The M.S.E.S. program requires 48 credit hours distributed among four sets of courses:

• science courses
• policy and management courses
• tool skill courses
• and an experiential requirement

There are no required courses per se; however, each student is expected to demonstrate several competencies, depending on his or her concentration. These competencies include relevant natural and physical sciences, economics, policy or law, and quantitative problem solving. A Curriculum Advisory Committee works with the student to ensure that these competencies are met and that the student is pursuing a suitable plan of study. This curriculum provides students with a general knowledge of environmental science, the tool skills to allow them to apply that knowledge, and a specialized area of expertise.