As increasingly more companies pursue environmentally friendly initiatives, opportunities for environmental engineers who have graduated from on-campus or online degree programs are expected to grow.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that environmental engineering positions – which typically require bachelors degrees in engineering – are projected to grow by 25 percent over the next seven years.

Recent graduates with this training may find jobs working on projects such as Southwest’s green plane development. The airline has recently unveiled an environmentally friendly model of one of its Boeing 737-700 jets, which researchers will use to test sustainable features.

Environmental engineers may find other opportunities in the transportation industry, such as work with eco-friendly motorcycles. For example, Zero Motorcycles has just obtained Certification of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency for its completely electrical Zero S and DS models.

Because these automobiles qualify their owners for state and federal tax credits, increased development and production of similar models may create greater opportunities for those who are trained in environmental engineering.

Companies striving to make their products and services more sustainable may consider recent graduates with degrees in mathematics or natural science for environmental engineering positions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes.

Online universities may offer engineering degree programs for those wishing to take advantage of this growing career field.