Programs

Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management

(15 credit hours) The Environmental Policy and Natural Resources Management concentration draws on economics, statistics, and other quantitative fields to help students develop analytical skills to interpret and use data for the formation and evaluation of policy for environmental protection and natural resources management. The concentration draws on the study of law, politics, public policy, and management to build an understanding of the institutions through which society manages the formation and implementation of its policies. Students acquire a set of skills and insights that they will use in careers in government and consulting, in the regulatory and government relations offices of corporations, and in the advocacy and analysis operations of not-for-profit organizations. Students can focus their studies on either domestic or international environmental and natural resource issues. Students may not use MPA core courses to fulfill concentration requirements.

Environmental Law and Economics (6 credit hours)
The following courses are required:
SPEA-R 625 Environmental Economics and Policy (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 645 Environmental Law (3 cr.)

Group I - Environmental Policy Courses (3 credit hours)
In consultation with a concentration advisor, choose one of the following courses:

SPEA-R 521 Domestic Environmental Policy (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 535 International Environmental Policy (3 cr.)

Group II - Analysis and Skills Courses (3 credit hours)
In consultation with a concentration advisor, choose one from the following list of courses:

SPEA-E 518 Vector-Based Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.)
SPEA-E 529 Application of Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.)
SPEA-E 560 Environmental Risk Analysis (3 cr.)
SPEA-I 515 Data Science for Public and Environmental Affairs (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 541 Benefit Cost Analysis (3 cr.)
SPEA-P 562 Public Program Evaluation (3 cr.)

Group III - Context Courses (3 credit hours)
In consultation with a concentration advisor, choose one from the following list of courses:

SPEA-E 543 Environmental Management (cannot count as context course for MPA-MSES dual degree) (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 517 Environmental Justice (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 532 Water Policy and Economics (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 564 Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Implementation (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 590 Energy Policy from a Nation-State Perspective (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 626 Energy Policy Seminar (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 643 Natural Resources Management and Policy (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 674 Energy Economics and Policy (3 cr.)
SPEA-S 596 Sustainable Development (3 cr.)

Note: MPA students with a concentration in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management who want to take SPEA-E 543 must take both V535 and E543. Students can count E543 as a concentration elective.

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

Click here for the PDF version.