Note: All MPA concentrations are currently going through a curricular transition. New and updated concentrations will available for students applying for residential MPA cohort starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. This webpage will be updated in the near future.

MPA students concentrating in Environmental Policy master an understanding of economic, social, political, technical and legal issues shaping the future of our natural environment. They also learn engineering, economic and legal perspectives for analyzing, and formulating policy at the national, sub-national and international levels. Study topics can include the impact of climate change on our environment and economies, and the interdependencies of food, water, and energy as society attempts to meet demands while reducing risks from floods, droughts, and the pollution of water, air, and soil.

Representative Coursework

• Environmental Finance and Impact Investing
• Corporate Responsibility
• Comparative Environmental Policy
• Community and Environmental Dispute Resolution
• Environmental Governance
• Economics and Environmental Policy
• Policy Issues in Disaster Prevention and Recovery
• Environmental Justice and Policy

Representative Employers (Full Time & Internships)

• US and various state Environmental regulatory agencies
• Baltimore County Commission on Environmental Quality and other county and local environmental agencies
• Agencies responsible for energy policy at the state, national, and international levels
• Calvert Investments
• Center for Transformative Action
• Clean Ocean Action
• Global Environmental Facility
• International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
• Rails to Trails Conservancy
• Agencies of the United Nations

Representative Occupational Titles

• Program Analyst
• Public Policy Associate
• Research Assistant