Feb. 1
Application Date
Master of Environmental Science
Master of Environmental Science (M.En.) Degree
The Master of Environmental Science degree at Miami University takes an interdisciplinary approach to environmental problem-solving and sustainable practices. The program ensures you gain the critical skills and hands-on experience needed to excel in the evolving, exciting field of environmental science.
Degree Quick Facts
18 - 24 Months
Program Duration
36
Credit Hours
99%
of Master's Graduates are Successfully Employed, Enrolled in Higher Education, or in a Volunteer/Service Program
Learn From a Professional Science Master’s Program
The Master of Environmental Science degree is designated as a national Professional Science Master's (PSM) program based on its combination of hands-on learning experiences, professional skill-building, and interdisciplinary breadth. PSM programs prepare students for science careers in business, government, or nonprofit organizations, where demand for a STEM-trained workforce is increasing.
Work With Real Clients Through a Professional Service Project
Each year, through a Professional Service Project (PSP), M.En. student teams help three clients who have requested assistance in solving environmental problems or improving the sustainability of their organizations. Graduates of the Master of Environmental Science program frequently report that both the PSP experience and its application of problem-solving methodology were critical to their success as professionals.
Looking to become a client organization? Please email us at ies@MiamiOH.edu.
Combined Bachelor and Master of Environmental Science Program
The combined environmental science master’s program allows students to complete an M.En. degree with 1 year of additional study beyond the bachelor's degree and is available to qualified, tuition-paying students with any undergraduate major. For more information, contact Jonathan Levy, the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability director, at levyj@miamioh.edu.
Skill Development and Learning Outcomes
The Master of Environmental Science program prepares students for successful careers by emphasizing and promoting effective communication, interdisciplinary training, problem-solving skills, management, teamwork, and quantitative analysis. Students leverage these strengthened skills and deepen their career confidence to meet the program’s learning outcomes.
- Apply general principles of problem-solving methodology to specific environmental problems;
- Manage interdisciplinary team projects for clients;
- Communicate scientific and environmental information to non-specialist and government audiences;
- Apply statistical design and analysis to environmental measurements;
- Synthesize knowledge from a disciplinary concentration in environmental science and sustainability with its application to a professional experience.
The admission requirements for the Master of Environmental Science are:
- Bachelor's degree - including a minimum 2.75 GPA in the last two undergraduate years
- Personal goal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- Résumé or curriculum vitae
Students complete 22 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 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.
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
- The Transport, Fate, and Control of Pollution
- 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.
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 (3 months or 400 hours)
Work with an employer for at least 3 months or 400 hours. - 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.
What You Can Do With a Master of Environmental Science
With real-world project experience and expertise in one of the concentration areas, students graduate well-equipped for entry into the environmental science field. An advanced degree in environmental science will expand your career options to include environmental policy development, college-level teaching, and management.
Students who hold a Master of Environmental Science often work in the following professions:
- Air pollution analyst
- Agricultural scientist
- Climate change program coordinator
- Conservation manager
- Ecologist
- Environmental consultant
- Environmental regulation specialist
- Public utilities director
- Sustainability officer
Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
The Institute for the Environment and Sustainability is an umbrella organization for undergraduate and graduate education and research on the environment and sustainability at Miami University.
Contact Us
Shideler Hall 118
250 S. Patterson Ave.
Oxford, OH 45056
513-529-8183
ies@MiamiOH.edu
The M.En. degree was designated as a national Professional Science Master's (PSM) program based on it its professional skills, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary breadth.
Learn more at the Professional Science Master's website.
