A large group of geosciences student on a field trip.

Why Earth & Environmental Sciences?

Explore the world. Make a living. Make a difference.

Earth & Environmental Scientists work in the field, the lab, and with computers to seek a greater understanding of Earth. Earth & Environmental Scientists help protect the planet by studying it, learning from it, and predicting what the future will bring. They perform environmental assessments and study global environmental systems. They locate water, mineral, and energy resources. They predict geological disasters. And they offer advice on major development projects. As a geoscientist, you can make a huge impact on the world around you.

Where do Geocientists work? Geocientists find career opportunities in many different fields, including:

  • Climate and global process modeling
  • Environmental remediation and engineering
  • Petroleum and mining exploration and extraction
  • Energy Policy
  • Natural hazards assessment
  • Land use planning
  • Ocean sciences
  • Planetary sciences
  • Paleontology
  • Education (K-12 and university)

Equally diverse are the employers. Successful geocientists graduates from UMKC work for nonprofit organizations, multinational companies, government agencies, high schools, research institutes, and universities.