Programs
Bloomington Campus
Master of Science in Environmental Science
Master of Environmental Sustainability Concentrations
Environmental Quality and Toxicology Concentration
The environmental quality and toxicology concentration (27 credit hours) prepares students to address issues such as air pollution, water quality, contaminants, and solid and hazardous wastes using quantitative tools such as risk assessment and best practices such as risk communication. Graduates will be prepared to work in the public, private, or non-profit sectors. States and municipalities are becoming increasingly innovative in this area, and SPEA students will be well equipped to work at these levels as well as at national and international levels.
Fundamental Science Electives (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take science electives from the general science electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 431 | Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 451 | Air Pollution and Control | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 502 | Water Quality Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 503 | Natural Gas: Technical and Policy Challenges | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 504 | Sustainable River Management: Theory and Practice | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 515 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 520 | Environmental Toxicology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 536 | Environmental Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 537 | Environmental Chemistry Lab | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 539 | Aquatic Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 542 | Hazardous Materials | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 554 | Groundwater Flow Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Conservation Planning | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 562 | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 564 | Organic Pollutants: Environmental Chemistry and Fate | (3 cr.) |
| GOEG-G 551 | Physical Hydrology | (3 cr.) |
Applications (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take applications electives from the general application electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 501/ SPEA-X 511 |
Human Behavior and Energy Consumption | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 512 | Risk Communication | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 514 | Changing Landscape of Toxic Chemical Regulations | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 517 | BMP Design for Healthy Urban Watersheds | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 529 | Application of Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 552 | Environmental Engineering | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 574 | Energy Systems in Transition | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 674 | Energy Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
Municipal Sustainability Concentration
The municipal sustainability concentration (27 credit hours) prepares students to address issues associated with air pollution, waste management, water management, and green-space management in towns and cities. Graduates will be prepared to work in the public, private, or non-profit sectors. Relevant employment will not come only at the municipal level; states and nations must also work with and plan for cities, so employment will be available at all levels from municipal to international.
Fundamental Science Electives (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take science electives from the general science electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 431 | Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 451 | Air Pollution and Control | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 502 | Water Quality Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 504 | Sustainable River Management: Theory and Practice | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 505 | Renewable and Nuclear Energy and Climate Change | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 515 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 520 | Environmental Toxicology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 522 | Urban Forest Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 527 | Applied Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 537 | Environmental Chemistry Lab | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 539 | Aquatic Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 540 | Wetlands Ecology and Management | (4 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 542 | Hazardous Materials | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 546 | Stream Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Conservation Planning | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Fluid Mechanics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Sustaining Urban Ecosystems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 556 | Limnology | (4 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 561 | Wildlife Techniques | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 562 | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 563 | Wildlife Management |
Applications (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take applications electives from the general application electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 501/ SPEA-X 511 |
Human Behavior and Energy Consumption | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 512 | Risk Communication | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 514 | Changing Landscape of Toxic Chemical Regulations | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 517 | BMP Design for Healthy Urban Watersheds | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 534 | Restoration Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 545 | Lake and Watershed Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 552 | Environmental Engineering | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Environmental Monitoring | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Food Systems and Community Resilience | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 574 | Energy Systems in Transition | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 591/ SPEA-R 591 |
Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resources | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-I 516 | Public Management Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-L 563 | Planning and Community Development | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-L 564 | Urban Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-L 568 | Management of Local Government Services | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-M 654 | Public Program Management and Contracting | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 512 | Energy and Climate: Law and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 532 | Water Policy and Economics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 563 | Sustainability in a Tri-sectoral World | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 674 | Energy Economics and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-S 515 | Sustainable Communities | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-S 516 | Preparing for Climate Change and Resilient Urban Communities | (3 cr.) |
Sustainable Natural Resource Conservation and Management Concentration
The sustainable natural resource conservation and management concentration (27 credit hours) provides training in conservation and management of ecosystems and their biodiversity. Graduates will be prepared for public, private, and non-profit positions in agencies, companies, and organizations at local to international levels. Increasingly, positions are available in towns and cities (urban forestry, green space management, urban wildlife management) as well as conserved and managed natural areas.
