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Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management

Developing the skills to better understand and manage environmental problems is the core concern of the Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management concentration within the Master of Public Affairs program at SPEA.

Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management is a rigorous course of study that integrates skill-based courses in public policy, management, and environmental affairs with training in the environmental sciences.

The concentration includes coursework in:

  • Data analysis and modeling
  • Environmental economics and policy
  • Environmental resource management and policy
  • Environmental law

These courses are complemented by more specialized policy and management coursework such as environmental risk analysis, geographic information systems, benefit-cost analysis, intergovernmental systems management, and other policy analysis and tool-based courses. Additionally, students develop a core area of knowledge in a particular environmental or natural resource-based sub-discipline, such as lake and watershed management, forest ecology, environmental chemistry, hazardous materials, or other environmental or resource-based media.

Careers in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management

Graduates with the Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management concentration assume management positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in local and state agencies, federal government, corporations, consulting firms, international and intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental and community-based organizations. Here is a sampling of recent placements:

  • Associate, ICF Consulting, Fairfax, VA
  • Senior Environmental Officer, Agency for International Development, Washington, DC
  • Public Utilities Specialist, Bonneville Power Administration, Vancouver, WA
  • Project Scientist, TRC Consulting, Chicago, IL
  • Energy Policy Analyst, City of Portland, Portland, OR
  • Environmental Specialist, Science Applications International Corporation, Reston, VA
  • Ecoassociate, Environmental Careers Organizations, Washington, DC
  • Assistant Project Manager, International City/County Management Association, Washington, DC
  • Urban Program Manager, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Soil and Water Division, Fredericksburg, VA
  • Program Analyst, Booz Allen Hamilton, Washington, DC
  • Environmental Policy Analyst, Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC
  • Research Fellow, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC
  • Wind Energy and Environmental Dispute Resolution Specialist, Resolve, Incorporated, Washington, DC
  • Environmental Scientist, Safety Kleen Corporation, Boulder, CO

Curriculum for the Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management Concentration

Like all students in the Master of Public Affairs program, students in the Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management concentration begin building their skills in the 18-hour MPA core. The core courses are:

  • Public Management (V502)
  • Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (V506)
  • Public Management Economics (V517)
  • Law and Public Affairs (V540)
  • Public Finance and Budgeting (V560)
  • Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs (V600)

The concentration includes two required courses which introduce students to the fundamentals of environmental policy and natural resource management:

  • Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs (V507)
  • Environmental Economics and Policy (V625)
  • Natural Resource Management and Policy (V643)
  • Environmental Law (V645)

SPEA also offers a wide range of elective courses to meet individual objectives. This broad range of possibilities enables you to focus your concentration on those aspects that you wish to pursue and to develop career-enhancing capabilities. With the approval of a Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management advisor, students may select from many elective options, including the following:

  • Environmental Risk Analysis (E560)
  • Government Regulation in Market Economies (V510)
  • Public Policy Process (V512)
  • Intergovernmental Systems Management (V518)
  • Management Science for Public Affairs (V539)
  • Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies (V541)
  • Law, Public Management, and Public Policy (V640)
  • Environmental Chemistry (E536)
  • Aquatic Chemistry (E539)
  • Hazardous Materials (E542)
  • Environmental Engineering (E552)
  • Fisheries and Wildlife Management (E460)
  • Fisheries and Wildlife Management Laboratory (E461)
  • Applied Ecology (E527)
  • Forest Ecology and Management (E528)
  • Ecosystem Structure and Function (BIOL L575)

For complete details of the Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management curriculum, please see the Graduate Bulletin.

Dual Concentrations

Dual concentrations with Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management and other concentrations offered by SPEA—such as Nonprofit Management or Comparative and International Affairs—offer unique advantages for those wanting to make a difference in particular areas of public affairs. Our faculty work to accommodate these specialized professional interests in the design of student programs.