Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) Degree Requirements
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(MERL) Degree Requirements
Credit requirements below are for students starting the degree in Fall 2023 and beyond.*
Students who started prior to Fall 2023 should refer to the Academic Regulations for their catalog year.
*Required courses are subject to change. For more information, please view the latest Academic Regulations or contact the Office of the Registrar: registrar@vermontlaw.edu.
An overview of this degree, including other details, can be found here.
34 credits
| REQUIRED COURSES All of the following courses: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| ENG5226 | Energy Law and Policy | 3 |
| ENG5228 | Energy Regulation, Markets, and the Environment | 3 |
| ENG5220 | Environmental Economics and Markets | 3 |
| REQ7186 | Legislation and Regulation Survey | 3 |
| POL5520 | Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
| PROJECT/WRITING REQUIREMENT Students choose one of the following courses: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| MERL Externship | ||
| Independent Research Project (on an energy topic) | ||
| POL5700; POL5701 | Thesis Seminar I & II | |
| CLI9302 | Environmental Advocacy Clinic (JD students only) (on an energy topic) | |
| CLI9318 | Environmental Justice Clinic (on an energy topic) | |
| CLI9321 | Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic (on an energy topic) | |
| CLI9427 | Energy Clinic | |
| CLI9428 | Food and Agriculture Clinic (on an energy topic) | |
| ENV5535 | Transnational Environmental Practicum (on an energy topic) | |
| WRI7301 | Advanced Writing Seminar (on an energy topic) | |
| Participation in the Institute for Energy and the Environment research associate program | ||
| ENERGY ELECTIVES At least six (6) credits from the following energy elective courses: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| ENG5230 | Global Energy Law and Policy | 2 |
| ENG5238 | Global Sustainability Field Study | 1 |
| ENG5344 | Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy | 3 |
| ENG5375 | Global Energy Justice | 2 |
| ENG5425 | Clean Transportation Law and Policy | 2 |
| ENG5468 | Oil and Gas Production and the Environment | 2 |
| ENG5469 | Oil and Gas Development and the Environment | 3 |
| ENG5497 | End Use Energy Efficiency | 2 |
| ENG5550 | Renewable Energy Project Finance and Development | 2 |
| ENG5510 | Essentials of the Electric Grid – Engineering | 1 |
| ENG5511 | Essentials of the Electric Grid – Business | 1 |
| ENG5512 | Essentials of the Electric Grid – Legal | 1 |
| ENG5547 | Energy Efficiency Law and Policy | 3 |
Remaining electives may be chosen from the courses and experiential options listed above and from the following list of approved courses.
| ELECTIVE COURSES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| ADR6405 | Arbitration | 2 |
| ADR6410 | Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| ADR6412 | Mediation | 2 |
| ADR6415 | Environmental Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| ADR6420 | Negotiation | 2 |
| ADR6450 | Advanced Dispute Resolution Writing Seminar | 2 |
| BUS6262 | Social Enterprise Law | 2 |
| BUS6305 | Non-Profit Organizations | 3 |
| BUS6350 | Non-Profit Management | 2 |
| CLI9302 | Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM students only) | 6 |
| CLI9326 | Advanced Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM only) | 6 |
| CLI9405 | Dispute Resolution Clinic I | 4 |
| CLI9427 | Energy Clinic | 4 |
| CLI9428 | Food and Agriculture Clinic | 4 |
| CLI9437 | Advanced Energy Clinic | 4 |
| CLI9450 | Land Use Clinic (JD or LLM students only) | 6 |
| DIV7620 | Native Americans and the Law | 3 |
| DIV7628 | Indian Tribes as Government Stewards of the Environment | 2 |
| ENV5105 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| ENV5108 | Introduction to Agriculture and Food Law and Policy | 3 |
