Radek, what jobs can you get with a Forestry Degree? I’m wondering, what can I do with a Forestry Degree?

Most people who earn degrees in forestry go on to work as foresters, but this can mean many things. Some foresters work for federal agencies, such as the United States Forest Service or the National Park Service. Some work for State forest services, and some for local government. Some are employed by timber companies, paper mills, and sawmills. Some even work in wood product manufacturing. Many become independent consultants, who work for landowners and/or logging companies who harvest the trees.

It is worth noting that seven states (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire) require foresters to be licensed by the State.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that about 60% of foresters work for Federal, State, or local governments. The Federal Government and some state governments expect many of their workers to retire over the next several years, which will create job opportunities. Employment is concentrated in the western and southeastern states, and jobs are most plentiful in California, Oregon, and Washington. Those with a forestry degree should have good opportunities for entry-level work.

Careers you can get with a degree in forestry include:

• Forest Fire Prevention Specialist
• Forester
• Forestry Consultant
• Land Manager
• Nursery Manager
• Saw Mill Manager
• Silviculturist
• Urban Forester
• Vocational Educator (may require additional certification)

Radek, what jobs can you get with a Forensic Science Degree? I’m wondering, what can I do with a Forensic Science Degree?

Wherever science meets law, you will find forensic science. However, the competition for these jobs can be extremely tough. Many forensic science jobs require a master’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree plus several years experience. A candidate fresh out of undergraduate school may have to find work assisting or apprenticing in order to gain the necessary experience for career advancement.

Those with the skills and the work ethic can end up employed by police departments, sheriff’s offices, district attorney’s offices, state agencies, federal agencies (e.g., DEA, ATF, FBI, CIA), the military, academic institutions, medical examiner’s offices, or as “criminal justice experts” with private companies. They might work in labs, out in the field, or both. Many forensic science professionals are expected to travel frequently.

Note: Several forensics jobs will require other degrees, e.g., medical examiners need medical degrees, and forensic engineers need engineering degrees.

Careers you can get with a degree in forensic science include:

• Assistance Drug Chemist
• Computer Forensics Analyst
• Crime Scene Investigator
• Criminalist
• Criminalistics Manager
• DNA Analyst
• DNA Technician
• Field Technician
• Fingerprint Service Technician
• Firearms Examiner
• Forensic Artist
• Forensic Investigator
• Forensic Photographer
• Forensic Science Technician
• Forensic Scientist
• Forensics Laboratory Director
• Latent Fingerprint Examiner
• Law Enforcement Officer
• Wildlife Forensic Scientist

People need to eat. This is good news for those holding degrees in Food Science. This means that there are job opportunities in all the food industries, at all levels, even when the economy isn’t in great shape. Food Science graduates can find work in research, product development, manufacturing, processing, marketing, sales, quality assurance, safety testing, and even packaging.

Potential employers include: food processing plants, food manufacturing plants, food ingredient suppliers, food equipment suppliers, food container manufacturers, retail stores, restaurants, farms, academic institutions, and the government.

For more information, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the BLS, job growth among food scientists, should be faster than the average for all occupations, and employment opportunities should be good. Job growth will be driven, in part, by an increased public awareness of diet, health, and food safety.

Careers you can get with a degree in Food Science include:

• Food Chemist (may require advanced degree)
• Food Engineer (may require advanced degree)
• Food Inspector
• Food Packaging Expert
• Food Retailer
• Food Scientist
• Food Technologist
• Food Wholesaler
• Process Engineer
• Product Demo Coordinator
• Product Development Scientist
• Quality Assurance Manager
• Research Scientist (may require advanced degree)
• Research Technician

As you might guess, graduates of a Fire Protection and Safety Technology program are well-suited to become firefighters, and to manage other firefighters. But competition for paying positions in this area can be tough.

Fire Protection and Safety Technology program graduates also often become Environment, Health, and Safety Engineers. These safety experts often work in manufacturing industries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment opportunities for Health and Safety Engineers will increase by 10% from 2008-2018, which is about the average rate of growth of other occupations.

Other Fire Protection and Safety Technology graduates go into sales of firefighting equipment, suppression systems, and other safety products.

Many Fire Protection and Safety Technology students also go into hazmat management.

Careers you can get with a degree in Fire Protection and Safety Technology include:

• Building Code Official
• Corporate Safety Specialist
• Deputy Fire Marshall
• Environment, Health, and Safety Engineer
• Fire and Security Control Install Tech Specialist
• Fire Inspector
• Fire Prevention Officer
• Fire Protection Consultant
• Fire Protection Specialist
• Firefighter
• Health and Safety Specialist
• Industrial Safety Engineer
• Loss Control Consultant
• Site Safety and Health Officer

A graduate with a degree in finance has a lot of choices. They can go into personal financial planning, corporate finance, public finance, investment banking, banking, or insurance, just to name a few.

