Conservation

Types of Degrees Conservation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many natural resources conservation graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	17,614
Master’s Degree	3,728
Associate Degree	926
Basic Certificate	685
Doctor’s Degree	437
Graduate Certificate	209
Undergraduate Certificate	73

What Conservation Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to conservation and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Conservation Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Conservation Majors

A major in conservation prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Conservation Majors

As you progress with your conservation degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Conservation Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with conservation:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Climate Change Analysts	11.1%	$71,130
Environmental Restoration Planners	11.1%	$71,130
Environmental Science Professors	10.1%	$79,910
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	11.1%	$71,130
Foresters	4.9%	$61,410
Forestry & Conservation Science Professors	4.5%	$86,900
Industrial Ecologists	11.1%	$71,130
Park Naturalists	6.3%	$61,310
Range Managers	6.3%	$61,310
Soil and Water Conservationists	6.3%	$61,310

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Conservation?

Natural Resources Conservation runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #33 out of all the undergraduate majors we track. In 2021, about 17,088 graduates completed their bachelor’s degree in this field. This major is dominated by women with about 62% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of conservation majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	936
Black or African American	442
Hispanic or Latino	2,221
White	11,995
International Students	418
Other Races/Ethnicities	1,602

Geographic Diversity

Conservation appeals to people across the globe. About 2.4% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Conservation

Some careers associated with conservation require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for conservation careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.0%
Some College Courses	1.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	37.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.7%
Master’s Degree	23.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.0%
Doctoral Degree	20.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	10.1%

Online Conservation Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	36	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	1
Associate’s Degree	264	7
Bachelor’s Degree	76	16
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	266	19
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	101	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Conservation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to conservation.

Major	Number of Grads
Natural Resource Management	3,147
Wildlife Management	2,389
Forestry	2,243
Fisheries Sciences	505
Natural Resources Conservation (Other)	150

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Lynn Betts under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.