Here’s What You Need to Know About WVU’s Graduate Degrees in Sustainability

Sustainability has never been a more relevant topic — and today it is also an exciting and rapidly growing industry. If you’re interested in the topic of sustainability, chances are you want to make the world a better and more environmentally friendly place, and one way you can do this is by furthering your education with a graduate degree in sustainability.

WVU offers various graduate degrees that highlight and promote sustainability. Here’s what you need to know about the career paths that these degrees can prepare you for.

Industrial Engineering Degrees Can Improve the Way Systems Operate Sustainably.

WVU’s Industrial Engineering program teaches students how to improve system performance, and the knowledge students gain here can be used to reduce energy consumption in the real world.

People who graduate with degrees in this area tend to go on to have careers in:

• Industrial or manufacturing engineering — which according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has a median salary of  $84,310 and projected occupational growth rate of1  percent.
• Logistics supply chain engineering — which offers a median salary of $74,170 per year and 2 percent occupational growth rate.
• Sales engineering — which offers a median salary of $100,000 and a growth rate of 7 percent.

Graduates of this program will be able to improve the efficiency and sustainability of systems while entering lucrative, growing industries.

Design and Merchandising Degrees Can Make Fashion More Sustainable.

Those pursuing a master’s degree in Design and Merchandising at WVU will learn how to design with a focus on environmental sustainability through the application of new materials and technologies in novel forms and product designs.

Design majors tend to take jobs as:

• Fashion designers — according to the BLS, fashion designers have a median pay of $65,170 year and are expected to experience an occupational growth rate of 3 percent.
• Purchasing agents —  receive a median salary of $60,700 and the profession is growing at a rate of 2 percent.

A graduate degree in Design and Merchandising will provide you with the knowledge to make an impact and a network of design masters to help you get your start! 

Genetics and Developmental Biology Degrees Can Open The Door to More Environmental Studies Research.

WVU’s Genetics and Developmental Biology program teaches students about the genetics and developmental biology of plants — from environmental microbiology to horticulture.

Individuals who graduate from this program usually go on to work as:

• Researchers — earning a median salary of $42,520 with an occupational growth rate of 5 percent.
• Cell biologists — earning a median salary of $82,180 with an 8 percent growth rate.
• Biology professors — earning a median salary of $75,430 with a 16 percent growth rate.

A master’s degree is essential for entry into the latter two careers, and an in-depth understanding of the building blocks of plant life is sure to be helpful in any career related to sustainability.

Energy Law and Sustainable Development Degrees Can Be Used to Ensure the Law Protects the World.

WVU’s Energy Law and Sustainable Development program gives students a deep understanding of the laws that shape the world’s relationship with its energy resources. Those who study energy law and sustainable development often go into careers in the field as lawyers or judges and hearing officers. While there are no statistics specific to energy law, lawyers have a median salary of $118,160 a year and an occupational growth rate of 6 percent. Judges and hearing officers offer similarly high median salaries at $109,940 a year. These careers demand an advanced degree for entry, so if this is your area of interest, money spent on a graduate degree in energy law is money well spent.

West Virginia University offers many opportunities for those who wish to pursue a graduate degree in the field of environmental studies. Our graduates leverage their degrees to move on into well-paying and world-changing careers in a growing industry.

Are you interested in pursuing a graduate degree that is research intensive? Check out our new resource — A Guide to Research-Based Graduate Programs at West Virginia University.