Potential employers include: brokerage firms, trust companies, insurance firms, hospitals, commercial banks, credit unions, savings banks, mortgage banks, investment banking firms, financial services firms, nonprofits, colleges, the IRS, state governments, and the Federal Reserve, just to name a few.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008:

• About 31% of financial managers were employed by finance and insurance entities, e.g., banks, finance companies, insurance companies, and about 7% worked for the government on some level.
• About 47% of financial analysts were employed by finance and insurance entities, while others worked in private industry or government. Employment for financial analysts is expected to grow by 20% from 2008-2018.
• About 63% of personal financial advisors were employed by finance and insurance entities. About 29% of personal financial advisors were self-employed. Employment for personal financial advisors is projected to grow by 30% from 2008-2018.

However, competition for each of these jobs will be tough, and preference may well be given to those applicants holding advanced degrees.

I have always been interested in money management. I love the program I’m in, because the professors are knowledgeable and make finance interesting. This makes me excited to finally be out in the field, getting some hands-on experience in what I’ve been sitting in class learning about. Once I graduate, I want to work as a loan officer or branch manager at a bank.

~ Thomas Nadeau

Careers you can get with a degree in finance include:

• Actuary (may require certification)
• Budget Analyst (may require advanced degree)
• Commercial Banker
• Financial Analyst
• Financial Manager
• Financial Planner
• Government Regulator
• Insurance Sales Agent
• Insurance Underwriter
• Investment Banker
• Loan Officer
• Mutual Fund Manager
• Personal Financial Advisor
• Security Sales Representative
• Stockbroker
• Treasurer

Often, when people hear “fashion merchandising degree,” they immediately think of fashion designers, but not all fashion merchandising majors go on to become fashion designers, in part because competition is quite keen for fashion designing jobs.

Many fashion merchandising majors go into retail, and many go into art and design. Others become buyers and merchandisers within the fashion industry. Some with an artful eye become visual merchandisers, creating the displays that keep potential buyers from walking by. Still others go into marketing or advertising. Some become copywriters, fashion writers, or fashion editors.

And some fashion merchandising majors dream big and open their own boutique, perhaps even featuring their own designs. This is an incredibly competitive market, however.

Jobs will be more plentiful in New York and California than in other areas of the country.

Careers you can get with a degree in fashion merchandising include:

• Advertising Copywriter
• Buyer
• Costumer
• Department Manager
• Fashion Advertising Director
• Fashion Buyer
• Fashion Consultant
• Fashion Coordinator
• Fashion Designer
• Fashion Editor
• Fashion Event Coordinators
• Import / Export Specialist
• Internet Retailer
• Manufacturer Representative
• Market Researcher
• Marketing Representative
• Media Sales Executive
• Merchandise Manager
• Pattern Maker
• Product Coordinator
• Product Designer
• Product Developer
• Retail Manager
• Retail Salesperson
• Textile Designer
• Textile Merchandising Executive
• Textile Testing Specialist
• Visual Merchandiser

The Family and Consumer Sciences major is so broad that it can lead its students in a multitude of directions. From homemakers to entrepreneurs to lab technicians—this major lays a great foundation for many careers.

Family and Consumer Sciences degree holders can go to work within community organizations, some government sponsored, and some not. They can go into education, designing curricula and creating materials. They can go to work in food science or nutrition. They might even go into communications, as writers, reporters, or journalists. Many go into childcare, whether it’s in a day care, a preschool, or a residential facility for at-risk youth. Some go into research and wear a lab coat. Still others go into finance, business administration, or health care administration.

Potential employers include: hospitals, nonprofit organizations, adoption agencies, residential facilities, community centers, family support centers, juvenile service agencies, substance abuse prevention programs, senior day program centers, child day care centers, and job training agencies.

Careers you can get with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences include:

• Childcare Provider
• Community Organizer
• Community Program Director
• Consumer Counselor
• Consumer Protection Specialist
• Cooperative Extension Agent
• Curriculum Developer
• Family Financial Counselor
• Family Resource Coordinator
• Government Agent
• Grant Writer
• Health Care Administrator
• Health Educator
• Human Resource Specialist
• Human Services Worker
• Lobbyist
• Market Researcher
• Marketer
• Nonprofit Director
• Parent Educator
• Product Developer
• Researcher
• Retail Manager
• Salesperson
• Sexuality Educator

A degree in Equine Studies, Equestrian Studies, or Equine Science, can lead to many horse-related career opportunities. While the competition for horse training jobs can be stiff, there are many other options out there in the following areas: transportation, basic horse care, health care, manure removal, guest (dude) ranches, equine sales, horse shows, rodeos, racing, product sales, event management, veterinary care, breeding, and rescue.

