Natural, Physical, and Environmental Sciences Community
Careers in natural and physical sciences offer opportunities to protect and study the planet and the life it sustains.
On this page:
Community Resources
Gain Experience and Skills
Hands-on learning beyond the classroom helps you expand your skills, form community connections, build your resume, and gain the Panther Edge. These include internships, undergraduate research, study abroad, community engagement, and leadership experiences.
Joining a student organization provides you opportunities to form friendships, explore your interests, gain work and volunteer experience, develop leadership skills, and network with professionals working in your industry.
Examples: Conservation Club, Student Water Council, Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Council, Biological Sciences Association, Graduate Organization of Biological Science, Geology Club, Climate Consensus, Ducks Unlimited at UWM, and For People and Planet.
Internships provide an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience, expand your transferable skills, develop professional connections, and build your resume. Our staff can help you tailor your resume and cover letter, search for positions, and prepare for the interview.
Be sure to utilize Handshake to search for positions. Employers looking to hire UWM students & alumni use this recruiting system to connect with you!
Examples: Be sure to check out the SET website for additional internship opportunities here. SSTPI, CLIP, and the Arts, Humanities, and Social Science Internship Program are some of the UWM-specific internship opportunities available to our students.
On-campus jobs provide convenient options with flexible scheduling and opportunities to gain transferrable and career-related skills. Explore and apply to on-campus jobs on Handshake. For additional support, visit our employment website
SET has deep community partnerships which provide student opportunities for volunteering, service learning, service trips, and other forms of community-based learning. You may even find yourself in a course with a built-in service-learning requirement. You can learn more about this on our website here.
Examples: CES 210, GEOG 125, Panther Response Team, and much more!
Identify Common Local Employers
We proudly host eight career fairs every year, showcasing around 80 diverse employers each fair.
Career Paths and Search Terms
Here is a sample of keywords you can use when researching career paths or searching for open positions.
| Career Path | Search Terms |
|---|---|
| Anthropology | Professor, Archaeologist , Project Manager |
| Atmospheric Science | Meteorologist, Weather Forecaster, Research Scientist |
| Biochemistry | Research Scientist, Consultant, Analyst |
| Biology | Project Manager, Scientist, Teacher |
| Conservation and Environmental Science | Land Management, Environmental Protection, Operations Manager |
| Chemistry | Consultant, Analytical Chemist, Research and Development |
| Freshwater Science | Research, Field Technician, Municipal/Policy |
| Geography | Geographic Information System Analyst, Cartographer, Community Development |
| Geo Sciences | Meteorologist, Consultant, Scientist |
| Microbiology | Research Associate, Quality Assurance, Consultant |
| Physics | Software/Systems Engineer, Research Associate, Data Scientist |
Utilize Job Search Tools
What does it mean to work in fields connected to Natural and Physical Science? Read more below about each of these areas, plus discover industry specific job boards to search for internships and full-time positions. Note that we highly encourage all students to explore roles in Handshake where many of our employer partners post their opportunities to find UWM students.
Discover the possibilities and opportunities of working at the state government. State parks are staffed through the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection promotes quality food, healthy plants and animals and use of land and water resources.
Conservation biologists plan ways to utilize natural resources but still protect the environment. Some participate in ecosystem management like range managers, environmental consultants, and habitat-restoration specialists. Others may work with specific animals to preserve biodiversity.
Meet Your Advisors
Community Engagement and Experiential Learning Program Manager
mschoeff@uwm.edu
Community Engagement and Experiential Learning Program Manager
west9@uwm.edu