Environmental Studies and Public Administration, M.S. EVS/M.P.A Dual Degree

The dual degree program is offered jointly by the Departments of Environmental Sciences and Public and International Affairs. Full-time students will earn two degrees – a Master of Science in Environmental Studies (M.S. EVS) and a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) – in three years as opposed to four years if enrolled separately. This degree option is specifically for students who want to bridge the communication gap between environmental science and public policy. Potential post-graduation opportunities associated with the program include: career tracks in coastal planning and management and other environmental programs at the federal, state, or local level; careers in nonprofit organizations focused on environmental issues; and private sector jobs focused on consulting or regulatory compliance.

The dual M.S. EVS/M.P.A. degree program requires three academic years of full-time study consisting of a minimum of 57 credit hours. This is accomplished by sharing a maximum of 18 credit hours that will count toward both degree programs. Students in the M.P.A. program will not be required to complete a concentration. Instead, that requirement is replaced by the required EVS coursework.

Application

Applicants seeking admission to the dual M.S. Environmental Studies and M.P.A. Public Administration degree programs must submit an application and application fees for consideration to both programs. Students must be successfully admitted to both degree programs, in accordance with their individual standards and requirements. Admission to the dual degree program will then be determined by the graduate coordinators for the M.S. EVS and M.P.A. programs. Once admitted to the dual M.S. EVS/M.P.A. degree program, students will select a concentration from the M.S. in Environmental Studies program. Students will be assigned advisors (the Graduate coordinators) from each program to help them develop their course of study.

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the M.S. EVS/M.P.A. dual degree program are required to submit the following to the Graduate School:

An application for graduate admission to both the M.S. EVS and M.P.A. programs;
Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate);
Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) less than five years old;
Three recommendations from individuals in professionally relevant fields;
A personal statement describing educational and professional experiences, their reasons for pursing the dual degree, and career goals;
A resume;
A writing sample (optional).

Application and required documents must be submitted by the published deadlines.

Applicants seeking admission to the program must meet the following requirements:

Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or its equivalent from a foreign institution of higher education based on a four-year program;
A strong academic record with an average GPA of 3.0 or better in the undergraduate program;
Strong academic potential as indicated by satisfactory performance on the GRE General Test;
Indication of graduate academic potential as reflected by three letters of recommendations from individuals in professionally relevant fields;
Professional and career goals that are consistent with the nature of a dual degree program in environmental studies and public administration.

Individuals who fall below a specified criterion may be admitted if other factors indicate potential for success. Individuals with identified deficiencies may be accepted provisionally with specified plans and goals for the remediation of these deficiencies. Such remediation may include a requirement for additional hours beyond those normally required for the degree.

Note: If you are a student currently enrolled in either the M.S. EVS or M.P.A. programs separately, and would like to be considered for the Dual degree, please contact your Program Coordinator in your respective area for information on the application process.

Degree Requirements (57 total credit hours)

All students must complete the required coursework that is part of the M.S. EVS and M.P.A. degree programs.

Core Requirements for the M.S. EVS Degree (15 credit hours)

EVS 501 - Introduction to Environmental Problems and Policy Credits: 3
EVS 515 - Field Methods in Environmental Sciences Credits: 3
EVS 518 - Fundamentals of Applied Environmental Research Credits: 3
EVS 519 - Advanced Applied Environmental Research Credits: 3
ENG 551 - Studies in Professional Writing Credits: 3

Core Requirements for the M.P.A. Degree (12 credit hours)

PLS 500 - Managing Public and Nonprofit Organizations Credits: 3
PLS 502 - Public Human Resources Development and Administration Credits: 3
PLS 503 - Public Budgeting and Finance Administration Credits: 3
PLS 505 - Policy Analysis Credits: 3

Concentration (15 credit hours)

All students are required to pursue a concentrated area of study in Coastal Management, Marine and Coastal Education, Environmental Education and Interpretation, or Environmental Conservation and Management as part of the EVS component of the dual degree. Students can also elect to plan their own curriculum in the Individualized Study concentration. Students electing to pursue the Individualized Study concentration should consult with their advisors from both programs and must have their course of study approved by the graduate coordinators of both programs. For students pursuing a combined concentration, a maximum of 6 total credit hours may be shared between the concentrations.

