The Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences is career-focused, and we endeavor to place all our students in jobs related to their interests. Students have found employment in diverse fields in the corporate sector, local and federal government, and the nonprofit sector.
Our recent graduates attended full-time Ph.D. programs within the state (UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Charlotte, the geo-analytics program at NC State University, the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering and North Carolina A&T State University, and UNC-Chapel Hill) and across the U.S.
Others have found employment in environmental and geoscience-related positions at locations such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Southwest Florida Management District, the Environmental Systems Research Institute in Charlotte, Samsung, the Development Finance Institute, City of Durham Environmental Laboratories, the City of Durham Information Technology Office and Durham Public Schools, among others.
Faculty expose students to various careers through guest lecture visits (including department alumni) during class time and in a seminar format. In the past, local meteorologists, entrepreneurs, Fulbright scholars, and Division of Water Quality representatives have presented to our majors. For example, a recent seminar featured Oyster Carolina’s founder, who is a DEEGS alumni and a successful sustainable aquaculture entrepreneur.
Our students are involved in a number of geosciences and national laboratory internships, including the Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Internship Program, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates program, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hollings and Educational Partnership Program internships.
High-performing DEEGS students are encouraged to apply to these opportunities, and faculty work closely with students on how to complete applications successfully. Students who do not receive acceptance into external internships are encouraged to work with faculty on research projects year-round to gain experience.