Environmental Science Draft
ScienceA high school course guide for families
See it for your school: its prerequisites, what it counts toward at your school, and whether it's in your plan.
Why this course?
Environmental Science looks at how people and nature affect each other: water, energy, climate, food and land.
What you'll learn
- Understand ecosystems and cycles like water and carbon
- Weigh the trade-offs of different energy sources
- Measure pollution and its effects
- Use data to argue for a solution
You'll do: Field work and labs, data projects and debates.
- AP (Advanced Placement)
- AP Environmental Science is a one-semester college course with lab and field work. College-level work with a national AP exam in May. A high enough score can earn college credit or placement, depending on the college.
What comes next
Which courses come before and after it, and what it counts toward, depend on each school. Your plan shows your school's.
College majors that build on it
- Natural resources conservation
- Environmental policy
- Environmental engineering
Careers it informs most
People in these jobs use what this course teaches the most. It's a starting point, not a track.
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthEnvironmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health use biology in their work. O*NET rates it important for the job.
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthEnvironmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health use biology in their work. O*NET rates it important for the job.
- Physicians, PathologistsPhysicians, Pathologists use biology in their work. O*NET rates it very important for the job.
- AnesthesiologistsAnesthesiologists use biology in their work. O*NET rates it very important for the job.