Professor Gwen Ottinger's Fair Tech Collective built Refinery Air Watch to offer public access to national oil refinery pollution data. © NASA.gov

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Program Overview

Drexel’s Master of Science in Environmental Policy (MSEP) degree program provides the economic, scientific and social perspectives that form the foundation of a meaningful career. Our environmental policy program includes a public policy core; however, the curriculum also features an environmental core, economics core, and tracks in environmental science or environmental and occupational health.

Drexel’s MSEP degree is especially suited for future policy professionals with a solid commitment to environmental causes. With courses in research methods, law, health, justice, and more, Drexel’s degree equips and prepares graduates for a broad range of environmental policy careers. The program synthesizes expertise across diverse disciplines, including law, sociology, engineering, business, public health and more. With only three core requirements and 12 electives, students can select courses tailored to their interests and schedules.

Applications are accepted year-round, and applicants can expect a decision within one month. Entering students may begin in the fall, winter, or spring quarter. Students take three required classes and 12 electives from Drexel’s diverse environmental course offerings. Full-time students can complete the program in two years, while part-time students complete the degree at their own pace. A thesis is not required, but students may elect to conduct real-world research by writing a case study thesis. Students who want to delve deeper into a subject can choose to complete a nine-credit master’s project as part of their 45 required credits.

Program Faculty

Faculty members affiliated with the Environmental Policy master's degree program address the most pressing problems of today’s environmental realm, including climate change, agricultural sustainability, and the effects of pollution on public health. Many faculty collaborate with local communities and nonprofits on projects that have a real impact on people in the Philadelphia area and well beyond.

	Faculty Member	Expertise
	Christian Hunold Professor of Politics; Associate Dean for Faculty Advancement 3021-F MacAlister Hall hunoldc@drexel.edu	Environmental Political Theory Deliberative Democracy Human-Animal Studies Multispecies Ethnography Multispecies Urbanism Wild horses and Burros
	Alison Kenner Associate Professor 3101 Market Street, Room 222 amk438@drexel.edu	Energy Justice Climate Change Feminist Political Theory Asthma and Air Quality Experimental Ethnography Urban Politics
	Gwen Ottinger Professor 3101 Market Street, Room 217 ottinger@drexel.edu	Environmental justice Political theory Science and technology policy Citizen science Science and engineering ethics Information infrastructures Community-based research
	Diane Sicotte Professor of Sociology 3201 Arch Street, Room 203 dms76@drexel.edu	Environmental Sociology Environmental inequality and injustice Political economy of energy and environment Labor and environment Plastics in society

Outcomes

• Know the basics. Courses in a wide range of disciplines offer students a solid understanding of the complexity of policy issues.
• See all sides. In the program’s core courses, students learn how to analyze competing perspectives, enabling them to be constructive problem solvers.
• Care about equity. Policies have different impacts on different populations, including the rich and poor, and current and future generations. Students learn to spot these differences and design policies that promote greater equity.
• Communicate clearly. Writing projects across the curriculum teach students to express highly specialized ideas from multiple domains in a way that non-specialists can understand and use to guide their actions.
• Collaborate effectively. Students from different backgrounds work together, learning to problem-solve in groups where not everyone sees eye-to-eye.

Careers

An advanced degree opens doors to a broad range of environmental policy careers including positions in both public and private organizations. Many government and non-profit organizations need experts in environmental policy to develop sustainable practices and help them comply with environmental rules. As a result, environmental policy degree jobs are in demand at large corporations, governmental institutions, non-profit organizations, think tanks and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Potential careers

What is Case Study Research?

The Master of Science in Environmental Policy (MSEP) spans the disciplines of law, political science, economics, engineering, business, public health, and others. Students in this program take core courses in Public Policy, Environmental Policy, and Economics and electives in Environmental Science or Environmental and Occupational Health. With their electives, students can conduct real-world research writing through a case study thesis, complete a graduate minor tailored to their interests, or complete their degree with research experience. Students in the program receive personalized advising to help them identify the classes and opportunities that best serve their professional goals.

In addition to the core courses, the program focuses on case study research as a unifying element of the curriculum. Students must choose a specific case study topic they will typically work on for three terms during the program. By the end of the program, students will have produced a polished, in-depth analysis of a specific case that they can use to demonstrate expertise in each policy area.