Seattle is a great place to study environmental science. One of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States, Seattle is also built on the shoreline of one of the world’s great estuaries, Puget Sound. Unfortunately, urban growth and other environmental stressors have had significant environmental impacts. Managing our unique natural heritage is one of the greatest challenges faced by the region.
Thankfully, the fragility of the natural systems is being addressed by federal, state, and local research agencies as well as by a range of consulting companies and foundations. Seattle is a regional and national hub for this kind of research, meaning that there are a number of opportunities for SU students both during their time at SU and post-graduation, as they begin to work with resource management agencies, private consulting firms, or as they pursue environmental graduate studies.
“I was introduced to an interdisciplinary approach to tackling environmental problems by taking classes in engineering, the natural sciences, and policy. I also made lifelong friends through the various courses I took. Currently, I am a graduate student studying sustainable water development. Afterwards, I hope to move back to the PNW and work in policy or consulting.”
"The foundation of the program has been invaluable in my ability to navigate the corporate world. Having a scientific background has given me the ability to analyze problems in a clear and concise way allowing me to address complicated problems quickly and easily. In a lot of ways, the ecology of an enterprise environment isn't so dissimilar to the complex network of the tech industry."
Sebastian is currently pursuing an MSc in Climate Science from Northern Arizona University, and is working as a climate and sustainability analyst.
Our faculty is well-connected with the local community of environmental scientists and provides hands-on training on real projects. The program connects teams of students with outside professional sponsors and faculty advisors who provide hands-on training on a real problem over the course of an entire academic year. These capstone experiences provide professional preparation and professional connections, and our students consistently say that their capstone projects are defining features of their academic careers.
The SeattleU ENSC program gave me an astronomical head start in my masters program. After obtaining my MSc, I completed both a desk study on water quality and how buffers can improve water quality by reducing agricultural runoff as well as a dissertation on Afforestation Across the The British Isles. I have just started work at an environmental firm in Ireland and have been doing field work for this company which mostly involves driving to various locations across Ireland and taking field measurements and samples of water, dust and noise.
With a broad range of applied science courses that support environmental management, our students are well-situated to pursue careers in conservation, environmental consulting, ecological restoration, environmental education, fisheries, natural resource management and business sustainability.
Wes Lauer, Ph.D., P.E. Professor, Environmental Science