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Curriculum: Environmental Policy and Management

The Middlebury Institute Master of Arts in Environment Policy and Management is a four-semester, 60-credit program.

Start Credits Practicum Second Language Program Chair
August or January 60 Required Optional Jason Scorse

Learning Goals

The fundamental premise of the curriculum is that innovation is in the implementation—we focus on educating leaders who can impact major policy that improves people’s lives and the environment on which we all depend.

Our curriculum is designed around a distinct set of learning goals to give you the skills to address and help solve today’s complex environmental challenges.

Requirements

Core coursework:

  • Public Policy and the Environment (2 credits)
  • Research Strategies for Environmental Policy (2 credits)
  • Governing the Global Commons (4 credits)
  • Environmental & Natural Resource Economics (4 credits)
  • Applied Conservation Science & Policy (4 credits)
  • Environmental Leadership (4 credits)

Practicum (6 credits)

Language Studies and Intercultural Competence (ICC)

  • 4 credits of ICC are required, language studies are optional using electives.

Electives (30 credits)

Core Coursework

Core classes provide a base of natural science literacy, along with an emphasis on interdisciplinary social science—economics, law, policy, psychology, communication, and data analysis. We don’t simply study problems but address them, paying particular attention to behavioral design, effective advocacy, and social justice concerns. You will gain and develop the following:

  • A fundamental understanding of economics as it relates to environmental policy
  • Quantitative skills to support environmental policymaking
  • An understanding of the applied science that underlies effective natural resources management, conservation, risk assessment, and decision making in a changing world
  • A strong background in environmental policy and management strategies

Focus Your Coursework

You can choose to focus your coursework on the following specialized areas:

Sustainability Management

Businesses, governments, and NGOs are increasingly searching for business solutions to global sustainability problems like climate change and marine plastic pollution. This specialization aims to position graduates to fill the growing demand in all sectors for sustainability-savvy professionals with foundational competencies in financial management, entrepreneurship, and organizational leadership. Sample courses:

  • Corporate Sustainability Management and Strategy (4 credits)
  • Organizational Development and Leadership (3 credits)
  • Sustainable Cities (4 credits)

Natural Resource Policy and Management

As the importance of biodiversity protection becomes more widely recognized, the demand for multifaceted and skilled professionals is growing. Governmental organizations, NGOs, consulting firms, and private companies are looking to minimize their environmental impact, and students in this specialization focus on resources as diverse as forests, fisheries, minerals, freshwater, and natural protected areas. Sample courses:

  • Conservation Project Design and Evaluation (4 credits)
  • GIS (4 credits)
  • Sustainable Agriculture (4 credits)

Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM)

Learn to integrate marine science and policy with economics and management to understand and address global climate change and promote ocean and coastal sustainability. This specialization is offered in conjunction with the Center for the Blue Economy (CBE). Students can participate in UCSC’s MARINE (Monterey Area Research Institutions’ Network for Education) program and are also eligible for fully funded summer fellowships with top marine organizations.

and see where our alumni are working.

Sample courses:

  • International Marine Policy Speaker Series (1 credit or audit)
  • International Marine Law (4 credits)
  • Sustainable Coastal Management (4 credits)

Practicum

Put theory into practice through a semester-long practicum in the field. An immersive learning experience, the Professional Service Semester integrates academic work with professional opportunities. Students serve as junior professional staff members in an organization while producing specific deliverables for academic credit.

Language and Intercultural Competence

You will take content courses in a second language and/or courses in intercultural competence.

Sample language studies courses:

  • Arab-African Relations (in Arabic)
  • Citizenship, Security, and Development in Latin America (in Spanish)
  • Challenges in Peacebuilding—Congo (in French)

Sample intercultural competence courses:

  • Intercultural Group Dynamics: explore why global and multicultural teams often struggle and conversely how you can manage diverse teams to outperform homogenous groups.
  • Communication in Multicultural Settings: gain the knowledge and tools needed for effective participation in multilingual and multicultural communication as you examine the related social, cultural, and linguistic factors.

You may use electives to take additional language studies and/or intercultural competence courses.

Electives

Students have 30 elective credits. 

  • A minimum of 15 credits from the Environmental Policy and Management program (within or across the optional specializations.)
  • The remaining credits can be used for language studies courses, additional intercultural competence courses, and/or courses from other degree programs (assuming prerequisites are met).

