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.
Location: Online, on-campus or a hybrid of both Credit Requirements: 34 credits
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 and 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
Intro to Policy Research and 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 Term 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
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
