u ndergraduate e ducation for e nvironmental m anagers

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS

OBJECTIVE:

• Engineers, doctors, accountants, lawyers, etc… must obtain an accredited degree tailored toward their profession as a qualification for licensure.  • Established professions.

• Environmental management is maturing as a profession.• Current certification requires baccalaureate

degree or science related baccalaureate degree.• The objective of this workshop is to develop a

framework for a single, recognized undergraduate degree for environmental professionals.

CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE BACKGROUND OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS1

62% Science

20% Engineering/Technology

9% Professional degrees (science related)

5% Management

4% Other

• 1 source: Morelli, John. “Environmental Professional Questionnaire.” Survey. April 2, 2009.

SKILL SETS: MANAGERIAL VS. TECHNICAL

Results of onsite and web-based surveys Typical tasks required of environmental

managers Weighted by the frequency of those tasks Context

Regulatory compliance Sustainable society

SKILL SETS: MANAGERIAL VS. TECHNICAL

Onsite workshops Corvinus University of Budapest, June 2008

75% - Managerial 25% - Technical

American College of Management and Technology (ACMT Dubrovnik), October 2008

52% - Managerial 48% - Technical ~ 3% shift towards managerial skills with sustainable

society context

SKILL SETS: MANAGERIAL VS. TECHNICAL

Surveys RIT EHS Leadership Session, November 2008

53% - Managerial 47% - Technical ~ 3% shift towards managerial skills with sustainable

society context

Online survey, Spring 2009 62% - Managerial 38% - Technical ~2% shift towards managerial skills with sustainable

society context

SUMMARY OF TODAY’S ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER 82% to 91% have technical undergraduate

education 62% Science 20% Engineering/Technology 9% Science related professional degree

Educational requirements for professional certification Non-specific Baccalaureate OR Baccalaureate or equivalent degree in physical, earth

or natural science, engineering, or mathematics. Skill sets required

~60% managerial ~40% technical 2% to 4% shift towards managerial skills when

considering sustainable society

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONSUBJECT AREAS

General Education (%50) Math Science Liberal Arts

Professional Courses (50%) Management Technical

GENERAL EDUCATION – LIBERAL ARTS

General writing LOTS Technical writing LOTS Business writing LOTS Historical Perspectives of the Environment public presentation and speech Sociology Philosophy Economic Ethics Research methodology

GENERAL EDUCATION – SCIENCE Biology – 1 year through Chemistry – 1 year through organic chemistry Physics – general (algebra based) Earth science/hydrology/geology Ecology

GENERAL EDUCATION – MATH College algebra/pre-calculus Statistics Basic calculus

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Management Environmental law Regulatory systems Management systems Organization management/change/behavior Environmental/public policy Project management (environmental focus) Accounting Business principles Business sustainability Marketing

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONTechnical

Air (1 or more) Water (1 or more) Solid and Hazardous waste (1 or more) Occupational safety Occupational health/Industrial hygiene Energy Transportation (energy and pollutants) Land use Impact analysis Risk assessment Toxicology

Electives for concentrations