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 extensive elective offerings, or they may choose their path from three concentrations: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, or 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
Vermont 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 |
Professionalism | 0 |
Subtotal 0 credits |
Fall
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Legislation/Regulation Survey | 3 |
Environmental Research and Writing | 3 |
Fundamentals of Climate Change | 2 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Justice | 2 |
Structural Inequality | 1 |
Public Participation | 0 |
Elective | 2-3 |
Subtotal 12-13 credits |
SPRING
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Policy Design | 3 |
Environmental Economics | 3 |
Clinic or Externship | 4-6 |
Negotiation & Consensus Building | 0 |
Subtotal 10-12 credits |
SUMMER
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
Elective | 3 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Subtotal 9-11 credits |
AUGUST
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Introduction to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 0 |
Professionalism | 0 |
Subtotal 0 credits |
Fall
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Legislation/Regulation Survey | 3 |
Environmental Research and Writing | 3 |
Fundamentals of Climate Change | 2 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Justice | 2 |
Structural Inequality | 1 |
Public Participation | 0 |
Elective | 2-3 |
Subtotal 12-13 credits |
SPRING
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Policy Design | 3 |
Environmental Economics | 3 |
Research Seminar | 3 |
Elective | 2-3 |
Negotiation & Consensus Building | 0 |
Subtotal 11-12 credits |
SUMMER
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Quantitative Analysis | 2 |
Thesis | 1 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Elective | 1-2 |
Subtotal 8-10 credits |
YEAR 1, FALL TERM 1
Class | Credits |
---|---|
Environmental 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 and 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 |
---|---|
Environmental 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 and 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 |