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.

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.

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.

Peacebuilding, MA: https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/conflict-analysis-resolution/peacebuilding-ma/

Climate Science, MA: https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/science/atmospheric-oceanic-earth-sciences/climate-science-ms/

Offered by the School of International Service, the Environment, Peace, and Conflict Resolution (Graduate Certificate) equips students with the knowledge and skills to address a growing set of challenges at the intersection of environmental change, natural resource management, violent conflict, and the mediation and resolution of conflict.

The purpose of the Environmental and Sustainability Management Graduate Certificate is to prepare students to develop and manage environmental and sustainability initiatives and practices that will reduce, remove, and redress environmental impacts in various types of organizations. With courses offered by the College of Science, the Schar School of Policy and Government, the School of Business, and the Volgenau School of Engineering, the proposed certificate provides students with a transdisciplinary perspective on environmental and sustainability challenges. Upon completion of the certificate program, graduates will be able to: 1) Identify environmental and sustainability management challenges in the private and public sector; 2) Recognize the mechanisms of public policy making that influence environmental and sustainability management decisions; and 3) Apply fundamental concepts in management science, environmental science, public administration, and management to craft and execute sustainability solutions.

As biodiversity is the life support system of our planet, it is important to prepare students for careers that require knowledge of both ecology and public policy. This certificate focuses in the fields of conservation biology, land use policy, conservation planning, and modern tools and approaches used in GIS to prepare students to tackle complex environmental challenges in a changing world.