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Graduate

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Eli Jacobson stands in a watery marsh holding equipment
Eli Jacobson '19G completed a NSF REU-QUEST Fellowship while at Lehigh

Master's Degree in Environmental Policy

The Masters of Arts in Environmental Policy (EP) embraces a vision of high-quality graduate education to support the professional and personal ambitions of our students. The EP program provides an opportunity for students to study the theoretical roots that structure policy and how to design and evaluate policy processes and outcomes. Some distinctive features of the program include:

  • Intensive study of policy design and analysis.
  • A flexible program that offers academic concentrations and graduate certificates in Environmental Policy and Planning, Environmental Justice and Environmental Health.
  • Multiple tracks through the program for either thesis or coursework only options. Some program options can be completed in 12 months.
  • Student internships are required for the non-thesis tracks. These professional experiences better prepare our graduates for careers in the discipline.
  • Funding is available through the program’s Teaching Assistant position, Research Assistantships, Community Fellowships and Dean’s Select Scholarships. We also provide generous financial support for student research and professional travel.

Lehigh provides students with state-of-the-art facilities and experiences while maintaining a program size that allows close collaboration between faculty and students. The university is located an hour north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes west of New York City, giving students a reasonable cost of living with easy access to the amenities of a larger urban area.

Requirements

The Environmental Policy graduate program is structured to give students significant flexibility in their coursework, the opportunity to receive additional certification in various subject areas, and the ability to complement classroom learning with more in-depth research (by completing a thesis) or practical experience (through on- and off-campus internships).

To earn an MA in Environmental Policy, students must complete 30 credit hours (or 10 courses).  All students take three (3) core courses and complete a master’s thesis or a semester-long internship.  (Students can also choose to combine the EP program with a Community Fellowship.  Those who do would count their fellowship toward this internship requirement.)

View Specific Requirements on the Course Catalog

Environmental Policy Graduate Certificates

Environmental Policy at Lehigh offers three graduate certificates to complement the master’s degree:

  • Environmental Health: Focus on how the built and natural environments affect individuals’ physical and mental health and well-being.
  • Environmental Justice: How individuals of different classes and races access environmental amenities, environmental threats, and opportunity-rich environments in drastically different ways.
  • Environmental Policy and Planning: An intensive study of policy design and analysis--the centerpiece of the EP program since its inception. Students study the policies intended to protect environmental resources and ecological systems, as well as those designed to best integrate our cities and nature, and to provide residents with both a good quality of life and access to opportunity.

To earn a graduate certificate, students must complete one required policy course and three approved 400-level electives on the topic of their choice.  More details on the requirements and courses associated with each certificate are available here.

These graduate certificates are also available to Lehigh University graduate outside of the Environmental Policy program.

How to Apply

  • Current Students:
    If you are enrolled in a graduate degree program within Lehigh University, you can apply for the certificate by contacting the CAS Office of Research & Graduate Programs at incasgrd@lehigh.edu or by phone at (610) 758-4280. We will assist you in completing the curriculum change form to add the certificate to your academic record. Please note that approval is required by both your home college and CAS.

Information for Interested Undergraduates Currently Enrolled at Lehigh University

Lehigh University undergraduates with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and in their junior or senior year may take any 400-level course for which they are qualified and have completed pre-requirements. The Bachelor's to Master's Accelerated (4+1) Program is a great way for eligible Lehigh students to seamlessly transition into a Master’s in Environmental Policy. This 4+1 option allows students to enroll in graduate (400) level courses as juniors or seniors. 

Click here to learn more about the 4+1 Environmental Policy Program

Environmental Policy Information Session