Projected Course Availability

This table outlines anticipated offerings for the coming two academic years. Please note that the projected course availability may be subject to change at any time, and, depending on the circumstances, the Institute may not be able to provide advance notice of changes. 

Enrolled students should consult the Course Schedule for course dates, times, and locations for the current and upcoming semester. Degree maps for enrolled students are provided via Canvas through the “Front Desk” site.

  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This course introduces students to the design and implementation of research, with an emphasis on applied research into contemporary social and ecological issues that part of policy development and implementation. The course will be interdisciplinary in scope and will include the use of historical, ethnographic, biophysical, political and contextual data and information. The course will cover various social science methods, including political science, policy analysis, and sociology, and associated analytical approaches that can be used to develop and design research proposals, including case study and comparative case studies, survey design, content analysis, documentary analysis, and ethnographic approaches.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This course introduces students to public policy theory and practice with an emphasis on international environmental topics. Using a variety of exercises, case studies, lectures, and assignments, students will learn answers to the following questions: What is public policy? Who makes it? What forms does it take? What issues does it address? How is it made? How do policies differ across contexts? What is “policy analysis” and how do I do it? As a half-semester, two-unit course, the goal is not to transform students into a political scientist but rather to deliver the foundational knowledge and skills needed to understand and work effectively within the policy arena.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    ‘Commons governance’ has emerged as a new paradigm in both functional and legal approaches to international environmental cooperation. Traditionally, nation-states have been considered the sole actors in governing trans-boundary resources such as the atmosphere, water and the ocean. In contrast, the commons approach highlights the role of collaborative governance by all users of a depletable resource in designing, implementing and enforcing sustainability rules and norms. While nation-states remain key players, a commons approach is poly-centric (international, regional, national, sub-national) and multi-actor (government, business, civil society). This course provides a foundation in the theory and practice of global commons governance. Part One introduces the conceptual framework and empirical findings of Elinor Ostrom’s work on the design of effective institutions for common pool resources. Working in teams of two, students will produce a case study which deploys the Ostrom framework to evaluate the effectiveness of a current agreement governing a transboundary commons of their choice. Part II focuses on the structure and dynamics of the governance of the global atmospheric commons. It first examines the norms, principles and key agreements in international environmental law. It then explores the evolution of global climate collaboration from the Montreal Protocol to the UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement. Students will produce 1) a graphic presentation evaluating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of two nation-state signatories to the Paris Agreement; 2) a case study examining the way a key non-state actor—business/industry, cities/states/provinces, civil society—is implementing the Paris Agreement.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    In a rapidly changing world where the environment is being compromised at an alarming rate, we need programs and people to lead in developing actionable solutions, inclusive and effective policies, and broad engagement towards a more sustainable future. We need to inspire and enable people to lead effective change. Who are those leaders? What are the qualities of a leader? What does it mean to lead? How do we build effective collaborations to achieve goals? This course tackles these and other questions as we explore diverse levels of environmental leadership in diverse settings, from the community to the global level. We will use case studies, scenario building, readings, guest speakers and personal leadership and working style strength assessments to build a practical understanding of environmental leadership at the personal, team and project/initiative level. This course will empower participants to think differently about leadership, and will provide them with tools to develop their own leadership strengths.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This course introduces the theory and application of spatial data acquisition, analysis, and display using a project based approach. Students will practice how to conceive, gather, manage, analyze, and visualize geographic datasets using the global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS), and use GIS for spatial analysis and decision making. The course will be conducted using lecture and lab methods; active student participation is required.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    The purpose of this course is to develop competency in economic theory as it relates to environmental issues, and the analytical skills necessary to evaluate, as well as craft, effective, efficient, and just environmental policies. We will highlight policies that influence (both directly and indirectly) the environment and natural resource use, and analyze their implications. The emphasis will be on identifying and assessing the appropriate economic tools for addressing current environmental issues. Students will learn how to “think like an economist,” which may not make for great party conversation, but is essential for conversing intelligently about the world’s major environmental problems and developing solutions.