Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) Degree Requirements
Home Academics Academic Catalogs Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) Degree Requirements
(MERL) Degree Requirements
Home Academics Academic Catalogs Master of Energy Regulation and Law (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 |
| REQUIRED NON-CREDIT MODULES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| EJU5100 | Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | |
| POL5100 | Public Participation | |
| POL5200 | Professional Identity Formation | |
| POL5300 | Negotiation and Consensus-Building | |
| 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.