About the Program

Today's environmental problems require the skills and insights of many people, including scientists, engineers, regulators, policy analysts, lay citizens, industry, and environmental groups. The Michigan Technological University Doctoral Program in Environmental and Energy Policy and Master's of Science in Environmental Policy Graduate Program give students skills in policy analysis, collaboration with a wide variety of groups, and in understanding socioeconomic-environmental systems. Graduates of this interdisciplinary program are now environmental policy specialists within corporations, government agencies, consulting firms, and private non-governmental organizations.  Others have gone on to PhD and law degree programs at top universities around the United States, and several have become university faculty members.

MS in Environmental Policy

The Environmental Policy program at Michigan Tech offers an innovative approach to environmental management through the collaboration of ecology, engineering, economics and other social sciences, and forest resources faculty. It is distinctive in its training in citizen participation and its interdisciplinary emphasis.

PhD in Environmental and Energy Policy

There is a significantly growing need for innovative and interdisciplinary solutions to the growing problems of sustainable energy development, mitigation of global climate change, water, and other environmental concerns, which requires in-depth study and analysis beyond a 2-year masters degree. This program expands upon the master's level curriculum and uniquely combine interdisciplinarity in support of the national and international goal of sustainable development, with a strong focus on energy as well as environmental policy.

The doctoral program will train students to use the tools and approaches of multiple disciplines, including sociology, geography, anthropology, political science, economics, history, sustainability science, ecology, and hydrology in support of research programs involving an integrated assessment of environmental & energy-related policy choices.

Graduate Program

Last updated September 11, 2012

The graduate program is housed in the Department of Social Sciences. Departmental faculty teach most core courses, including environmental policy and politics, environmental policy analysis, global environmental history, and sociology of the environment.

Our program is small and focused.  Our size permits us to be flexible and to work intensively with each of our graduate students.  Our students have done theses and projects on a wide variety of innovative, environmental sustainability projects.  They have studied issues ranging from ISO 14000 to the European Union's precautionary principle to obstacles to renewable energy production.  Graduate student funding support is available but very limited. We are able to offer a small number of assistantships that pay a living wage stipend, tuition, and most fees, with priority given to Ph.D. students. A minimum GRE Verbal score of 152 and Quantitative score of 148 is recommended for PhD applicants, as well as a 4.0 or higher on Analytical Writing. The recommended scores for M.S. applicants are 152, 145, and 3.5, respectively. International students who have not been educated in English are expected to get a TOEFL score of 100 iBT or higher.

The Environmental and Energy Policy degree programs also draw on faculty in other academic units at our university. These affiliated faculty provide expertise in such areas as forestry, hydrology, wildlife biology, energy engineering, resource economics, and water resource management.

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