As you can see from the job titles below, horses are a huge part of American culture, and this leads to a variety of job opportunities. Many horse-related jobs are, by their nature, only part-time gigs, so many horse workers wear multiple hats.

Starting salaries will not knock your socks off, but most people who choose this major do so for the love for horses, not money. Some people who earn degrees in Equine Science choose to go on to veterinary school.

Careers you can get with a degree in Equine Science include:

• Animal Control Officer
• Artificial Inseminator
• Barn Hand
• Barn / Stable Manager
• Bloodstock Agent
• Breeding Manager
• Broodmare Manager
• Clinician
• Cooperative Extension Agent
• Course Designer
• Drug Inspector
• Dude Ranch Host
• Dude Ranch Wrangler
• Equestrian Event Planner
• Exercise Rider
• Farrier
• Geneticist (will require advanced degree)
• Groom
• Grounds Manager
• Horse Care Technician
• Horse Feed Development Specialist (may require advanced degree)
• Horse Massage Therapist
• Horse Show Manager
• Horse Show Secretary
• Horse Trainer
• Hot Walker
• Jockey
• Jockey Valet
• Jockey’s Attendant
• Lab Technician
• Nutritional Consultant (may require advanced degree)
• Park and Recreation Administrator
• Pedigree Analyst (may require advanced degree)
• Pen Rider
• Program Director
• Racing Chemist
• Racing Commissioner
• Recreation Planner
• Rehabilitation Therapist
• Reproduction Specialist
• Riding Teacher
• Ring Master
• Rodeo Cowboy / Cowgirl
• Rodeo Pick-up Rider
• Rodeo Secretary
• Rodeo Stock Contractor
• Stable Manager
• Stallion Manager
• Steward
• Stunt Rider
• Trail Engineer
• Transportation Specialist
• Veterinarian (will required advanced degree)
• Veterinary Assistant / Technician
• Wagering Analyst

A student who has earned a degree in environmental studies can go in many different directions. Potential employers include, but are certainly not limited to: developers, consulting firms, mining companies, non-profit organizations, engineering companies, ranches, farms, scientific foundations, and of course, the government.

Some environmental studies majors go into communications, as there is a growing need for people who can clearly communicate complicated environmental news to many different groups of people. Big companies, small businesses, and nonprofits all need spokespeople. Some of these spokespeople also become educators, not necessarily in schools, but in museums, parks, and within organizations that do go into schools.

And of course, many environmental studies students choose to go on to graduate school to further specialize.

Careers you can get with a degree in Environmental Studies include:

• Agroforestry Consultant
• Conservation Officer
• Conservation Planner
• Director of Environmental Services
• Environmental Air Monitor
• Environmental Consultant
• Environmental Coordinator
• Environmental Education Specialist
• Environmental Planner
• Forest Planner
• Journalist
• Lobbyist
• Natural Resource Manager
• Park Naturalist
• Public Affairs Specialist
• Refuge Manager
• Regulatory Compliance Specialist
• Water Conservation Specialist
• Wetlands Ecologist

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary study that equips a student with many skills, which can lead to jobs in many different areas.

Many environmental science graduates go to work for the government at some level. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, federal, state, and local governments employ 44% of all environmental scientists and specialists.

Other environmental science graduates go to work for scientific, engineering, environmental, or technical consulting services. Some work in the areas of architecture, engineering, or construction. Others work with water, air, or soil. Some work on waste management, and some go into hazmat. Some even work in the automotive industry.

Nearly every industry has an impact on the environment, so many companies need employees versed in environmental science. Employers could include the EPA, manufacturers, power companies, parks, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions. Some employers will prefer candidates with Masters Degrees, and research positions may even require a Ph.D.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects are expected to be favorable, especially for environmental health workers in local and State government. Employment in this area is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations, by 28% between 2008 and 2018.

Careers you can get with a degree in Environmental Science include:

• Air Pollution Analyst
• Air Quality Manager
• Chemical Technician
• Conservation Agent
• Ecological Modeler
• Environmental Air Monitor
• Environmental Chemist
• Environmental Consultant
• Environmental Coordinator
• Environmental Ecologist
• Environmental Health Manager
• Environmental Impact Analyst
• Environmental Planner
• Environmental Scientist (may require advanced degree)
• Environmental Specialist
• Environmental Technician
• Hazardous Waste Manager
• Park Ranger
• Regulatory Compliance Specialist
• Research Technician
• Resource Manager
• Science Teacher (may require certification)
• Water Quality Manager
• Wetlands Scientist