Stephen F. Austin State University’s environmental science program was named as one of the nation’s top 50 programs by environmentalscience.org, an organization that serves as an advocate for environmental science education and careers.
According to the organization’s website, the rankings were determined through an analysis of published surveys, student, school and career data, as well as data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and National Center for Education Statistics.
“I think the thing that we strive for is to make sure that our students receive the training that will lead them to a career in environmental science,” said Dr. Kenneth Farrish, director of SFA’s Division of Environmental Science. “Our philosophy is to produce graduates who are problem solvers.”
Farrish also believes the collaborative nature of SFA’s environmental science program is advantageous to students. Students enrolled in SFA’s environmental science program complete an intensive curriculum comprised of fundamental science classes from SFA’s College of Science and Mathematics, as well as applied sciences from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.
SFA also offers a Master of Science in environmental science. Through this program, students may pursue a focus of occupational and environmental health through a partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.
According to Farrish, the job placement rate in the environmental science field for SFA’s environmental science alumni is near 100 percent. Furthermore, the division’s faculty members regularly communicate with alumni and industry leaders to determine ways in which to strengthen the program.
For more information about SFA’s environmental science program, visit environmental.sfasu.edu.
