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Graduate Programs

MS Environmental Science & Policy

 

Degree Description [top]

The MS in Environmental Science and Policy is designed to meet the increasing need to train environmental professionals and who will address the problems of land and water management, land use and urbanization, wetland loss, microbial ecology, biomediation, conservation biology, and ecosystem preservation. These professionals will also contribute to the analysis and resolution of global problems such as deforestation, insufficient world food supplies, acid deposition, population growth and public health, global cliimate change/warming, and depletion of the stratospheric ozone. Areas of specific departmental focus include ecosystems, conservation, environmental biocomplexity, molecular ecology, sustainability science, environmental policy and management, and human/environmental interactions.

Environmental problems are defined in the real world, and they do not necessarily conform to traditional academic disciplines. As such, solutions require creative combinations of diverse interests and subjects. Effective training requires rigorous, problem-focused interdisciplinary action in a setting in which research is an essential element supporting instruction.

There are four concentrations in the master's program.

The Environmental Science and Policy Concentration is designed for students who wish to obtain a research-oriented master's degree and can serve as a training ground for students wishing to further their education by pursuing the PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy at GMU or related PhD programs at other universities.

The Environmental Biocomplexity Concentration is designed for students who which to obtain a research-oriented master’s degree in population genetics, microbial ecology, and molecular systematics.

The Earth Surface Processes and Environmental Geochemistry Concentration provides a specific research focus in the Earth science area.

The Environmental Management Concentration serves as a terminal professional master’s degree for individuals working in or aspiring to work as managers in the environmental field in government or private industry. It combines the managerial and administrative skills developed in a traditional Master of Public Administration degree program with the scientific knowledge and understanding normally found in a master of science degree. This concentration will serve as a terminal professional master's for those individuals currently working in or aspiring to work as managers in the environmental field in both government and private industry.

 

Admission Requirements [top]

  • Applicants must complete an online GMU Graduate Application. Applicants for the MS in Environmental Science and Policy should hold a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 in natural or earth sciences, engineering, resource planning, or related fields from an accredited institution. Applicants should have taken at least two semesters of chemistry and three semesters of biology including a course in ecology.
  • Secure an advisor (for the Environmental Science and Policy Concentration) first to gain admission. For more information regarding admissions, visit the frequently asked questions webpage.
  • Submit three letters of recommendation, including at least one from a former professor. (or if not available, from a PhD).
  • The aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination is required and successful applicants will normally achieve a minimum score of 1100 for verbal and quantitative combined.
  • Applicants must also submit a substantial statement of interest in the program including concentration to which they are applying (Environmental Science and Policy or Environmental Management), potential areas of emphasis, research skills option preferred and an explanation of career goals.

    Application deadlines: Application deadlines for admission are February 15 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. Prospective students are encouraged to contact potential faculty advisors appropriate to their interests. Availability of an advisor in the student's area of interest is one of the criteria for admission. Students will choose their research skills option at the time of application, but may change later with permission of their advisor.

    Foundation Requirements:  If a student did not major in a science related field, they may be required to take up to 9 additional credits of science related foundation courses beyond the introductory level, which remedy deficiencies in chemistry (EVPP 506), biology (EVPP 507), and/or ecology (EVPP 607). If required upon admission as foundational, these credits cannot be applied toward the credits required for the degree.

    Applicants for the MS degree with a concentration in environmental science and policy should hold a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 in natural or earth sciences, engineering, resource planning, or related fields. Applicants should have taken at least two semesters of chemistry and three semesters of biology, including a course in ecology. If the degree is in a field other than those mentioned above, applicants should have taken several science courses beyond the introductory level. They may be required to make up any deficiencies before being permitted to enroll in the program.

    Application materials should be sent to:

    Office of Graduate Admissions
    College of Science
    George Mason University
    4400 University Drive, MS 6A3
    Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444

     

    Concentrations of Study [top]

    The MS in Environmental Science and Policy offers students four areas of concentration:

     

    Environmental Science and Policy Concentration [top]

    Capitol building in DC

    This concentration encourages an independent and creative approach to the development of curricula that reside within the general field of environmental science and policy. Students must form a supervisory committee and submit a program of study to the graduate coordinator for approval within the first 9 credits of course work or by the end of second semester, whichever comes first. The supervisory committee consists of the advisor and at least two other members, chosen in consultation with the advisor and conforming to Mason policy on master's thesis committees. Course requirements may be fulfilled by completing courses from a variety of academic units at Mason. The program requires a minimum of 33 graduate credits distributed in four categories to provide a breadth of knowledge appropriate for addressing current environmental issues. Course selection should reflect a coherent individual program focus, which is stated and briefly described in the program of study, and support the research component of the student's degree program.

