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Potential Careers

There are many exciting careers available for College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment graduates within the degree areas listed below. These are examples of job opportunities, but do not reflect all the options available to graduating students. Feel free to browse our recommended jobs boards and list serves or contact your advisor for more information.

Forestry

Forestry is an economic powerhouse. According to a recent report, forestry represents more than 200,000 jobs and more than $21 billion – just in the state of Alabama.

Some of the career paths available to our graduates include:

  • Forestry Consulting
  • Forest Engineering
  • Forest Management
  • Forest Investments
  • Forest Products
  • Economics & Policy
  • Regulations & Law
  • Extension

For more information about careers in forestry and natural resources, visit forestrycareers.org.

Geospatial and Environmental Informatics

Industries related to this field are projected for continuous growth. Professionals with skills in GSEI related areas will be in high demand for collecting, collating, modeling, analyzing, visualizing, and communicating geospatial information.

Graduates can anticipate a wide variety of career opportunities within public agencies and government, private corporations, consulting firms, NGO and other international organizations as:

  • Data and information specialists
  • GIS/GPS field technicians
  • Ecosystem modelers
  • Business analysts
  • Environmental consultants
  • Land use and resource planners

Natural Resources Management

Depending on their chosen minor, work or internship experiences, and career interests, graduates from Natural Resources Management programs have a broad range of career options with government agencies, consulting firms, international development and re­source management agencies, non-profit organizations, and private industry.

Here are a few:

    • Conservation Planner
    • Natural Resources Educator
    • Wetland Ecologist
    • Environmental Consultant
    • Non-profit Director
    • Land Trust Manager
    • Law and Regulation Enforcement
    • Parks and Recreation Director
    • Parks Ranger or Interpreter
    • Eco-tourism Operator
    • Water Quality Manager
    • Watershed Scientist
    • Land and Resource Manager
    • Municipal Water Planner
    • Urban Natural Resource Specialists

Explore this career guide toolkit to learn more about outdoor recreation and conservation careers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts excellent growth over the next 10 years in job markets relating to both environmental science and recreation. Work in research, management, enforcement, or consulting – find the career that is right for you.

For more information about the variety of careers in natural resources, visit forestrycareers.org.

Parks and Recreation Management

Parks and recreation management offers diverse and plentiful career opportunities with national, state, local, and private organizations that manage parks and recreation facilities for public or private use within occupations such as:

  • Parks and recreation agency director
  • Public lands manager
  • Operations manager
  • Outdoor recreation center director
  • Camp director
  • Program manager
  • Wellness coordinator
  • Park ranger or interpreter
  • Outdoor guide or outfitter

Explore this career guide toolkit to learn more about outdoor recreation and conservation careers.

Sustainable Biomaterials and Packaging

As companies continue to move toward the use of sustainable forest biomaterial for the production of homes, home furnishings, non-residential construction, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automobiles, packaging and cosmetics, there is an increased need for employees with unique expertise in biomass production, operational logistics, and conversion processes of products and packaging.

Some of the career opportunities available with this degree include:

  • Biomaterials Research
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Distribution & Logistics
  • Packaging Manufacturing
  • Product Development

Wildlife Sciences

Some of the career fields available to our wildlife students are:

  • Research
  • Academia
  • Policy and Regulations
  • Conservation Biology
  • Law Enforcement
  • Land and Resource Managers
  • Wildlife Management
  • Eco-tourism Operations
  • Outdoor Sport/Adventure Company Management
  • Hunting and Fishing Resort Management
  • Extension
  • Veterinarians

For more information about some of the careers available to wildlife ecology and management graduates, visit forestrycareers.org.