Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management-Capstone Option

RECOMMENDED AS FIRST PROGRAM COURSE. REQUIRED AS ONE OF FIRST THREE PROGRAM COURSES. This course presents the research methods commonly used by environmental scientists and professionals. The course will prepare the student to understand the scientific method, the principles of research design, and the statistical analysis of data. The course is intended to provide the student with a foundation in research methods that will be employed throughout the their graduate program

This course focuses on the analysis and resolution of complex environmental management issues. Environmental Management investigates the use of management tools and strategies to resolve complex environmental problems and controversies, including application of adaptive management, structured decision-making, and negotiation principles, and incorporating stakeholders, economic drivers, and the human element. Environmental leadership, collaboration, and conflict resolution will be emphasized, with due consideration to the use of sound scientific data in environmental decision making. Students will be expected to use critical thought, innovation, and creativity to formulate an adaptive management plan for a highly controversial environmental issue or policy as their course final project.

This course is a qualitative and quantitative study of the public and private economic costs and effects of environmental programs, industrialization, regulation, and international and national environmental policies, among other issues.

This course is a study of the major legal, regulatory, and policy framework that encompasses environmental programs and projects in the United States and with international political, commercial, and non-governmental institutions. The primary learning approach used in this course will be case studies.

This course is an advanced study of environmental issues from a moral and philosophical approach. Issues raised in the course and through student research and writing will include: the moral obligation or lack thereof, to preserve and protect the environment; the ethical presumptions that underlie environmental policy; the traditional theories of moral philosophy applicable to contemporary environmental problems; and the potential for a new concept of the relationship between humanity and nature.

This course presents an introduction to the dynamics of ecosystems and the effects of toxic substances on its living and nonliving components, and incorporating human health issues and concerns. Students will examine the regulatory framework for environmental contaminants issues and detail the federal regulations, policies, and guidelines under which current environmental remediation is done. A key aspect of the course will be the application of risk assessment principles through case studies to gain an understanding of how to develop remediation plans and restoration alternatives that meet or exceed established regulatory guidelines.

This course is a study of the economics associated with international, national, state, or local level disaster. Students will study, analyze, and conduct research on the direct and indirect economic losses associated with disaster. The course will cover the economics associated with both public and private institutions.

This course is an in-depth look at specific public crises to examine preparation, response, and recovery from them. Included in the course are issues of leadership and decision making, organizational structure, and training, among many other issues that are brought to bear when a crisis strikes a nation, state, locality, or community.

In recent years, water resource management in the United States has begun a shift away from top-down, government agency-directed decision processes toward a collaborative approach of negotiation and problem solving. Rather than focusing on specific pollution sources or specific areas within a watershed, this course will present this new process, considering the watershed as a whole, and seeking solutions to an interrelated set of social, economic, and environmental problems. Through readings, discussions, and current and historical case studies, students will explore a wide range of threats to the productivity and health of watersheds and explore new, collaborative approaches to watershed management.

This course is an introduction to the philosophical and practical principles of green and sustainable design through the exploration of environmental issues, sustainable materials and methods, and public policy and decision making. Sustainability principles, policies, and programs that encourage and guide current initiatives are analyzed. Innovative strategies for implementing sustainable projects, programs, and practices are investigated through the review of case studies and completion of a final course project.

This course is an introduction to energy policy and decision making, primarily in the United States. Students will examine the nature and scope of environmental, energy, and resource problems, analyze the goals and strategies of the renewable energy movement, investigate ideological, political, and institutional forces that shape policymaking and implementation, and conduct in-depth analyses of the various approaches to U.S. energy needs. An exploration of renewable energy technology, feasibility, and implementation is incorporated through the analysis of case studies and current events.

This course focuses on the major human, technological, and natural dynamics that factor into environmental systems. The course includes the study of natural systems, change, and the life-cycle of environmental systems.

Political ecology is an interdisciplinary field of research that integrates the methods and materials of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political theory, and sociology. This course will present political ecological perspectives in the context of the study of the history and politics of American and global environmentalism. Political ecology examines the historical role of economic systems, science, language and discourse, ideology, gender, property systems, and the everyday politics and culture of the community and the household in shaping human relationships with nature.

Landscape planning and ecology is a rapidly developing area of study that explicitly examines the effects of spatial pattern and scale on ecological processes that unfold over areas of several square miles or larger. Thus, landscape ecology and planning provides many concepts, tools, and approaches that will enhance the effectiveness of endeavors such as watershed management, ecosystem management, design of conservation reserves and green infrastructure, and smart growth. The goal of this course is to give students a firm grasp of the concepts of landscape ecology and planning and how they can be applied to enhance the effectiveness of environmental policy, management, regulation, and assessment.

The study and consideration of global environmental and climate change are of increasing significance to society. In this course, students will examine the evidence for and causes of global environmental change and will analyze potential impacts on environmental policy and society. Emphasis will be on the implications of environmental change for environmental managers, including management decision-making, the adequacy of the current regulatory framework in addressing these problems, and the effect on future policy and legislation.

This course focuses on the study and review of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and related environmental legislation. Emphasis will be on the practical, rather than the theoretical, application of NEPA requirements. Students will conduct detailed analyses of the environmental assessment process, and assess the environmental, societal, and economic impacts of large-scale federal projects and programs. Course assignments will require students to write and review environmental impact documents, formal letters of comment, and procedural documents.

This course addresses the history, contemporary situation, and future outlook for waste management and pollution control. Topics covered in the course include the major waste management and pollution legislation and public law at international, national, and local levels; major private companies and non-profit organizations involved in waste management and pollution control; leaders in the industries from both public and private sides; societal costs and benefits for the waste management and pollution control industry, among other issues.

The study and practice of public administration is explored in its political context. The student is introduced to the environment within which public administration functions and the dynamics of behavior within large organizations. How choices are made among competing policies, factors affecting the implementation of policy, and the role of policy evaluation in shaping policy choices are examined. Managing large scale bureaucratic organizations is analyzed including the role of leadership, the management of personnel and finances, and the role of communication in inter- and intra-organizational relations.

This course examines the way government policies emerge from the political process and are implemented through participating institutions. In this class students will investigate how good analysis can contribute to informed policy-making and review the factors that go into developing effective implementation strategies. In addition, today’s need for enhanced public accountability and the challenging problems of measuring program performance are examined.

This course examines a range of management issues and strategies within the context of managing public organizations. The core focus is on an enhanced understanding of the theoretical and practical approaches to public management, an examination of enduring and day-to-day dilemmas faced by competent public managers, and the application of relevant theories to public management within the United States.

This course is designed to develop fundamental skills essential for students to evaluate public programs. Knowledge of the policy process and research methods is brought together in the ethical assessment of program needs, processes, and outcomes.

The Master's Capstone Seminar option includes a thesis, or a major research project or paper in lieu of the final comprehensive examination, which has no credit hours. Those who elect this option may reduce their electives by three semester hours to accommodate the seminar option credit. This option is desirable for those students who wish to focus on specific subject matter of an interdisciplinary nature or who would like to continue their education at a higher level. Students electing this option must use this as one of the graduate electives.