Students participating in the environmental policy specialization of the MPP and MPM-Policy Track programs investigate the science, philosophical, legal, economic, and political dimensions of environmental issues. The program's interdisciplinary focus prepares students to work effectively with people from diverse academic, cultural, and occupational backgrounds to address the world's complex environmental challenges. Students first develop the core skills necessary for creating and implementing public policies. Then, building on these fundamentals, they focus on ecological economics, growth management, international development or other areas related to environment investment or policymaking.

 Environmental Policy alumnus jobs 

·         Environmental Protection Specialist; Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

·         Environmental Planner, EIA Associates

·         Project Manager, Environmental Council of the States

·         Program Analyst, U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

·         International Trade Specialist, U.S. International Trade Administration

·         Director, Environmental Finance Center

·         Volunteer, Peace Corps

·         Management Analyst, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

·         Lobbyist, Environmental Defense Fund

·         Transportation Planner, Parsons Brinckerhoff

·         International Program Manager, Center for Clean Air Policy

·         Manager, China Operations, ENSR Environmental International

·         Policy Advisor, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

·         Executive Director, Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

·         Deputy Director, Office of Smart Growth, Maryland Department of Planning

·         Brazil Development Manager, Conservation International

 

Environmental Policy Specialization Curriculum

In addition to meeting the overall requirements of their degree program, students electing to specialize in environmental policy take the following courses:

Public Policy and the Environment (PUAF 740) focuses on how national environmental policy is formed and implemented, with an emphasis on the interplay of environmental science, politics and economics. In examining selected environmental policy issues, the course studies the roles of the Congress, the courts, agency administrators, and public interest groups.

Global Environmental Problems (PUAF 741) assesses human influences on the global environment. Topics include human population growth, climate change, ozone depletion, acid rain, and biological diversity. Emphasizes how scientists approach environmental problems, and how policy makers use scientific analyses.

Human Health and Environmental Policy (PUAF 745) reviews human and other species' physiological systems and their toxicological functions; considers bodily defenses and classic, emerging, and ambiguous risks; all in ecological context. Applies to scientific controversy methods of policy formation, such as risk, social-cost, outcomes, and decision analysis, all in political-economic context.

At least one environmental policy elective.  Popular environmental electives include:

Growth Management (PUAF 698A)

Dynamic Modeling (PUAF 746)

Ecological Economics (PUAF 743)

Environmental Ethics (PUAF 742)

Environment & Development (PUAF 744)

Energy Policy (PUAF 699Z)

Chesapeake Bay (PUAF 698B)

International Environmental Agreements (PUAF 698L)

Water Resources (PUAF 698x)

Wildlife Conservation (PUAF 698W)

Globalization, Trade & Environment (PUAF 699Y)

 

MPP Students Only: Either Environmental Policy Workshop (PUAF 660) or Environmental Policy Project Course (PUAF 790)   In either course, students analyze and recommend responses to a current environmental policy issue, emphasizing problem definition, organization of information, and presentation of results.  In the Policy Workshop, students work as a team with the instructor as the leader, while in the Policy Project students work independently on a topic of their choosing.

 
Typical MPP Environmental Policy academic plan

Fall Semester I	Spring Semester I
Core: PUAF 610 "Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy" OR PUAF 611 "Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues"	Core: PUAF 641 “Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis ” OR PUAF 670 “Finance”
Core: PUAF 620 “Political Analysis ”	Core: PUAF 711 “Public Management & Leadership”
Core: PUAF 640 “Microeconomics and Policy Analysis ” OR (with permission of PUAF 640 instructor) PUAF 698x“Microeconomic Applications of Public Policy”	ENV: PUAF 740 “Public Policy & Environment”
Core: PUAF 650 “Moral Dimensions of Public Policy ” OR PUAF 698x or 698x “Proseminar in Politics, Philosophy and Public Policy”	ENV: PUAF 741 “Global Environmental Problems”
Fall Semester II	Spring Semester II
ENV: PUAF 745 “Human Health and Environmental Policy”	ENV: PUAF 660 “Policy Workshop” or PUAF 790 “Project Course”
ENV: Environmental Policy elective	Three general electives
Two general electives

 
 

Primary Environmental Policy Faculty 

Name	Expertise
Daly, Herman Professor	Ecological economics, sustainable development, environmental policy
Fetter, Steve Dean and Professor	Nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, nuclear energy and radiation, climate change and energy supply
Hilde, Thomas Visiting Assistant Professor	Ethics, social and political philosophy, environmental policy, international development and international affairs
Hultman, Nathan Assistant Professor	Climate change, energy technologies, risk and uncertainty
Metzenbaum, Shelley Senior Fellow & Director, Environmental Compliance Consortium	Environmental measurement and management, public management, intergovernmental relations
Nelson, Robert Professor	Land and natural resource management (with a particular emphasis on management of federally owned resources), economic ethics
Ruth, Matthias Professor & Director, Environmental Policy Program & Co-Director, Master of Engineering & Public Policy program	Industrial ecology, energy analysis, engineering-economics, dynamic modeling of natural resource use, industrial and infrastructure systems analysis, environmental policy
Sagoff, Mark Senior Research Scholar	Environmental policy, environmental ethics
Sprinkle, Robert Associate Professor	Health, health systems, and health-policy history in the United States and abroad.
Winegrad, Gerald Adjunct Lecturer	Chesapeake bay, wildlife conservation

 

Centers conducting Environmental Policy research 

Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER)

National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education

Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy (IPPP)

Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)

 

 

Environmental Policy Specialization Director

For more information on the environmental policy specialization, contact:

William Powers, Executive Dean
301-405-6336
wpowers@umd.edu