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This course is about saving life on earth. It provides the scientific foundation required to formulate sound environmental policies capable of addressing human population growth, habitat destruction, resource overexploitation, and other anthropogenic factors that continue to undermine the earth’s ecological systems. The course focuses on scientific underpinnings of conserving the world’s remaining biological diversity (aka “biodiversity”). It draws from biology, ecology, and other natural sciences to deliver the broad scientific training that future policymakers need. As a short survey course, the goal is not to transform you into a biologist or an ecologist, but rather to equip you with the basic knowledge you need to understand how the natural world works, speak the language with confidence, and use science to develop sound environmental policy.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    Coasts are vital ecological, economic and social systems. Nearly forty percent of the world’s population lives within 100 km of a coast. In California, the coastal and ocean economy exceeds $40 billion/year. But population and urban growth, and economic and industrial development have taken a heavy ecological toll on coasts. In many places, coastal systems are highly degraded. Public beaches are crowded, inaccessible or even closed due to poor water quality. Fisheries are in decline and plastic pollution is overwhelming the marine environment. Climate change, including sea level rise, ocean acidification and rising temperatures fundamentally threatens both coastal communities and ecology. This course provides an interdisciplinary foundation in the resource management challenges and governance frameworks for sustainable coastal management, including consideration of the political, legal, social, economic and natural science dimensions of the coast.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    Achieving the UN sustainable Development goals requires massive technological changes in energy, mobility, construction, housing, and agriculture (to name a few). This workshop examines the structure and dynamics of the innovation eco-system as the necessary structure to support solutions to the SDGs, global challenges often referred to as “wicked” problems. These solutions can range from technology to business models, to policy to financing mechanisms or advocacy.
  • Offered in:
    FA25
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This workshop is the sequel to Harnessing Innovation to Achieve the SDGs (Part I), which introduced students to the role of entrepreneurial thinking and innovation ecosystems in tackling sustainability challenges.While Part I focused on the design and launch of sustainable innovations—be they technological, policy-based, or financial—Part II shifts focus to what happens after the launch: How do innovations scale? Why do some achieve broad adoption while others stall, despite early promise? Scaling is not simply a matter of replication. It requires a robust interplay between policy, capital, stakeholder alignment, and timing. It also requires adaptation to evolving market, social, and regulatory conditions. This workshop investigates that critical juncture—where pilot becomes policy, where startup becomes system, and where early wins either grow into transformative change or fade away. Using two global case studies—plastic pollution and ocean health—this course examines the enabling (and disabling) conditions for scaling innovation.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This hands-on, project-based course will build on the skills learned in the introductory GIS course. Working within their discipline, students will develop real-world case studies to practice GIS modeling, perform spatial data analysis, statistical analysis and temporal data analysis, test hypotheses and recommend policy based on their findings. Students will employ project management, database design and troubleshooting techniques applicable to GIS and other fields.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    This course is structured around complex sustainability challenges related to human use and interaction with the ocean. These challenges include sea level rise and ocean acidification, marine pollution, fishing, and resource extraction. In addition to recognizing the scope of the challenges at local to international levels, we will cover core concepts in marine science to understand the underlying mechanisms needed to design pathways to solutions. We will explore the role of emerging technologies and big data play in understanding and monitoring conditions. Solutions to these challenges lie at the intersection of marine science and policy. To this end, we will examine existing and historical policy frameworks surrounding these challenges. In the context of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, this course offers an opportunity to discuss emerging topics and approaches to achieving sustainable marine ecosystems. The course is broken into four main topic areas within approximately 4-week blocks, with a week at the end of the semester for synthesis of the material.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    An introduction to the theory and practice of sustainable agriculture, this course takes an interdisciplinary approach, supporting the student’s journey to define the concept and identify indicators and metrics according to industry best practices, a robust social movement, and their own informed criteria and values. The course will explore topics such as organic agriculture, climate change and agriculture, food systems, food justice, corporate social responsibility, certification, food safety, and international development, as they relate to sustainable agriculture. The course will be conducted using both the lecture and case methods, while guest speakers and field trips will be integral to the learning process, adding critical perspective and contact with “real world” cases. Students will conduct research into practices and policies that support and detract from sustainability in agriculture. The course will culminate in an individual or team research project related to a topic of interest to students. Active student participation is both encouraged and required.
  • Offered in:
    SP26 (j-term) SP27 (j-term)
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26 (j-term)
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27 (j-term)

