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Environmental Policy Degree Overview
Bard's MS in Environmental Policy degree is for students who want to do high-impact work addressing today's profound sustainability and environmental justice challenges, and need science-based tools, real-world experience, and career guidance to get there. The interdisciplinary degree integrates science, economics, law, and US and international policy; and throughout, includes a focus on engaging stakeholders to ensure that policies promote just and sustainable outcomes.
Classes simultaneously center on scientific understanding as well as on economic and policy solutions, training future leaders to guide efforts to build a sustainable future. Students gain hands-on experience through a 6-month professional internship, faculty-mentored research project, and community-based learning in both the Hudson Valley and in Oaxaca, Mexico.
For those wondering how to fight for the environment—this degree is your answer.
Classroom to Impact in 9 Months
The world needs solutions now to sustainability challenges from climate to biodiversity loss, ocean pollution to air toxics. Bard's Environmental Policy Master's program is unique in its ability to enable students to begin high-impact work after only nine months of study. Students spend an intensive two semesters at Bard, mastering the tools required to drive effective policy change. In June of the second year, they then spread out across the US and internationally, creating impact through a required, 4-6 month high-level Internship followed by an outcome-oriented Capstone Project that typically builds on the internship.
First Year: Academic Training in Environmental Policy
The first-year curriculum is uniquely integrated to connect core scientific principles to socioeconomic impacts, and economic, political, and legislative responses to environmental challenges. Twenty-first century environmental policy moves well beyond controlling industrial emissions of pollutants. The complexity of environmental problems requires re-imagining and redesigning of food, energy, transportation, and waste systems, as well as city, national, and international economies - always with a focus on a just transition to a sustainable future.
First-year scientific and environmental policy courses cover several key topics:
- Foundations and general concepts
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Water
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Carbon and Energy
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Food, Livelihoods, and Biodiversity
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Sustainable Communities (Industrial Ecology, Urban Systems, Waste)
All students also participate in a January term course in Oaxaca, Mexico on local and regional sustainability solutions in a developing economy context.
Second Year: High-Impact Career Training
Beginning in June of the second year, students explore their individual career interests through a required 4-6 month, full-time professional internship. Internship sites range from Australia to China, South Africa to Geneva, NYC to DC, and across the US. Students then build on their internships in sustainability by researching and writing a Capstone Project. Some students qualify for a non-residence Capstone project, creating the opportunity for a fully-remote second year.
The two-year curriculum ensures that graduates develop both broad and deep knowledge of climate science and environmental policy issues; a strong suite of analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills; an understanding of how to ensure justice in policy decisions; professional experience in their chosen field; and finally, specialized expertise on the particular topic of their research project. In short, Bard's environmental masters degree is designed to deliver true mastery over the student's area of focus, providing a strong foundation for success wherever their future environmental policy careers will take them.
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Distinctive Features of Bard's Environmental Policy Degree:
Integrated, Interdisciplinary Curriculum
1:1 Faculty Engagement
High-level, Extended Professional Internships
Global and Local Engagement + Peace Corps Option
Students engage hands-on with local, regional and global sustainability challenges while in residence at Bard in New York's scenic Hudson Valley. During their first year, students work with local community groups to address regional PFAS/PFOS water contamination.
In January of their first year, all students also participate in a ten-day immersion in Oaxaca, Mexico, focused on sustainable development. Read this letter home from Professor Segarra, and watch this video for more information.
In the second year, some students pursue international internships, while others work on local and regional challenges in the US.
Bard CEP also offers students the opportunity to combine their graduate work with joining the Peace Corps.
Individualized Research Opportunities
Career Focus
"The theoretical and practical training from Bard CEP was key to my entry into international development. My consulting assignments for international financial institutions vary from climate change planning to environmental impact mitigation to urban development in Latin America and East Africa — all have required a holistic approach and a firm grounding in understanding economic, political, technical and community angles to develop sustainable solutions with government and donor clients."
— Amy Faust '07, Consultant, Environmental Planning, UK Department for International Development/World Bank, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
