MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Curriculum

Students enrolled in the Environmental MPA Program are awarded a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University’s world-renowned School of International and Public Affairs after a single year of intensive study. The curriculum, outlined below, provides a management and policy analytic core and a natural and social science earth systems concentration. Students complete a total of 54 points over three semesters. The intensive course of study begins in early June with an orientation program. The summer term begins immediately afterward, followed by the autumn and spring terms. The summer term features the fundamental science of earth systems and conservation biology, as well as an introduction to environmental policy and management issues. In the fall and spring, students delve deeper into the formulation and management of public policy. The physical and social sciences are linked throughout the program so that students gain an integrated understanding of earth systems.

Classes are offered five days a week and are augmented by informal group work in all core courses. The program begins in late May/ early June and ends the following year in mid-May. Please see the schedule for exact dates. There is at least a week-long break between the summer and fall semesters and a longer break between the fall and spring semesters. There is also a week-long spring break in March.

Steven Cohen, Professor of Professional Practice in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs; Director of MPA-ESP

Rohit Aggarwala, Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs

Howard Apsan, Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs

Benjamin Bostick, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

Mary Cleveland, Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs

Robert Cook, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs

Anne Degnan, Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs

Selcuk Eren, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

Scott Fisher, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

Adela Gondek, Lecturer in the Discipline of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology

Dong Guo, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs

Adrian Hill, Lecturer of International and Public Affairs (part-time)

Lloyd Kass, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs

Urvashi Kaul, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs

Rebecca Koike, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

Michael Musso, Lecturer of International and Public Affairs (part-time)

Suresh Naidu, Assistant Professor in Economics and International and Public Affairs

Matthew Palmer, Senior Lecturer in Discipline of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology

Michael Puma, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs

Louise Rosen, Lecturer of International and Public Affairs (part-time)

Sara Tjossem, Senior Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs

A. Park Williams, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

Gregory Yetman, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

Students in the MPA-ESP program must complete the requirements of the core curriculum (29 points), the policy concentration (16 points), and three elective courses (9 points).

Core Curriculum

The classes that comprise the core curriculum (29 Points) prepare students to analyze and understand the formulation and management of public policy. Students learn about organizational analysis, budgeting, financial analysis and reporting, probability theory, applied regression analysis, and applied microeconomics. Throughout, the program emphasizes a hands-on approach so that students may acquire the analytic, communication, and work skills required to be problem-solving earth systems professionals. These skills include memo writing, presentations, team management, and financial analysis.

The core also includes Workshops in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis and Management, which challenge students to apply their theoretical knowledge and functional skills to address real-world environmental policy and management issues. This unique aspect of the program helps the participants synthesize what they are learning and gives them valuable experience as they prepare for careers in public policy.

Policy Concentration

The Environmental Science and Earth Systems Concentration (16 Points) is comprised of both natural and social science courses.

The five natural science courses are: Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Toxicology, Climatology, Hydrology, and Ecology and Urban Ecology. The three social science courses are: Earth Systems and Environmental Politics, Policy, and Management; Political Context of Public/Private Environmental Management; and Ethics, Values, and Justice.

The science component of the concentration is designed to enable students to understand enough science to manage the work of science experts. Our goal is for students to be capable of more than passive consumption or understanding of environmental science. However, we do not expect MPAs to become producers of scientific research. The focus of the environmental science taught in the program is on understanding the ecological processes that directly effect human health and well being.

The policy and management issues our graduates are being trained to address include global change issues such as global warming but more frequently focus on: the provision of safe drinking water; environmentally-sound sewage treatment and disposal; solid and toxic waste management; and the control of local sources of air pollution.

The science courses required in this concentration are designed to support global and local environmental decision-making and management.

Sample Program

Curriculum and Course Schedule