Launch a career studying the environment with a bachelor degree or postgraduate course.

Environmental scientists study the interactions between people and the physical environment, rather than the animals inhabiting it. Degrees in this field are available online at bachelor and masters levels.
Students gain practical experience through field trips, lab classes, and work placements. A combination of online and applied learning will have you prepared for roles in government agencies, businesses, ecotourism, conservation, sustainability, and more.
Study Environmental Science Online
Online courses in environmental science provide an essential balance between distance study and hands-on scientific learning. Distance education universities allow you to complete the academic components away from campus. They also organise field work and other practical activities such as work placements.
Be prepared to attend occasional classes on campus. Residential schools (multi-day on-campus sessions) are compulsory for units where physical attendance is essential for learning. Intensive sessions may be required for core subjects and/or optional ones that you particularly want to take.
Bachelor Degrees
Studying environmental science online offers both a university degree and a highly-rated course experience. The best distance education programs achieve student satisfaction percentages into the high 80s. The programs also give considerable choice with respect to majors and units.
Here are online bachelor degrees where you can major in environmental science.
UNE - Bachelor of Environmental Science
The University of New England offers a highly rated online course in environmental science. This program runs for three years, or four if you opt for a Bachelor of Science honours year. You can specialise in Applied Management, Conservation and Ecology, People and Environment, or Vegetation and Landscapes. If travelling to Armidale for residential schools or field trips is challenging, you can choose fully online units to complete your degree.
What You Will Learn
Students learn the basic building blocks of science in the form of introductory Earth science, biology, chemistry, geography and physics. Specialisation happens in the later stages of a degree. Across a 3-year bachelor program, subjects may include:
- analysis of spatial data, biodiversity, cell biology, climate change science
- conservation biology, ecology, ecosystem carbon accounting
- environmental geochemistry, environmental regulation and policy
- essential chemistry, forensic and environmental analysis
- management of aquatic environments, marine and aquatic ecology
- microbiology, resource sustainability, understanding landscape.
Related: Science Degrees Online in Australia
Masters Programs
Studying environmental science online at the postgraduate level is an opportunity to build expertise.
- Specialist study is beneficial for environmental science graduates who took a generalist approach to their first degree.
- You can also study management if you career is moving towards administrative and decision-making roles.
- Postgraduate study is also a way to break into the field. You can construct a broad program that exposes you to many different aspects of environmental study and management.
You don't have to commit to a full 12-unit masters degree straight away. You can start with a graduate certificate (4 units) or graduate diploma (8 units).
Why These Degrees Are Worthwhile
Environmental science is a diverse and evolving field. Graduates can potentially access many different lines of work, including in government agencies (such as the Environment Department) and for businesses. Environmental officers have roles in:
- ecotourism; parks and reserves management
- impact assessment and monitoring
- education and compliance; environmental protection
- sustainable forestry; fisheries and aquaculture management
- land and water care programs.
Good online courses prepare you for these jobs by exposing you to many aspects of environmental stewardship. Lerna Courses provides detailed analysis of these programs to help guide your educational choices and career planning.