    • Natural sciences (6 credits): At least 6 credits are required in biology, geology, geography, chemistry, or environmental engineering. For those students without previous course work in ecology, EVPP 607 is required in addition to the 6 credits.
    • Public policy (6 credits): At least 6 credits are required in environmental law, human ecology, environmental ethics, planning, or public affairs.
    • Methods and statistics (9 credits): At least 9 credits are required in statistics, remote sensing, information systems, instrumental analysis, or modeling. A course in statistics is highly recommended.
    • Seminar (1 credit): A minimum of 1 credit of EVPP 692 Master's Seminar in Environmental Science and Public Policy on an appropriate topic is required.
    • Research: This requirement may be satisfied in one of two ways: EVPP 798 Research Project (1–3 credits) or EVPP 799 Thesis (3–6 credits).

    Students may conduct a project (EVPP 798) or produce a formal thesis (EVPP 799). The depth and sophistication of the research differs between the two options. The thesis normally involves original research with independent acquisition and interpretation of data, with the goal of peer-reviewed publication. Projects are generally less extensive, and can include a broader range of activities.

    Students fulfilling the research requirement with EVPP 798 are required to take a comprehensive exam administered by their committee. Students choosing to do a thesis and completing EVPP 799 will present their results in a public seminar, and defend their thesis before their committee. Students will be graded S on the research skills component.

     

    Environmental Biocomplexity Concentration [top]

    field study

    This concentration is for students desiring an MS degree with the environmental biocomplexity theme. Students must form a supervisory committee and submit a program of study to the graduate coordinator for approval within the first 9 credits of course work or by the end of the second semester, whichever comes first. The supervisory committee consists of the advisor and at least two other members, chosen in consultation with the advisor and conforming to Mason policy on master's thesis committees. Course requirements may be fulfilled by completing courses from a variety of academic units at the university. The program requires a minimum of 33 graduate credits distributed in five categories to provide a breadth of knowledge appropriate for addressing current environmental issues. Course selection should support the research component of the student's degree program.

    Students are encouraged to complete at least 1 credit of Directed Studies (EVPP 693) as a lab rotation to broaden the scope of their experience in the concentration.

    • Natural sciences: At least 6 credits are required in courses that cover ecology, biogeochemistry, biochemistry, population genetics, molecular biology, molecular systematics, molecular evolution, microbial ecology, microbial diversity, quantitative genetics, and population biology.
    • Public policy: At least 6 credits are required in environmental law, human ecology, environmental ethics, patent law, legal and ethical issues in science.
    • Methods and statistics: At least 9 credits are required in statistics, bioinformatics, information systems, instrumental analysis, microbiological techniques, molecular methods, phylogenetic methods, and bioinformatics.
    • Seminar: At least 1 credit of EVPP 692 Master's Seminar in Environmental Science and Public Policy on an appropriate topic is required.
    • Research: This requirement may be satisfied in one of two ways: EVPP 798 Research Project (1–3 credits) or EVPP 799 Thesis (3–6 credits) as described above for the environmental sciences and policy concentration.

     

    Earth Surface Processes and
    Environmental Geochemistry Concentration     [top]

    sillouette of a cliff and ocean

    This concentration is for students desiring an MS degree with an earth science geology theme. Students must form a supervisory committee and submit a program of study to the graduate coordinator for approval within the first 9 credits of course work or by the end of the second semester, whichever comes first. The supervisory committee will consist of the advisor and at least two other members, chosen in consultation with the advisor and conforming to Mason policy on master's thesis committees. Requirements may be fulfilled by completing courses from a variety of academic units at Mason. The program requires a minimum of 33 graduate credits distributed in five categories to provide a breadth of knowledge appropriate for addressing current environmental and earth science issues. Course selection should support the research component of the student's degree program. Students present their thesis results in a public seminar, and defend their thesis before their committee. Students will be graded pass/no credit on the research component.