Coastal Management

All students pursuing a concentration in Coastal Management must complete the following:

EVS 520 - Foundations of Coastal Management Credits: 3
12 credit hours of electives approved by the EVS graduate program advisor

Marine and Coastal Education

All students pursuing a concentration in Marine and Coastal Education must complete the following:

EVS 525 - Foundations of Environmental Education and Interpretation Credits: 3
12 credit hours of electives approved by the EVS graduate program advisor (3 credit hours must be in approved natural science courses and 3 credit hours must be in approved physical science courses)

Environmental Education and Interpretation

All students pursuing a concentration in Environmental Education and Interpretation must complete the following:

EVS 525 - Foundations of Environmental Education and Interpretation Credits: 3
12 credit hours of electives approved by the EVS graduate program advisor

Environmental Conservation and Management

All students pursuing a concentration in Environmental Management must complete the following:

EVS 540 - Foundations of Environmental Conservation and Management Credits: 3
12 credit hours of electives approved by the EVS graduate program advisor

Individualized Study

All students pursuing an Individualized Study concentration must complete the following:

15 credit hours of electives approved by the EVS graduate program advisor

Applied Skill-Based Elective (3 credit hours)

All students are required to take one of the following applied skill-based electives to further their professional development and analytical skills. Students are encouraged to take additional coursework from this list of electives when putting together their plan of study for their concentrations or as their electives.

PLS 504 - Computer Applications and MIS in Public Administration Credits: 3
PLS 506 - Program Evaluation Credits: 3
PLS 507 - Applied Management Tools, Skills, and Techniques Credits: 3
PLS 541 - Public Economics and Cost-Benefit Analysis Credits: 3
PLS 545 - Government Planning and Geographic Information Systems Credits: 3
GGY 524 - Advanced Geographic Information Systems Credits: 0-3
EVS 555 - Geospatial Analysis for Coastal Management Credits: 3
EVS 578 - Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HazWOpER) Credits: 3
ECN 525 - Environmental Economics Credits: 3
ECN 530 - Natural Resource Economics Credits: 3
Or other courses as approved by the program coordinators

M.P.A. Internship or Practicum (3 credit hours)

All students must complete an internship or practicum experience of at least 3 credit hours unless the requirement is waived by the graduate coordinator of the M.P.A. program. All students must also have their placement approved by the M.P.A. graduate coordinator. In general, a practicum is only approved in place of an internship when the student’s professional responsibilities or work requirements make it difficult or impossible to complete an internship.

A waiver of the internship requirement is only granted when the student can demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of significant management or policy-related professional experience or completes a comparable experience that serves as a suitable replacement for this requirement. If the internship requirement is waived, the student must complete an additional 3 hours of electives.

PLS 598 - Internship in Public Administration Credits: 3-6 or
PLS 594 - Practicum in Public Administration Credits: 3-6

Capstone Experiences (6 credit hours)

To ensure that students are able to employ skills and knowledge gained in the program within applied settings, capstone courses are required by each program. Both courses provide extended opportunities for fieldwork, research or creative projects and help the student to bridge related theory with practical applications. Both courses should be taken near the end of each program.

PLS 595 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration Credits: 3 and
EVS 595 - Research in Environmental Sciences Credits: 3 or
EVS 597 - Practicum in Environmental Sciences Credits: 1-6 *
*Students with 3 or more years of experience in the environmental profession will complete EVS 595 - Research in Environmental Sciences . Those with less than 3 years will complete EVS 597 - Practicum in Environmental Sciences .

Electives (3 credit hours)

Students will generally be required to complete an additional 3 credit hours of electives in order to fulfill their degree requirements. Students can select additional skill-based electives, coursework from other concentrations, or take other electives as approved by the graduate coordinators from the EVS and M.P.A. programs.