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Welcome to the Master of Arts in Environmental Studies at the Levin College of Urban Affairs. The degree program is part of a campus-wide interdisciplinary initiative that offers students in environmental studies, environmental science and environmental engineering the opportunity to interact and learn from each other about the future professional practice. Our program currently has about 20 students; all of our graduates have secured employment in the environmental field.

We also offer a dual degree in Environmental Studies and a J.D. from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law, also at Cleveland State.

We are currently engaged in a strategic planning process for the MA degree, seeking input from former students, practitioners in the environmental field, and current students. For detailed information about the curriculum, please consult the MA Handbook.

The Master of Arts in Environmental Studies Program prepares students for careers in environmental policy and management while providing students with a broad, interdisciplinary course of study. Developing human institutions, organizations and behaviors that restore and protect the environment requires careful study of both natural and human systems and their interdependence. This task is at the core of an environmental studies degree program.

Mission
To educate students with a core foundation in environmental science and environmental policy for professional careers that will “bridge the gap” between environmental scientists and public policy professionals in order to protect the integrity, diversity, and resilience of existing ecological systems and to create sustainable human settlements.

Vision
We see the CSU M.A. in Environmental Studies as a highly ranked, regionally and nationally recognized program attracting well-qualified students from the region's top undergraduate science and policy programs. We envision a variety of internships in place where students will gain experience in policy, planning, management and analysis of environmental problems and sustainable development. Graduates from the M.A. in Environmental Studies program will be employed in a wide range of jobs in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Curricular Goals
1. Students will have a core knowledge base in biology, geology, chemistry, environmental engineering,
and environmental physics
2. Students will understand the institutional and organizational context in which environmental policies
and decisions are made and implemented through law, regulation, and administrative and financial
practices
3. Students will understand the processes of public policy decisions, including the relationship between
scientific research and environmental policy and inter-organizational relationships
4. Students will be able to design a policy-based applied research project, collect and analyze data, and
determine results using a variety of methods and techniques relevant for environmental policy
5. Students will be able to specialize in an area related to public decision making

Environmental Studies is part of a three-program project at CSU, involving faculty from the three degree-granting colleges whichcollaborate to achieve our goal of an integrated, multi-disciplinary experience. (This collaboration is organized and coordinated by the CSU Environmental Institute. For information about the institute, contact (216) 687-4860 or http://www.csuohio.edu/ei)

The M.A.A degree consists of four components: core competencies, core classes, electives, and an exit project. Core courses are shared with the M.S. in Environmental Science and the M.S. in Environmental Engineering, to allow students from the three masters programs in environmental studies, science, and engineering to interact and learn in a cross-disciplinary setting. Four electives may be used to specialize in a track. Finally, all students complete an exit project.

Required Core Courses: (32 credit hours)
Students in the M.A. in Environmental Studies Program must successfully complete the following credit hours of course work:

All students complete the following core and core competency courses:

• UST/CVE/BIO 595: Environmental Seminar
• UST 601: Applied Quantitative Reasoning I
• UST/ENV 652: Environmental Policy & Administration
• LAW 671: Environmental Law, Policy & Regulation
• EVS/GEO 506: Ecosystem Science
• CHM 503: Environmental Toxicology or CHM 504: Environmental Chemistry
• UST/ENV 693: Special Topics in Environmental Studies

Areas of Specialization:
Students may choose to specialize in the following areas:

• Policy and Administration
• Environmental Planning
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Environmental Nonprofit Management

Exit Project
Every student must register for four credits of exit-project course work (UST 698) and successfully complete an applied research report, an original project design, a policy-analysis-and evaluation paper, or a related project. Before registering for exit-project credit, the student and his or her advisor select a proposed exit project. The student must complete a Permission Form and obtain the required signatures prior to registering for the project. Students in the JD/MA program are not required to complete an exit project.

Internships
An internship is not required; however, students without related work experience are encouraged to seek an internship placement. Paid and unpaid internships are arranged through the Office of Student Services. Interested students may receive elective credit for internship work.

Students graduating with an environmental studies degree will develop skills that are high in demand. These skills are particularly suited to bridge the gap between science and policy. Students will become leaders in their community’s efforts to protect and/or restore environmental quality.

• Environmental protection agencies
• Nonprofit environmental advocacy organizations
• Environmental education organizations
• Municipal government
• Regional planning and resource agencies
• State and national parks and recreation areas
• Private consulting firms