Programs
Bloomington Campus
Master of Public Affairs Dual Degree Programs
Master of Public Affairs–Master of Science in Environmental Science
This combined master’s program is a 60-credit hour program that gives the student more depth and breadth than is possible in a single degree. M.P.A. and M.S.E.S. degrees are awarded concurrently after the student has completed the requirements for both degrees.
Application and Admission
The student must apply to and be accepted by both the Master of Public Affairs program and the Master of Science in Environmental Science program. The normal criteria for admission to each program apply.
Program Requirements
(60 credit hours) The combined M.P.A.–M.S.E.S. program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours distributed among four components: environmental science core, public affairs core, environmental science and policy concentration, and professional experience.
Public Affairs Core
Required Courses (15 credit hours)
| SPEA-F 560 | Public Finance and Budgeting | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 502 | Public Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 506 | Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (With consent of the advisor, may substitute SPEA-E 538 Statistics for Environmental Science. Credit not given for both SPEA-E 538 and SPEA-V 506. Course should be taken in the first semester.) |
(3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 517 | Public Management Economics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 540 | Law and Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
Environmental Science Core Competencies
Each Student should demonstrate a competency in the following areas of environmental science: mathematics, statistics, chemistry, engineering principles, and ecology. The selection of courses may vary according to the student's background. Some or all of the following course categories may be appropriate to be determined in consultation with the gatekeepers for each course category.
Required Courses (12 credit hours)
Mathematics:
| SPEA-E 526 | Applied Mathematics for Environmental Science | (3 cr.) |
Ecology:
| SPEA-E 527 | Applied Ecology |
(3 cr.) |
| or | ||
| SPEA-E 532 | Introduction to Applied Ecology | (3 cr.) |
Chemistry:
| SPEA-E 536 | Environmental Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
Statistics:
| SPEA-E 538 | Statistics for Environmental Science | (3 cr.) |
| or | ||
| SPEA-V 506 | Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making | (3 cr.) |
Engineering Principles:
| SPEA-E 552 | Environmental Engineering | (3 cr.) |
| or | ||
| SPEA-E 431 | Water Supply and Waste Water Treatment | (3 cr.) |
| or | ||
| SPEA-E 555 | Energy Engineering Systems | (3 cr.) |
Economics, Policy and Law Core Competencies
Each student should demonstrate a competency in the following areas of environmental management. The selection of courses may vary according to the student's background, concentration and professional objectives. Courses should be selected in consultation with a concentration advisor.
| SPEA-E 535 | International Environmental Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 543 | Environmental Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 625 | Environmental Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 643 | Natural Resource Management and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 645 | Environmental Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-S 596 | Sustainable Development | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 517 | Public Management Economics | (3 cr.) |
Tool Skill Courses
Students are encouraged to acquire competency in analytical methods by focusing on tool skills appropriate to their concentration. Courses should be selected in consultation with a concentration advisor.
| SPEA- E 512 | Risk Communication | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 519 | Applied Remote Sensing of the Environment | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 529 | Application of Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-M 547 | Negotiation and Dispute Resolution for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 507 | Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 539 | Management Science for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 541 | Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 562 | Public Program Evaluation | (3 cr.) |
Capstone
Required Course (3 credit hours)
Choose one of the following courses:
| SPEA-E 546 | Stream Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 625 | Research in Environmental Science | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 600 | Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs | (3 cr.) |
Students must fulfill the professional presentation requirement.
Program Options
Dual degree students can pursue one of six concentration options.