| ENV5112 | Science for Environmental Law | 3 |
| ENV5115 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| ENV5125 | Land Use Regulation | 3 |
| ENV5205 | Air Pollution Law and Policy | 3 |
| ENV5209 | The Law of Toxics and Hazardous Substances | 3 |
| ENV5210 | CERCLA Liability and Cleanup | 3 |
| ENV5212 | Climate Change and the Law | 3 |
| ENV5220 | Environmental Economics and Markets | 3 |
| ENV5223 | Environmental Governance in the Developing World | 2 |
| ENV5226 | Energy Law and Policy in a Carbon-Constrained World | 3 |
| ENV5228 | Energy Regulation, Markets and the Environment | 3 |
| ENV5229 | Environmental Issues in Business | 3 |
| ENV5230 | Global Energy Law and Policy | 2 |
| ENV5235 | Natural Resources Law | 3 |
| ENV5239 | Land Transactions and Finance | 3 |
| ENV5245 | Water Resources Management | 3 |
| ENV5246 | Water Quality | 3 |
| ENV5250 | Watershed Management and Protection | 3 |
| ENV5303 | Advanced Energy Writing Seminar | 2 |
| ENV5305 | Environmental Ethics | 2 |
| ENV5306 | Comparative Environmental Law Research | 2 |
| ENV5310 | Environmental Health Law | 2 |
| ENV5335 | Extinction and Climate Change | 2 |
| ENV5336 | Climate Change, Extinction and Adaptation | 2 |
| ENV5342 | Legal Adaptations to Global Warming | 2 |
| ENV5343 | Climate Change Adaptation in Human Systems | 2 |
| ENV5344 | Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy | 2 |
| ENV5346 | New Frontiers in Environmental Policies | 2 |
| ENV5349 | Regulating the Marine Environment | 2 |
| ENV5350 | Risk Assessment | 2 |
| ENV5356 | Scientific Controversies | 2 |
| ENV5365 | Climate Change: the Power of Taxes | 2 |
| ENV5375 | Global Energy Justice | 2 |
| ENV5380 | Food Regulation and Policy | 3 |
| ENV5381 | Local Farm and Food Law in Practice | 3 |
| ENV5383 | Food Justice & Sustainability | 3 |
| ENV5401 | Agriculture and the Environment | 3 |
| ENV5405 | Ecosystem Conservation Strategies | 2 |
| ENV5406 | Animal Rights Jurisprudence | 2 |
| ENV5408 | The Law of Animals in Agriculture | 2 |
| ENV5410 | The Farm Bill | 2 |
| ENV5411 | Federal Regulation of Food and Agriculture | 2 |
| ENV | Representing Farmers and Food Producers | |
| ENV5423 | Ocean and Coastal Law | 3 |
| ENV5430 | Ecology | 3 |
| ENV5446 | Environmental Justice | 2 |
| ENV5449 | Environmental Litigation Workshop | 2 |
| ENV5462 | Public Lands Management: Montana Field Study | 3 |
| ENV5468 | Oil and Gas Production and the Environment | 2 |
| ENV5474 | Land Conservation Law | 2 |
| ENV5478 | Global Food Security and Social Justice | 2 |
| ENV5479 | Law and Policy of Local Food Systems | 2 |
| ENV5500 | Environmental Aspects of Business Transactions | 2 |
| ENV5510 | Essentials of the Electric Grid: Engineering | 1 |
| ENV5521 | Earth Law | 2 |
| ENV5540 | Public Health and Food and Agriculture Policy | 2 |
| ENV5561 | Environmental Enforcement and Compliance | 2 |
| ENV5564 | Peace, War and the Environment | 2 |
| ENV5561 | Environmental Enforcement and Compliance | 2 |
| ENV | Animal Welfare Law | |
| GPP7819 | Environmental Issues in Business Transactions (JD students only) | 2 |
| INT7412 | Law of the European Union | 2 |
| INT7414 | European Union Law Trento | 2 |
| INT7421 | International Environmental Law and Policy | 3 |
| INT7440 | Comparative U.S.-China Environmental Law | 2 |
| INT7445 | European Community Environmental Law | 2 |
| INT7446 | International Trade and the Environment | 2 |
| INT7450 | International Investment Arbitration and the Environment | 2 |
| JUR7307 | Culture and the Environment | 2 |
| JUR7330 | Moral Philosophy for Professionals | 2 |
| JUR7333 | Animal Law and Ethics | 3 |
| PUB7510 | Legislation | 3 |
| PUB7525 | Legislative Clinic | 6 |
| WRI7380 | Advanced Environmental Legal Research | 1 |
Note: This page is offered as a quick, simplified glance of a complex topic. Please consult the Academic Regulations for full and official degree requirements.