Environmental Policy - Environmental Policy Studies

Environmental Policy Studies

Given the growing need for trained environmental policy practitioners, graduate schools throughout the world have begun to offer specialized professional degrees in environmental policy studies. While there is not a standard curriculum for these programs, students typically take courses in policy analysis, environmental science, environmental law and politics, ecology, energy, and natural resource management. Graduates of these programs are usually employed by governments, international organizations, private sector, think tanks, universities, and a host of other parties.

Due to lack of standard nomenclature, institutions use varying names and designations to refer to the environmental policy degrees they award. However, these degrees typically fall in one of four broad categories: Master of Arts in Environmental Policy, Master of Science in Environmental Policy, Master of Public Administration in Environmental Policy, or PhD in Environmental Policy. Sometimes, more specific names are used to reflect the particular focus of a degree program. For example, the Monterey Institute of International Studies uses Master of Arts in International Environmental Policy (MAIEP) to emphasize the international-orientation of its curriculum.