Pitt–Bradford adding environmental science major

Pitt­–Bradford will launch a new environmental science major next semester that will draw from courses in biology, chemistry, environmental science, research methods, geology and physics to prepare students for jobs in conservation, hydrology, geoscience and environmental restoration, science and compliance.

Employment opportunities in the field are expected to increase in part because of the heightened public interest in the challenges currently facing the environment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job opportunities for environmental scientists and specialists who have at least a bachelor’s degree to grow 8 percent through 2029, according to a news release from Pitt–Bradford.

Ovidiu Frantescu, director of the Allegheny Institute of Natural History at Pitt-Bradford, developed the new program and will serve as its director.

The university has had a major in environmental studies since 2001, which focuses on working within the realm of environmental policy and includes courses in economics, politics, statistics, philosophy and literature. The new environmental science major differs from that major because it requires more courses in science.