Nebraska is a Plains state, which makes it an ag state… where once prairies spread across the broad, rolling landscape, today corn, wheat, soybeans, and hay fields stretch as far as the eye can see.
But although it looks like it’s never-ending, the resources that enable this bounty are actually under tremendous threat. The Ogallala Aquifer, a primary source of water to irrigate many of those crops, has been drawn down far faster than it can be replenished. By some estimates, the aquifer could be seventy percent depleted by 2060, with no easy way to refill it by then.
That’s why sustainability experts are vital, not just to Nebraska, but to the nation and the world that relies on our food production. And a strong education is the only way to become an expert in an ever-changing and increasingly important field. Nebraska colleges are ready to turn students into the kind of professionals that the industry demands.
Sustainability Jobs Available in Nebraska With the Right Degree
Sustainability jobs in Nebraska tend to be exactly what you would expect in the fourth-ranked state for agricultural output: heavily crop-related.
Private organizations like BCforward use sustainability experts to engage with growers to encourage sustainable practices. Academia is also a major employer in sustainability here, with the University of Nebraska being one of the dominant names on lists of job openings in the field.
Master’s in Sustainability Available Through Schools in Nebraska
Agriculture and Sustainable Development
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln is one of the top schools in the country for the study of sustainable agricultural practices. The range of degrees offered through the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources touch on topics from agribusiness to applied climate science, but the one thing all of them have in common is an investment in teaching students how to use science and technology to develop sustainable farming, harvesting, and processing for future food systems.
Architecture
UNL is also one of the top choices in the state for a Master of Science in Architecture with sustainability as an area of focus. Along with the traditional courses of architectural study like branding and design, you’ll learn about sustainable materials and green building techniques. As a bonus, some courses may be available online.
Business
The University of Nebraska at Omaha offers an AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration that includes a Sustainability concentration designed to expand your perspective to include the environmental and social aspects of modern business.
Sustainability Bachelor Degree Programs in Nebraska
Of course, you don’t get into any of those high-end master’s degree programs without a solid bachelor’s degree to prepare you for them.
Omaha’s Creighton University has a particularly solid Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability that delivers a multidisciplinary education that will set you up to branch out into almost any type of environmental sustainability work. It’s all backed with the famously rigorous Jesuit approach to higher education, one that offers not only systematic scientific understanding, but also the moral and ethical framework to back it.
Online Sustainability Degrees Offered Through Schools in Nebraska
Online degree programs can be a game changer for non-traditional students, but they make perfect sense for anyone interested in sustainability: virtual classrooms consume fewer resources than on campus classrooms, and the time-shifting available in asynchronous course schedules allows everyone to make the most efficient use of their time while learning.
So Bellevue University’s 100 percent online Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Management is not only a great way to build your credentials in sustainability studies, but also to exercise your personal responsibility to build a more sustainable planet. With courses in water, energy, and land resource management, you’ll learn about the latest in biofuels, solar, and wind technology with a view toward building more sustainable systems.