The Master of Climate and Environmental Policy (MCEP) is a robust applied public policy degree dedicated to the environment. Degree-seekers will receive the tools needed to make change — especially finding and implementing solutions to the greatest challenges of our day at the intersection of climate change and environmental justice.
Program Description
MCEP students can shape their own specialization from our extensive elective offerings, focusing on a wide range of issues including climate change, environmental justice, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). All MCEP students choose between a "research track" to write a thesis, or a "practice track" to pursue an externship or on-campus clinic.
MCEP students gain the core skills needed to shape environmental policy and integrate issues of racial and economic justice into practice and policymaking — including environmental research and writing, policy design, climate justice, structural inequality, public participation, and consensus-building.
At A Glance
Location: Online, on-campus or a hybrid of both
Credit Requirements: 34 credits
Careers
Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment graduates are the leaders, policymakers, and professionals our communities and our world most desperately need. Environment and climate-related positions held by recent master’s graduates include:
- Community Development Specialist at Central Alabama Regional Planning Commission
- Energy and Water Specialist at Climate Resolve
- Associate at Rocky Mountain Institute
- Research Manager at Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs
- Environmental Protection Specialist for the Federal Highway Administration
- Environmental and Climate Policy Specialist at the VT Agency of Transportation
- Associate at the Clark Group, an environmental policy and communications consulting firm
- Director of Legislative Affairs, Savion, LLC, an energy firm
- Environmental Consultant at Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative
Degree Details
Master of Climate and Environmental Policy (MCEP) Curriculum
AUGUST
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Introduction to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 0 |
Subtotal 0 credits |
FALL
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Legislation/Regulation Survey | 3 |
Intro to Policy Research & Writing | 3 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Justice | 2 |
Structural Inequality | 1 |
Public Participation | 0 |
Building a Professional Identity | 0 |
Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
Subtotal 11 credits |
SPRING
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Environmental Economics | 3 |
Clinic or Externship | 4-6 |
Fundamentals of Climate Change | 2 |
Negotiation & Consensus Building | 0 |
Subtotal 9-11 credits |
SUMMER
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Policy Design | 3 |
Elective | 3 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Subtotal 12-14 credits |
AUGUST
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Introduction to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 0 |
Subtotal 0 credits |
FALL
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Legislation/Regulation Survey | 3 |
Intro to Policy Research & Writing | 3 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Justice | 2 |
Structural Inequality | 1 |
Building a Professional Identity | 0 |
Public Participation | 0 |
Elective | 2-3 |
Subtotal 11-12 credits |
SPRING
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Environmental Economics | 3 |
Thesis Seminar I | 3 |
Fundamentals of Climate Change | 2 |
Elective | 2-3 |
Negotiation & Consensus Building | 0 |
Subtotal 10-11 credits |
SUMMER
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
Policy Design | 3 |
Thesis Seminar II | 1 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Subtotal 12-14 credits |
YEAR 1, FALL TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Intro to Policy Research & Writing | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, FALL TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Legislation/Regulation Survey | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, SPRING TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Fundamentals of Climate Change | 2 |
Structural Inequality | 1 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, SPRING TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Justice | 2 |
Subtotal 4 credits |
YEAR 1, SUMMER TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Environmental Economics | 3 |
Introduction to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 0 |
Professionalism | 0 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, SUMMER TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Policy Design | 3 |
Public Participation | 0 |
Negotiation & Consensus Building | 0 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 2, FALL TERMS 1 & 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 6 |
Subtotal 6 credits |
YEAR 2, SPRING TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 2, SPRING TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 2, SUMMER TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, FALL TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Intro to Policy Research & Writing | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, FALL TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Legislation/Regulation Survey | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, SPRING TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Fundamentals of Climate Change | 2 |
Structural Inequality | 1 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, SPRING TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Justice | 2 |
Subtotal 4 credits |
YEAR 1, SUMMER TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Environmental Economics | 3 |
Introduction to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 0 |
Professionalism | 0 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 1, SUMMER TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Policy Design | 3 |
Public Participation | 0 |
Negotiation & Consensus Building | 0 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 2, FALL TERMS 1 & 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 6 |
Subtotal 6 credits |
YEAR 2, SPRING TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 2, SPRING TERM 2
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |
YEAR 2, SUMMER TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Elective | 3 |
Subtotal 3 credits |