graduate, medical, or law school, or public service and private industry. Students will also have the opportunity to meet invited speakers from outside the university along with a number of faculty from the various departments and colleges relevant to the major that would provide the foundation of opportunities, such as undergraduate research and graduate level courses to consider taking. By the end of the course, students will be able to (1) identify what career options are available to those with an environmental sciences career; (2) articulate what aspects of an environmental sciences career they are most interested, and (3) plan out what are the critical steps that need to be taken to prepare for a post-graduate career in the environmental sciences.