<p>I like studying other cultures and I like helping the environment. I was wondering, could an IR major go into environmental protection, or do I need to be an enviro science major?</p>
<p>There are a good number of schools in which their IR majors offer various specialty tracks. One fairly common specialty track focuses on international environmental issues. Sometimes, this specialty track is combined with global health issues. </p>
<p>Clearly there are a number of environmental issues that have an international dimension. While it isn’t necessary to have a formal major in environmental science, it would make sense to at least have some coursework that explains the scientific and technical aspects.
There are a good number of schools that offer majors in environmental policy, which might focus on the social science aspects. e.g., geography, political science, economics), but usually some core courses in the scientific aspects are required. If you attend a land grant university, sometimes majors related to environmental policy are offered in a dept. of agricultural and resource economics. Often coursework is offered in the international aspects of natural resource/environmental economics in these depts.</p>
<p>So, yes, an IR major could work in the area of environmental protection.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely. For example, the US Forest Service has an Office of International Programs, which provides training and developmental support to parks and natural resources agencies around the world. My boss has been to Colombia twice to help their national parks department plan ecotourism development.</p>
<p>It’s a broad question, short answer is yes.</p>
<p>Remember, government agencies are huge, and they aren’t all filled with scientists. They have functions of any other organization/corporation - Accounting, management, HR, ect.</p>
<p>The real question is what do you want to do in the EPA? </p>
<p>Do you want to be a scientist? Then no, a degree in IR won’t let you do that.</p>
<p>You will have to meet whatever criteria is set in the job announcement, if it isn’t a specialized position (Marine Biologist, Environmental Scientist), then your degree doesn’t really matter.</p>