M.En. Program Requirements
The Master of Environmental Science (M.En.) is a professional degree program that emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to environmental problem solving and sustainable practices.
Our curriculum described below is designed to prepare students for immediate employment as a professional in environmental science and sustainability. We emphasize problem solving, project management, and communication skills. Over the past several decades, our hundreds of graduates have pursued outstanding opportunities and careers with consulting firms, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Core Courses
Students complete 20 semester hours of core courses. These courses provide students with a core set of competencies widely applicable to professional careers in environmental science and sustainability:
- Problem-solving methodology
- Effective communication
- Teamwork
- Project management
- Quantitative skills
The Professional Service Project component (IES 610, IES 610.G) is designed for students to develop their skills and experience by working with real clients.
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 while in residence.
Students take all of these courses:
| Course | Title | Hours | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| IES 598 | Orientation Field Trip |
1 | Fall, Year 1 |
| EGM 511 | Leading and Managing Projects | 3 | Fall, Year 1 |
| ENG/IES/JRN 529 | Environmental Communication | 3 | Fall, Year 1 |
| IES 610 | Professional Service Project | 4 | Spring, Year 1 |
| IES 611 | Environmental Problem Solving | 1 | Fall, Year 1 |
| STA 672 | Statistical Modeling and Design | 4 | Spring, Year 1 |
| IES 605 | Team Project Introduction | 0 | Winter, Year 1 |
| IES 411/511 | Environmental Protocols | 4 | Fall, Year 2* |
* A student in the Combined MEn program can take this during their senior year as an undergraduate.
Area of Concentration
Students complete 12 semester hours of courses in an area of concentration. These courses supplement the core courses by providing depth in 5 professional areas of specialization:
- Applied Ecology and Conservation
- Land and Water Resources
- Energy and Environment
- Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control
- Sustainability in Management and Planning
The concentrations allow students to choose courses to build on existing strengths from undergraduate or employment experience or a student may opt to develop a new area of specialization to meet their individual career goals.
Professional Experience Requirement
The professional experience requirement is designed to provide an opportunity for students to apply their core and specialized training to a capstone experience by choosing among 3 options.
Complete 1 of the following:
- Internship (4+ months)
Work with an employer for at least 4 months. - Practicum
Work to provide a client with a solution and deliverables for an applied problem. - Thesis
Develop a new scholarly contribution to environmental science and sustainability.
About 60% of students choose an internship, 30% complete the practicum experience, and 10% conduct research leading to a thesis.
Student Handbook
The Graduate Student Handbook provides students and faculty with a general overview and requirements of the M.En. degree program. This is available upon request by emailing ies@MiamiOH.edu.