Natural Resources & Conservation Researchat George Washington University

Your strong earnings potential from this program isn't about traditional fieldwork in remote forests; it’s about proximity to power. Studying conservation in Washington, D.C. places you at the epicenter of environmental policy, regulation, and international advocacy. You’ll be interning and networking not just with scientists, but with policymakers and analysts at the EPA, the Department of the Interior, the World Bank, and major non-profits like the World Wildlife Fund. This program is a pipeline into the high-stakes world of environmental compliance, lobbying, and federal research—careers that are based in the capital, not the countryside. To maximize this advantage, your top priority should be securing a policy-focused internship on or near Capitol Hill by your sophomore year; it's the single most important step you can take to launch your career here.