    • Natural sciences: At least 16 credits are required, 10 of which must be from least one course from each of the following areas: soils science, hydrogeology, and geochemistry. The remainder may be chosen from a list of applicable EVPP, CHEM, and GEOL graduate courses including: GEOL 500, 501, 601; CHEM 633, 651, 728; EVPP 503, 505, 543, 550, 563, 577, 581, 607, 610, 643, 644, 745.
    • Public Policy: At least 6 credits are required in environmental law, human dimension of global change, environmental ethics, human ecology, or planning.
    • Methods: At least 6 credits are required in remote sensing, GIS, statistics, instrumentation, or modeling.
    • Seminar: At least 1 credit of EVPP 692: Master's Seminar in Environmental Science and Public Policy on an appropriate topic is required.
    • Research: At least 3 credits of EVPP 799 Thesis; a thesis is required for this concentration.

     

    Environmental Management Concentration [top]

    Cairns, Australia Photo credit: Karin Bloomquist, GMU

    Students must complete 37 credits for the Environmental Management concentration. The Director of Graduate programs will serve as the advisor upon admission. Full-time students can complete this degree in three semesters; part-time students in six semesters. Course work must include each of the following below.

    Administration and Policy (12 credits): At least 12 credits are required, to include the following:

    • EVPP 670 Environmental Law (3 credits) or PRLS 501 Introduction to Natural Resources Law (3 credits)
    • PUAD 502 Administration in Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits) or PUAD 620 Organization Theory and Management Behavior (3 credits)
    • PUAD 640 Public Policy Process (3 credits)
    • EVPP 642 Environmental Policy (3 credits)

    Environmental Science (12 credits): At least 12 credits are required, to include the following:

    • EVPP 550 Waterscape Ecology and Management (3 credits) or EVPP 646 Wetland Ecology and Management (3 credits)
    • EVPP 607 Fundamentals of Ecology (3 credits) -- if student has not already taken a course in general ecology
    • EVPP 641 Environmental Science and Public Policy (3 credits)
    • EVPP 677 Applied Ecology and Ecosystem Management (3 credits)

    Methods and statistics (6 credits): At least 6 credits are required, including the following:

    • PUAD 611 Problem Solving and Data Analysis I [research design] (3 credits)
    • PUAD 612 Problem Solving and Data Analysis II [statistics] (3 credits)
    Research/seminar: Fulfilled with:
    • EVPP 741: Advanced Topics in Environmental Science and Public Policy (3 credits)
    • EVPP 692: Problems in Environmental Management (1 credit)

    Electives (3 credit hours or more to complete 37 credits): Students may choose from the following list of approved electives. Other courses may be used subject to approval of the program director.

    • EVPP 524 Introduction to Environmental and Resource Economics
    • EVPP 525 Economics of Human/Environment Interactions
    • EVPP 550 Waterscape Ecology and Management (if not already taken)
    • EVPP 581 Estuarine and Coastal Ecology (if not already taken)
    • EVPP 621 Overview of Biodiversity Conservation
    • EVPP 622 Management of Wild Living Resources
    • EVPP 626 Environment and Development in South and East Asia
    • EVPP 627 Environmental Policy in Latin America
    • EVPP 628 Environment and Development in Africa
    • EVPP 630 Methods and Logic of Social Inquiry
    • EVPP 638 Corporate Environmental Management and Policy
    • EVPP 646 Wetland Ecology and Management (if not already taken)
    • EVPP 650 Environmental Analysis and Modeling
    • EVPP 675 Environmental Planning and Administration
    • EVPP 741 Advanced Topics: Environment and Society           
    • EVPP 741 Advanced Topics: Ecological Economics
    • EVPP 741 Advanced Topics: Development of U.S. Environmental Policies
    • EVPP 741 Advanced Topics: Overview of Biodiversity Conservation
    • GGS 550 Introduction to Geographic Information Science
    • PUAD 509 Justice Organizations and Processes
    • PUAD 615 Administrative Law
    • PUAD 622 Program Planning and Implementation
    • PUAD 657 Association Management
    • PUAD 729 Issues in Public Management: Lobbying and Advocacy
    • PUAD 741 Policy Analysis
    • PUAD 742 Program Evaluation
    • MBA 623 Marketing Management
    • MBA 712 Project and Cost Management
    • MBA 724 Marketing Communications
    • MBA 725 Leadership