Environmental Science, M.S.

At Florida Tech, environmental science graduate students benefit from a close-knit academic community defined by small class sizes and dedicated faculty mentorship.

This personalized learning environment fosters collaboration with researchers and industry professionals, giving students valuable real-world experience that makes them highly competitive in the job market.

The program’s interdisciplinary approach brings together expertise from science, mathematics and engineering, providing students with a well-rounded foundation to meet the demands of today’s environmental challenges.

Close mentorship from experienced professors ensures students receive the guidance and support needed to grow both academically and professionally.

Pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science means getting out into the field, and Florida Tech is the ideal place to do just that. 

Our 130-acre campus sits just minutes from the Indian River Lagoon, the most biodiverse estuary in North America. The university's Ralph S. Evinrude Marine Operations Center provides students and faculty with direct access to this unique natural resource.

We're located just across the causeway from 72 miles of Atlantic shoreline and within reach of the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest subtropical wilderness reserve in North America.

These nearby natural laboratories give students hands-on experiences that help them build the skills needed to become effective environmental scientists.

Your thesis is an opportunity to conduct original research of publishable quality, diving deep into a topic that sparks your curiosity and contributing new insights to environmental science.

Through this process, you'll develop specialized expertise that will help you stand out in careers that value advanced knowledge, and lay the groundwork for future doctoral studies, if you so choose.

A nonthesis track, culminating in a final program examination, is an option at the discretion of your advisor.

Students have the opportunity to venture into Florida's biodiverse and ecologically sensitive ecosystems and to advance understanding and protection of these areas through research and internships.

Topics in the field for environmental science internships and research could include:

• Offshore oil spills and drilling impacts
• Drinking water resources
• Rising sea levels
• Natural resource management
• Water and wastewater treatment
• Air quality
• Ecological surveys
• Effects of local weather on ecosystems

Environmental science internships at Florida Tech provides students an opportunity to work with environmental organizations such as:

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Marine Resources Council
• Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
• St. Johns River Water Management District
• NASA

Florida Tech has extensive laboratories and research facilities for applied research in environmental science, such as the F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Center, home to faculty laboratories and cutting-edge instrumentation. High-tech marine and environmental systems laboratories provide instrumentation that can be used for core-boring and sediment analysis, beach surveying, the measurement and analysis of water quality and more.

At Florida Tech, our campus is a hub of global connections, where students from the U.S. and around the world come together to create a rich, dynamic environment. This sense of community fosters mutual understanding and collaboration, reflecting the increasingly interconnected world we all share.

Whether you're a U.S. student seeking to broaden your horizons through interacting with peers from other countries or an international student exploring new opportunities in the U.S., Florida Tech offers an opportunity for learning and professional growth in a truly global setting.

Applicants should have undergraduate majors in the physical or life sciences with strong backgrounds in chemistry and biology.

If your degree is in a different scientific or engineering field, you may need to complete certain preparatory coursework before starting the program, as advised by the department.

For more information about admission, please see our graduate admission requirements or start your application now!