Two-Year M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy
The Harris School and the Division of the Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago offer a two-year program leading to a master of environmental science and policy. This program is designed for students interested in assessing the scientific repercussions of various policies on the environment.
Overview
The Irving B. Harris Graduate School and the Physical Sciences Division jointly offer the Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy. The broad objective of the program is to provide students with the academic background in both policy and environmental science required for informed decision making in business and government. To a large extent, the curriculum of this program draws upon courses already in place in the Harris School and in the Physical Sciences Division, although an introductory overview course and an independent study are designed to integrate the policy and science aspects of the program.
There is a need both in the public and private sectors for professionals with the skills to develop and implement environmental policies based in part on scientific criteria. This is in addition to consideration of economic, technological, and social factors. At the local level a business might have to consider environmental impacts of its waste disposal. At the national level, energy use strategies and urban air pollutants have implications related to economics and public health. Finally, at the global level international policies must address topics such as the release of chemicals implicated in climate change.
The rationale for the Master of Science program is that students who seek to become policy makers in government and industry would benefit from an academic program which combines rigorous treatments of both environmental science and environmental policy. Such students should appreciate the concepts and methods of environmental research at a level which facilitates the creation and implementation of policy. A distinguishing feature of the joint Harris School-Physical Sciences initiative is the inclusion of environmental science at a rigorous level as an integral part of the program. The scientific portion of the curriculum seeks to develop the student's understanding of the processes which control the state of the natural environment and its response to perturbations, particularly those brought about by human activities as a consequence of policy decisions.
Students and Curriculum
Students who enter the Environmental Science and Policy program should have previous exposure to physical science at the undergraduate level, although their career objectives will most likely lie in policy rather than in science. Desirable undergraduate majors for entering students would be in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, Earth sciences or engineering, although students with good backgrounds in science, but whose concentrations are in other areas, will be considered for admission. The faculty of the Harris School and the Physical Sciences Division must approve all admissions.
The curriculum combines elements of science and policy to meet the needs of the students described above. The structure of the two-year Master of Science degree program is outlined below.
Course Structure of the Environmental Science and Policy Program
- Introductory Overview course: PP389 Environmental Science and Policy
- 7 courses in public policy from the Harris School (PPHA 30800, 31000 or 31200, 31100 or 31300, 31600, 31920, 32300, 32400)
- 4 courses from the physical or biological sciences divisions. Courses may be selected to emphasize solid-earth science, atmosphere-ocean science, or other topics of interest to the student
- 6 electives in public policy and/or physical sciences (recommended that PPHA 38800 and/or PPHA 39000 be taken when offered)
- Completion of an independent study project which integrates course work in environmental science and policy (students may enroll in PPHA 52000 Independent Study/Research, as an elective, to work on this project)
A total of 18 courses are required for the MS degree.
The required courses in public policy are the following:
- PPHA 30800. Political Economy for Public Policy I: Formal Models
- PPHA 31000. Statistical Methods for Policy Research I or PPHA 31200. Statistics for Policy Research I
- PPHA 31100. Statistical Methods for Policy Research II or PPHA 31300. Statistics for Policy Research II
- PPHA 31400. The Political Economy of Weakly Institutionalized Settings
- PPHA 31600. Political Institutions and the Policy Process
- PPHA 32300. Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy I
- PPHA 32400. Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy II
- PPHA 38900. Environmental Policy I
Possible elective courses in public policy include the following:
- PPHA 31400. Cost-Benefit Analysis
- PPHA 31900. Organizational Theory and Public Management
- PPHA 32500. Public Policy Workshop
- PPHA 32900. Taxation and Public Finance
- PPHA 33300. Public Budgeting
- PPHA 44300. Environmental Controversies
- PPHA 52000. Independent Study/Research
Students should consult the latest edition of the Announcements of the Harris School for additional courses.
Courses taught by the Department of the Geophysical Sciences can provide the environmental science portion of the curriculum, although considerable flexibility is possible in the selection of courses from other departments of the Physical Sciences Division. Each student is encouraged to communicate with faculty members in the design of an individualized scientific curriculum. Note that 200-level courses are generally available to incoming graduate students who have no previous background in the specific areas covered, although an undergraduate background in physical science is required. The list below highlights offerings in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences. Four courses could be selected from this list, or the student can select from other courses available in the Physical Sciences Division. An additional course can serve as an elective.
Courses in the Solid-Earth Sciences:
- GeoSci 21000. Introduction to Mineralogy
- GeoSci 21100. Introduction to Petrology
- GeoSci 21200. Physics of the Earth
- GeoSci 29001. Field Course in Geology
- GeoSci 29002. Field Course in Modern and Ancient Environments
Courses in the Atmosphere-Ocean Sciences:
- GeoSci 23200. Climate Dynamics of the Earth and Other Planets
- GeoSci 23400. Global Warming
- GeoSci 23500. Physical Oceanography
- GeoSci 23600. Chemical Oceanography
- GeoSci 23900. Environmental Chemistry
Students in the program will have an Advisory Committee composed of three or more faculty members, including representation from both the Harris School and the Physical Sciences Division. Each student will meet formally with the Advisory Committee at least twice per academic year, although less formal interactions should occur on a regular basis. The Advisory Committee will also be responsible for evaluating the student's independent study project to be completed near the end of the final year of study.