Fundamental Science Electives (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take science electives from the general science electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 504 | Sustainable River Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 522 | Urban Forest Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 527 | Applied Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 528 | Forest Ecology and Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 540 | Wetlands Ecology and Management | (4 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 546 | Stream Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 550 | Soil Science and Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Conservation Planning | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Plants and Plant Communities | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Sustaining Urban Ecosystems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 556 | Limnology | (4 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 557 | Conservation Biology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 561 | Wildlife Techniques | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 563 | Wildlife Management | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-B 300 | Vascular Plants | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-L 376 | Biology of Birds | (3 cr.) |
Applications (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take applications electives from the general application electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 504 | Sustainable River Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 534 | Restoration Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 545 | Lake and Watershed Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Conservation Planning | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Food Systems and Community Resilience | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 591/ SPEA-R 591 |
Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resources | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 512 | Energy and Climate: Law and Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 513 | Wildlife Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 516 | Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Governance | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 531 | Water Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 533 | Public Natural Resources Law | (3 cr.) |
Sustainable Water Resources Concentration
The sustainable water resources concentration (27 credit hours) provides training in issues of water quality, water quantity, and aquatic ecology. Students may choose courses in all three areas or may focus on one or two areas. Graduates will be prepared to work in the public, private, or non-profit sectors. States and municipalities are become increasingly innovative in this area, and SPEA students will be well equipped to work at these levels as well as at national and international levels.
Fundamental Science Electives (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take science electives from the general science electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 431 | Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 502 | Water Quality Modeling | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 504 | Sustainable River Management: Theory and Practice | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 527 | Applied Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 539 | Aquatic Chemistry | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 540 | Wetlands Ecology and Management | (4 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 546 | Stream Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 550 | Soil Science and Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Fluid Mechanics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Watershed Hydrology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Sustaining Urban Ecosystems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 556 | Limnology | (4 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 551 | Physical Hydrology | (3 cr.) |
Applications (6-21 credit hours)
Select at least 6 credit hours, but no more than 21 credit hours of the following courses: (students may also take applications electives from the general application electives list that appears after the concentration-specific course lists)
| SPEA-E 504 | Sustainable River Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 534 | Restoration Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 545 | Lake and Watershed Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 552 | Environmental Engineering | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 555 | Food Systems and Community Resilience | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 516 | Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Governance | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 531 | Water Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 532 | Water Policy and Economics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 591/ SPEA-R 591 |
Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resources | (3 cr.) |
General M.E.S. Fundamental Science and Applications Electives
The following courses are available as electives for all concentrations for which they may be relevant. Science or applications electives listed under the individual concentrations are particularly focused on that concentration. Science or applications electives listed here are potentially relevant to more than one concentration, and may also occur as concentration electives. Note that some general science or applications electives serve as prerequisites for other science or applications electives.
Science electives:
| ANTH-E 527 | Environmental Anthropology | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-B 300 | Vascular Plants | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-L 376 | Biology of Birds | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-L 579 | Community Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-L 581 | Behavioral Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-Z 406 | Vertabrate Zoology | (3-5 cr.) |
| BIOL-Z 460 | Animal Behavior | (3 cr.) |
| BIOL-Z 620 | Quantitative Biodiversity | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 551 | Water Resources | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 577 | Scientific Programming in MATLAB | (3 cr.) |
| GEOL-G 544 | Methods in Analytical Geochemistry | (3 cr.) |
| GEOL-G 547 | Instrumentation for Atmospheric Science | (3 cr.) |
| GEOL-G 550 | Surface Water Hydrology | (3 cr.) |
| GEOL-G 576 | Climate Change | (3 cr.) |
Applications electives:
| SPEA-E 518 | Vector-based Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 529 | Application of Geographic Information Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 538 | Statistics for Environmental Science | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 560 | Environmental Risk Analysis | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-E 512 | Risk Communication | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-I 516 | Public Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-I 519 | Database Management Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-L 564 | Urban Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-M 547 | Negotiation and Dispute Resolution | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-M 654 | Public Program Management and Contracting | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-N 521 | The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-N 557 | Proposal Development and Grant Administration | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-N 558 | Fund Development for Nonprofits | (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 | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-P 562 | Public Program Evaluation | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 513 | Wildlife Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 521 | Domestic Environmental Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 531 | Water Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 533 | Public Natural Resource Law | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 535 | International Environmental Policy | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 563 | Sustainability in a Tri-sectoral World | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-R 564 | Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Design and Implementation | (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 516 | Preparing for Climate Change and Resilient Urban Communities | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-S 596 | Sustainable Development | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 517 | Public Management Economics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 550 | Communications for Public and Nonprofit Sectors (online) | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 550 | Environmental Policy (online) | (3 cr.) |
| ANTH-E 621 | Food and Culture | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 515 | Sustainable Urbanism | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 544 | Climate Change Impacts | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 549 | Political Ecology | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 553 | Water and Society | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 561 | Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change | (3 cr.) |
| GEOG-G 578 | Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-O 510 | Human Health and the environment | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-O 517 | Ecosystem Management | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-R 511 | Organizational Leadership of Leisure Services | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-R 523 | Policy Studies in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-R 524 | Strategic Fundraising and Partnerships for Park, Recreation and Public Lands | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-R 525 | Foundations of Conservation, Parks, and Recreation | (3 cr.) |
| SPH-R 530 | Comprehensive Park, Recreation and Facility Planning and Design | (3 cr.) |