Boulder is Colorado’s shining star for sustainability, with its progressive policies giving this city a reputation as the state’s trendsetter and trailblazer. Live in Boulder and chances are you bike to work, shop locally, and participate in one or more of its green initiatives.
For example, new homes in Boulder must meet the city’s BuildSmart requirements, which means adhering to specific energy efficiency and resource conservation requirements. If you own a business in Boulder, you can take advantage of the city’s EnergySmart program, which provides resources, financing, and rebates if you make energy efficient upgrades, or take part in the 10 for Change Challenge, which rewards you for reducing your energy usage while providing you with access to a valuable network of other like-minded businesses that value sustainability.
Because sustainability is a broad field, you’ll find exciting professional opportunities in areas like engineering, public policy, technology, and business. With the right education and expertise, you can become part of Colorado’s burgeoning green movement.
Sustainability Jobs Available in Colorado with the Right Degree
There are plenty of avenues in Colorado you can take if you have a career in sustainability on your radar.
For example, the Alliance Center, headquartered in Denver, brings together a network of nonprofits, private companies, government agencies, and academic institutions together with one, primary goal in mind: sustainability. Just some of the issues addressed include climate change, responsible business practices, and developing a civically minded community.
Conservation Colorado is another Denver-based organization that works throughout the state to address environmental concerns and work with conservation policymakers on environmental legislation.
EcoAction Partners, a Telluride nonprofit, creates and supports programs that enhance the economic, environmental, and social systems of the greater San Miguel and Ouray County areas. Efforts of this big name in sustainability include reducing greenhouse gas emissions through programs like the Green Business Certification Program, the Greenlights LED Light Bulb Program, and the Truth or Dare Community Challenge.
Just some of the professions in Colorado’s sustainability field that offer competitive salaries, according to 2018 BLS statistics, include environmental engineers who earn an average salary of $98,350, civil engineers who earn an average of $93,560, and environmental scientists who earn $93,010 on average.
Master’s in Sustainability Available Through Schools in Colorado
A master’s in sustainability is where your talents become defined and your skills turn to expertise. You’ll find plenty of options here too, many of which allow you to focus on a specific area within this broad area of study.
Agriculture
The University of Colorado Boulder offers a Masters of the Environment with a specialization in Sustainable Food Systems, which provides in-depth study into all areas of holistic food systems, including agriculture and production, processing, retail, consumption, and waste.
Architecture
The University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning offers a Master of Landscape Architecture which, through theory and practice, provides an in-depth examination of the use of established and emerging design and technologies to achieve a balanced environment.
Business
Western Colorado University’s Master in Environmental Management studies ecological diversity, natural resources, and sustainable communities while offering your choice of specialization in Sustainable and Resilient Communities, Integrative & Public Land Management, or Global Sustainability.
Energy
Colorado State University’s MS in Ecosystem Sustainability allows you to dive deep into the interactions between natural and human systems. Other master’s programs in sustainability here include a Master of Greenhouse Gas Management and Accounting and an MS in Watershed Science.
Technology
The University of Colorado Denver’s civil engineering master’s programs provide plenty of options for specialization in the areas of environmental and sustainability engineering, geotechnical engineering, geomatics and geographic information systems, and more.
Sustainability Bachelor Degree Programs in Colorado
Master’s programs aren’t the only players in sustainability education in Colorado. The bachelor’s programs here provide aspiring green professionals like you with a comprehensive course of study designed to prepare you for entry into this exciting field.
A sampling of these programs include Colorado Mountain College’s BA in Sustainability Studies and the University of Northern Colorado’s BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.
Online Sustainability Degrees Offered Through Schools in Colorado
Online programs in sustainability allow aspiring or practicing sustainability professionals to pursue study in this emerging area through a convenient, distance-based format.
Two big names in post-secondary education in Colorado that offer online sustainability programs include: the University of Colorado Denver, which offers an MS in Management and Organization with a specialization in Sustainability, and Colorado State University, which offers a variety of sustainability-based master’s programs in civil engineering; fish, wildlife, and conservation biology; integrated resource management; natural resource stewardship; and tourism management, and a bachelor’s program in natural resource tourism.