Policy Core

Introduction

The Policy Secondary Core is designed for students interested in careers focused on research or practice related to decision making. The core is problem oriented, contextual and multi-method. The program emphasizes the contextual nature of decision making, and the importance of understanding the details of particular policy issues (including aspects of science and values). The contextual nature of the program allows students to select a substantive issue area to focus on, such as energy, water, science and technology policy, etc. To this end the program is multi-method meaning that the nature of the problem dictates what methodologies might be appropriate tools for analysis, rather than applying a standard methodology to all problems. The secondary core classes in the Policy core focus on the foundations of environmental politics, policy and management as well as the theoretical frameworks that can guide our understanding of how policy decisions are made at local, state, federal, and international levels.

1. Common Core Requirements (8 credit hours)

  • ENVS 5000 (3): Science Policy and Values
  • ENVS 5003 (3): Theory and Methods in Environment
  • ENVS 5510 (2): ENVS Colloquium – two semesters

Note: students will have the opportunity to participate in the organization of the colloquium after their first year for one (1) unit of academic credit. Students are required to participate in Colloquium for two out of their three first semesters.

2. Theory and Methods (Policy Course Sequence required) 6 credit hours
These courses are offered once per year, so students should plan accordingly.

  • ENVS 5701: Politics, Policy and Management: Foundations
  • ENVS 5702: Politics, Policy and Management: Theory and Practice

Please note these two classes also fulfill portions of the Masters of the Environment curriculum.

For graduate students interested in environmental policy electives, please note this course:

  • Natural Resource Governance (Andersson) PSCI 7108 (new official number pending)

3. Required Interdisciplinary Elective Categories (6 credit hours)

Science (3 credit hours): choose one graduate level science course drawn from any science or engineering unit on campus

AND

Values (3 credit hours): choose one:

  • ENVS/PHIL 5240: Environmental Philosophy
  • PSCI 7024: Environmental Political Theory

4. 2 Internship Credits or 6 Thesis Credits (for MS students)

5.  ELECTIVES: 7-14 credit hours for MS; 10 credit hours for PhD

See Cluster Options.  PhD Students are allowed to use 4 credit hours of MS thesis credit hours toward the 30 credit hours total.

Total Course Credit Hours for MS:  28 course credit hours +2 Colloquium credits + 6 thesis credits = 36 total OR 32 course credit hours + 2 Colloquium credits + 2 Internship credits

Total Course Credit Hours for PhD:  30 course credit hours +2 Colloquium credits + 30 dissertation credits = 62 total

Course transfer credit from courses taken at other universities or for online courses taken at the University of Colorado cannot be counted toward the fulfillment of Common Core Requirements, Secondary Core Requirements, or Required Interdisciplinary Electives.

The University of Colorado offers a wide range of graduate education opportunities related to environmental policy. Some of these opportunities involve degrees in policy, others involve certificates or programs that allow for some exposure to policy training along the way to traditional disciplinary degrees. Students in virtually any graduate degree program at the University of Colorado can obtain some exposure to environmental policy. A student’s choice of degree or certificate alterative will depend a great deal on career path and educational goals.

Some alternatives to the ENVS Graduate Program, along a spectrum from a broad exposure to an intensive and specific research focus:

Energy-related resources:

  • Energy Initiative of the University of Colorado “addresses the challenges of developing and implementing renewable and sustainable energy.”
  • Building Systems Program at the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Achitectural Engineering focuses on energy efficiency in the buildings and industrial sectors as well as on practical applications of renewable energies.
  • Facilities Management group at CU-Boulder is a leader in implementing energy and resource efficiency on the CU-Boulder campus. This group manages CU’s cogeneration system and also heads up the campus resource conservation effort.
  • CU Environmental Center runs several energy programs, and was the driving force behind CU’s investment in wind power.
  • EESI The Energy and Environmental Security Initiative is an interdisciplinary research and policy center at the University of Colorado Law School. It is designed to facilitate progress toward a global sustainable energy future through the innovative use of laws, policies, quality information, and technology solutions.

 

Maxwell Boykoff Environmental governance, science and policy interactions, political economy and the environment.

Deserai Crowe Environmental policy and the role that mass media and other factors play in policy decisions.

Lisa DillingUse of information in decision making related to climate and the carbon cycle.

Bruce Goldstein Long-term, Large-scale Social-ecological Planning, Collaborative Negotiation and Governance.

Jonathan Hughes The consequences of adoption of environmental policies in energy markets, climate change policy, gasoline, electricity and renewable energy markets.

Roger Pielke Jr. The relation of scientific information and public and private sector decision making, technology policy in the atmospheric and related sciences.