George Mason University
AC-4: Graduate Program

The Environmental Science and Policy, MS meets the increasing need for trained environmental professionals who can address the problems of land and water management, land use and urbanization, wetland loss, microbial ecology, bioremediation, conservation biology, and ecosystem preservation. These professionals will also contribute to the analysis and resolution of global problems, such as deforestation, insufficient world food supplies, acid deposition, population growth and public health, global climate change/warming, and depletion of the stratospheric ozone. Areas of specific departmental focus include ecosystems; conservation; environmental biocomplexity; molecular ecology; sustainability science; environmental policy and management and human/environmental interactions.Environmental problems are defined in the real world and do not necessarily conform to traditional academic disciplines. As such, solutions require creative combinations of diverse interests and subjects. Effective training requires rigorous, problem-focused interdisciplinary action in a setting in which research is an essential element supporting instruction. Six concentrations are available in the master’s program: aquatic ecology, environmental science and policy, conservation science and policy, environmental biocomplexity, Earth surface processes and environmental geochemistry, and environmental management.

Our graduates contribute to the solution of complex environmental problems, which require the development of knowledge and skills in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of scientific data, as well as in the integration of scientific understanding into the public policy process. This interdisciplinary program draws on faculty and expertise from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy’s core faculty, as well as faculty from across the university. This includes the Department of Biology, the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, the School of Systems Biology, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Department of Economics, the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, as well as the Schar School of Policy and Government, the Volgenau School of Engineering, and the College of Education and Human Development.

The mission of this program is to train the next generation of scientists in climate dynamics and related fields. Through a comprehensive grounding in classwork, our students learn about how the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface work together to determine the climate. In collaboration with internationally-known scientists, students conduct independent work to further our understanding of climate, how it varies, and how much of it we can predict. Tools in the program include cutting-edge climate models, superb computing facilities, sophisticated statistical techniques, and comprehensive data sets. Students are taught that climate variability has important ramifications for society, from planning for next year’s electrical demand and forecasting agricultural production to answering complex questions involving long-term change in global climate, sea level, and biodiversity.

This concentration is particularly relevant for students who are pursuing or interested in pursuing careers in energy and environmentally related applications in the law, national and international policy, government, print and media journalism, public and social service, teaching, advanced graduate studies, ethics, business, and basic and applied research. Sustainability by definition aims to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A sustainability education lies within the intersection of environmental science and engineering, economics and business, public policy, and many other areas. Energy is a crucial component of sustainability.

This graduate certificate provides students with hands-on education in conservation science. The courses in this program are all residential, full-day, one- or two-week intensive courses held at the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, Virginia. This certificate is designed for early to mid-career conservation professionals working in government, non-governmental organizations, and research institutions worldwide. Upon completion of the certificate, students will have developed practical and analytical skills applicable to a wide range of programs in applied conservation science research, policy, and practice – from single-species protection and landscape-level restoration and management to community conservation initiatives and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.

Data is for FY16.