Environmental Science or Environmental Engineering?

EarlyAction95
Wed, 04 Dec 2013 13:01:46 +0000

Hello everyone.

I’m not sure of this is the place to post this but I am hoping for some real world advice.

As a career, I would like to do something involving both the business and scientific aspects of environmental initiatives. Perhaps as an entrepreneur to help a start-up an environmental firm or an environmental consultant. Basically, as much as I do love science, 10 years from now, I definitely do not want to be stuck in a lab or anything similar. I want something more dynamic and “robust”.

Right now I’m thinking about either a double major in Environmental science and economics OR Environmental engineering and economics.

My questions are as follows:-

1) What exactly is the difference between Environmental science and Environmental engineering? What area does each concentrate upon?

2) Which one will make me more “competent” when it comes to my future plans? I’m not really worried about the course work as I do think that I can handle it, so I would like advice based upon the knowledge I’ll get in each major rather than which one is “easier” to do.

3) Is it safe to say that environmental engineering is environmental science + engineering? In other words, as an environmental engineer, I’ll get all the knowledge of an environmental science major and more (engineering)?

4)How much “designing” is involved in environmental engineering?

The main reason that I ask this question is because I’m applying to universities and there are some excellent LAC’s that I would love to attend but what worries me is that an environmental science degree when compared to an environmental engineering degree is “useless”? The word that I came across on some forum was that environmental science majors are “tree hugger” majors with no job prospects. Is that true?

Job prospects do sway my decision significantly as I’m an international student and would like to work in the USA for a few years before I move.