    Course Description

    Spanning over 70% of Earth, the ocean is the central feature and life-support system for our planet. This two-week intensive course on international marine environmental law focuses on helping students learn to use law as a tool to better manage human activities in, on, under or otherwise affecting the ocean. It will explore global and regional agreements relevant to the law of the sea, shipping, fishing, dumping, biodiversity conservation, land-based sources of marine degradation, and problems related to implementation, effectiveness and enforcement. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity are among the international agreements discussed. While the primary focus of the course is on legal issues, there will be extensive coverage of the interface of legal institutions with science and politics. Key cross-cutting issues include coral reef ecosystem management, dynamic ocean management, polar conservation efforts and governance of the ocean beyond national boundaries. The course will be conducted using lectures, guest speakers, class presentations, intense discussions and in-class debates. Active student participation is both encouraged and required. A final report due two weeks after class ends will enable the student to conduct in-depth research into an area of their choice. Students will be able to meet individually with the instructor during the course to develop their research reports.
  • Offered in:
    FA25
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    Overwhelming scientific data indicates that fisheries, forests, freshwater and other natural resources continue to decline and most biodiversity conservation projects fail to accomplish their goals. This course addresses both problems. It delivers state of the art techniques for designing conservation projects that have the strongest possible chance of success and evaluating the extent of that success. Examples include: knowing the conservation project cycle, assessing site conditions, developing management plans, and creating monitoring and evaluation plans. This “learn by doing” course emphasizes hands-on practice, especially through a conservation project management software program called Miradi. Although the course emphasizes site specific, in situ biodiversity conservation (i.e. protected natural areas), the skills and knowledge can apply to a wide range of environmental projects and programs.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    The primary purpose of this speaker series is to introduce incoming EPM students who are pursuing the “Ocean and Coastal Resource Management” concentration to a wide range of cutting-edge interdisciplinary topics. (In order to be eligible for the CBE Summer Fellows Program students must enroll in this course—auditing is acceptable—in addition to committing to the 16 units of advanced coursework in their second year.) The series will include topics from the local to international levels, with a focus on the policy and economic implications. Students are encouraged to use these talks as networking opportunities, catalysts for future research, and most importantly, to help focus their career goals. The series is open to all EPM and IPM students interested in ocean and coastal issues, as well as members of the MARINE network and the larger Monterey community.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 FA26
    offered in: FA25
    not offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    not offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    Climate scientists have found that we need to achieve 80% absolute reductions in greenhouse gas emissions globally to stabilize the climate. An essential element of that transition is moving rapidly away from the use of coal, oil and natural gas to generate electricity. Questions we will explore in this course include: • Are renewables plentiful, affordable, and technologically advanced enough to take the place of fossil fuels in global electricity production? • What parts of the world have made the most progress in that transition already, which parts still have the furthest to go, and why? • Which government policies and market strategies will be needed to accelerate the transition, and what will they cost? • Will solar and wind technology get us there, or are other technologies showing more promise? • Is it better to do renewables on a massive, centralized basis through utilities, or to implement them in a decentralized way on individual homes and buildings? • How important is energy storage to making the renewable electricity transition happen?
  • Offered in:
    SP26 SP27
    not offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    not offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    The timeliness of the topic at the national and global scale matches by its political, economic, and social relevance. The sustainability of urban areas is assailed by a combination of threats never seen before. At a time when—for the 1st time in history—more than 50% of humans reside in cities, the discussion of these topics is unavoidable. Those looming threats demand multidisciplinary approaches both to understand them better and to provide sensible solutions that mitigate the negative effects while amplifying the potential benefits. This class addresses those dimensions (economic, social, environmental, and political) as well as their interactions; it offers a framework under which the potential or already observed impacts are quantified and analyzed; and it surveys the policies implemented around the world. Although there are no explicit pre-requisites, students must have a cursory understanding of economics and basic quantitative analytics.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 SP26 FA26 SP27
    offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    During their PSS internships students complete applied academic deliverables for which they earn six academic credits. The academic credit is not awarded for the internship itself, but for the work that applies students’ academic training to contribute to their host organizations’ mission in area of student’s career interest.
  • Offered in:
    FA25 SP26 FA26 SP27
    offered in: FA25
    offered in: SP26
    offered in: FA26
    offered in: SP27

    Course Description

    TBD