1. Environmental Management Concentration
(24 credit hours)
Required Courses
Four of the following courses:
| SPEA-E 515 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 520 | Environmental Toxicology or SPEA-E 410 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology |
(3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 539 | Aquatic Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 542 | Hazardous Materials | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 543 | Environmental Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 545 | Lake and Watershed Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 554 | Groundwater Flow Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Surface Water Quality Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 562 | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | (3 cr.) |
Four of the following:
| SPEA-E 512 | Risk Communication | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Toxicology in the 21st Century | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-I 516 | Public Information Management Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 507 | Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 541 | Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 562 | Public Program Evaluation | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 625 | Environmental Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 643 | Natural Resource Management and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 645 | Environmental Law | (3 cr.) |
2. Environmental Systems Analysis and Modeling Concentration
(27 credit hours)
Required
The following three courses:
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 507 | Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 539 | Management Science for Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
Four of the following courses:
| SPEA-E 515 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution Control | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-Based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 529 | Application of Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 539 | Aquatic Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 554 | Groundwater Flow Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Topics in Environmental Science (modeling related) | (3 cr.) |
Two of the following courses:
| SPEA-P 541 | Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 625 | Environmental Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 643 | Natural Resource Management and Policy | (3 cr.) |
3. Energy Concentration
(18 credit hours)
Required Courses (6 credit hours)
| SPEA-E 574 | Energy Analysis and Markets | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 674 | Energy Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
Electives (12 credit hours)
Students seek a mixture of science and policy courses related to energy in accodance to professional goals. No double counting with program core course is permitted. At least two courses must be taken from each group.
Natural Science Elective Group:
| SPEA-E 515 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector -based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 529 | Application of Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Coal Utilization and Carbon Sequestration | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Natural Gas: Technical and Policy Challenges | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Topics in Environmental Science (approved topics only) | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 532 | Physical Climatology | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 542 | Sustainable Energy Systems | (3 cr. |
| GEOG-G 575 | Climate Change | (3 cr.) |
| GEOL-G 571 | Principles of Petroleum Geology | (3 cr.) |
| GEOL-G 587 | Organic Geochemistry | (3 cr.) |
| PHYS-P 510 | Environmental Physics | (3 cr.) |
Economics, Public Policy and Law Elective Group:
| SPEA-E 501 | Human Behavior and Energy Consumption | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 535 | International Environment Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 590 | Energy Policy From a Nation-State Perspective | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555/V550 | Topics in Environmenal Science or Public Affairs (approved topics only) | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 541 | Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 625 | Environmental Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 643 | Natural Resource Managment and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 645 | Environmental Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 533/LAW-B 675 | Public Natural Resources Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-S 596 | Sustainable Development | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 550/LAW-L 644 | Seminar in Energy Law and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 550/LAW-L 660 | Seminar in Climate Law and Policy | (3 cr.) |
4. Water Management Concentration
(25 credit hours)
Required Courses (10 credit hours)
| SPEA-E 455 | Limnology | (4 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 545 | Lake and Watershed Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 531 | Water Law | (3 cr.) |
Water Science: (6 - 9 credit hours)
In consultation with a concentration advisor, select two or three of the following courses:
| SPEA-E 440 | Wetlands: Biology and Regulation | (3 cr.) |
| SPE-E 443 | Aquatic Habitat Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 460 | Fisheries and Wildlife Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 461 | Fisheries and Wildlife Management Lab | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 539 | Aquatic Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 546 | Stream Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 554 | Groundwater Flow Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | BMP Design for Healthy Urban Watersheds | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Watershed Hydrology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Surface Water Quality Modeling | (3 cr.) |
Policy and Administration: (6 - 9 credit hours)
In consultation with a concentration advisor, select two or three of the following courses:
| SPEA-E 555 | Water Policy and Economics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 541 | Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 625 | Environmental Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 643 | Natural Resource Management and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-X 511 | Human Behavior and Energy Consumption | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 553 | Water and Society | (3 cr.) |
5. Specialized Concentration
(21 credit hours) Select four M.S.E.S. courses from one of the listed M.S.E.S. concentrations and three M.P.A. courses from one of the listed M.P.A. concentrations.
6. Any M.S.E.S. or M.P.A. Concentration
Any M.S.E.S. concentration plus 9 additional credit hours from a listed M.P.A. concentration
Or
Any M.P.A. concentration plus 12 additional credit hours from a listed M.S.E.S. concentration.
Experiential Requirement
Each double master’s degree candidate must obtain professionally relevant experience through one of the following options: an approved internship (0-6 credit hours); advanced project; independent research/thesis; the award of prior professional experience credit; or an environmental science research project culminating in a master’s thesis. Students are encouraged to discuss with faculty members the relative merits of their experiences according to individual career objectives.