The Natural Resources and Environmental Science Program: Forty-Six Years of Success.

The Natural Resources and Environmental Science (NRES) Program at Purdue University offers a flexible degree which includes coursework in the Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, Science and Liberal Arts. The NRES program is science based, and NRES students are encouraged to specialize in a subject area such as Land Use, Air or Water Quality, Environmental Policy, or the student-directed Emerging Environmental Challenges concentration. Since 1973 over 1040 students have received NRES degrees.  The high degree of flexibility in the curriculum, together with a strong science background allows students to double major, minor, focus in two areas in the NRES program, and/or study abroad.  Enrollment in the NRES program peaked in 1995 at 200 and steadily declined over the last five years to approximately 90 students.  The decline in enrollment is the result of growth in the number of environmental science programs at Purdue University and across the nation. According to a recent USDA publication there will be more environmental jobs in the future and correspondingly an increase in environmental science graduates. In the 2012-2013 academic year the National Center for Education Statistics reported over 10,500 graduates in environmental science/studies. Because of this, environmental graduates will see a competitive job market. Originally seen as potential employees for state and federal agencies, graduates have been employed in public and private arenas including; engineering firms, consulting, waste management, private industry, and non-profits. To highlight the change in employment opportunities survey data will be presented for our 2004-2015 NRES graduates.