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Career · Nature and living things

Environmental scientist

Studies environmental conditions, checks evidence and suggests ways to reduce harm to nature and people.

What a day looks like

Imagine an environmental scientist studying land near an industrial site. This is a composite example; duties depend on the employer. In the morning, the scientist reviews the monitoring plan and earlier results, deciding which locations need checking. They arrange site access and prepare instruments, record sheets and safe working procedures. A striking photograph is not enough: every result needs a location, date and method.

On site, the scientist and their team record conditions and observations. Where the project requires it, they organise water, soil or air sampling using the agreed method. Laboratory results will follow later. An unusual number is checked before interpretation: it might reflect an instrument fault, a mixed-up label or a real environmental change. Careful records can matter more than a quick guess about a pollution source.

Back at the office, the scientist enters information into a table, compares measurement series and makes a map or graph. With colleagues, they discuss what the evidence supports and what remains uncertain. The report must explain both the problem and possible responses, such as changing a process, reducing waste or continuing monitoring. Some days involve only documents and calculations; others mean outdoor work in heat or cold. This work suits curiosity about living systems, numbers and people. A school-level trial can involve observing a safe area of a garden. Unknown substances, industrial sites and polluted water are unsuitable for that activity.

Try it yourself this week

  • 30 minutes

    Watch living things outside and take notes for 20 minutes

    1. Find a place near your home with something alive: a tree, birds, an anthill, a vegetable bed or a flower bed.
    2. Watch for 20 minutes and write down everything that changes: who flew in, what they're doing, how they behave.
    3. Ask yourself one question you don't know the answer to (for example, why birds land right here).
    4. Find the answer in any source and write down whether it matched your guess.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you have the patience to watch living things for a long time, and enjoy looking for explanations of what you saw.

  • 30 minutes

    Ask a science question and check the answer in two sources

    1. Choose a question about chemistry, biology, physics or space that really interests you, for example: why does a vaccine protect you if you haven't had the disease yet?
    2. Write down your guess — what you think now, before you search.
    3. Find the answer in two different sources: a textbook, a popular science website, an encyclopedia. Write down where they agree and where they differ.
    4. Note which source you trust more and why, and how the answer differs from your guess.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like digging down to the real explanation and comparing sources — or the first answer you find is enough for you.

What you can do next

  1. Next 3 months

    • Start an observation journal

      Complete t18 in a garden or school grounds. Separate observations from guesses; do not handle unfamiliar plants or animals.

    • Ask a testable question

      Choose a question about a familiar plant or bird and complete t21. Record two sources and the claims each supports.

  2. In six months

    • Collect a series of observations

      Observe one safe location at the same time for four weeks. Record weather and methods; do not infer pollution from appearance alone.

    • Make a graph and explain its limits

      Put your observations in a table and graph. Give three reasons why a small sample cannot describe an entire city.

  3. In a year

    • Compare study programmes

      Explore ecology programmes at KazNU and ENU. Compare fieldwork, chemistry and data work; check current admission conditions.

    • Prepare a short report

      Combine your notes, graph and sources in two pages. Ask a biology teacher to review it, correct mistakes and add a section on what needs checking next.

What it pays

No verified information is available in this section yet.

Where to study

Universities

You apply after grade 11, based on your UNT results.

How to get into college

College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.

  • Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
    Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
    Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
    Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university

The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.

  • The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
    Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)

Courses and opportunities

Opportunities near this field

Can you work before you turn 18?

Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.

History of the career

An important episode in public awareness of environmental issues was Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring. The marine biologist and writer compared research and explained the consequences of careless pesticide use.

She showed connections between effects on individual species and the wider environment. According to the US National Park Service, her work influenced the environmental and conservation movements. This is not the origin story of the entire discipline, but an example of scientific evidence becoming a public concern. Environmental scientists still combine observation, checking evidence and explaining findings clearly, rather than substituting a slogan for research.

Source: nps.gov (opens in a new tab)

Well-known people in this field

  • Rachel Carson

    Marine biologist and author of Silent Spring (1962); explained the consequences of careless pesticide use and influenced the environmental movement.

    Source: nps.gov (opens in a new tab)

Article sources

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