Program Information
Environmental and Energy Policy
We prepare students to conduct research that helps frame and support our society's environmental and energy policy goals, strategies, decisions, and programs. Students use the tools and approaches of multiple disciplines for integrated, interdisciplinary assessment in sociology, geography, anthropology, political science, economics, history, sustainability science, and ecology.
The master's program prepares students for private and public sector positions that require understanding policy in the context of citizen dynamics and wider societal issues.
The PhD program prepares students for research careers in government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and corporate settings, and to specialize in specific policy areas and environmental issues.
From the Director
Chelsea Schelly
PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013
Contact
906-487-1759
cschelly@mtu.edu
The Department of Social Sciences at Michigan Technological University houses two distinct graduate programs: here, you can pursue an MS or a PhD in Environmental and Energy Policy or an MS or a PhD in Industrial Heritage and Archaeology. These programs both provide unique opportunities to learn about the problems and possibilities for sustainable resource use and management.
Students in the Environmental and Energy Policy program explore the complex ways that social, technical, and policy issues intersect to shape current socio-environmental contexts, and they conduct research about and research that informs policy decisions. Students in the Industrial Heritage and Archaeology program work with and do research embedded within communities impacted by industrial activities and associated socio-environmental consequences, as students examine the social, technical, economic, and policy factors at work in the industrialization and de-industrialization of communities and conduct research that inform decisions related to heritage management in these communities.
Each of our graduate programs is oriented toward collaborative and interdisciplinary research experiences. As an MS student, you will complete an independent thesis research project in collaboration with a faculty advisor, which strengthen your ability to work with a variety of stakeholders in your professional field. The PhD programs prepare you to conduct critical research that informs policy and management decisions. The Department is unique in its ability to provide opportunities to work with faculty across a wide range of disciplines on a variety of projects that are grounded in community well being, social justice, and improved management of natural and cultural resources.
The Department aims to provide funding support to graduate students in both the MS and PhD programs through teaching and research assistantships. Also, if you are interested in integrating your MS work with applied, community based work, the OSM-VISTA program provides one way to enhance your experience while obtaining a degree.
I welcome your questions about the opportunities available here at Tech, and thank you for your interest in our programs!
The Department of Social Sciences at Michigan Technological University houses two distinct graduate programs: here, you can pursue an MS or a PhD in Environmental and Energy Policy or an MS or a PhD in Industrial Heritage and Archaeology. These programs both provide unique opportunities to learn about the problems and possibilities for sustainable resource use and management.
Program Staff
Amy Spahn
Graduate Program Assistant
Contact
aspahn@mtu.edu
906-487-2113
Academic Office Building 209
Industrial Heritage and Archaeology
We prepare students to work on heritage issues in industrial communities and post-industrial sites. Our unique program, based in Michigan's Copper Country, draws from an interdisciplinary suite of concepts and tools in history, archaeology, and anthropology. Our students work with communities to interpret, document, educate citizens, and answer significant historical questions that pertain to industrialization and its consequences.
The master's program prepares students for cultural resource management positions in government for the private sector.
The PhD program prepares students for research careers in heritage management in public and private sectors.
More Than Bones in a Drawer: Michigan Tech's Archaeology Lab
Michigan Tech's Industrial Heritage and Archaeology program boasts a newly renovated lab that has space for students and faculty to conduct research on a number of projects, including excavations at state parks and forests.
Funding Opportunities
Graduate teaching assistantships, which include stipends and tuition waivers, fund up to two years of graduate training for the master's degrees and up to three years for PhDs. Research assistantships are also available through individual faculty research programs. Announcements are posted here when assistantships are available.
Office of Surface Mining VISTA Master's Programs
OSM/VISTA Master of Science degree programs blend practical field research and experience with community service in historic mining communities. We help students transform these pivotal experiences into professional careers. Offered through Michigan Tech's partnership with the program operated by the United States Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) and the AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) program, the program includes volunteer preparation, one year of service, and a return to campus, where students can earn a master's degree in industrial archaeology or environmental and energy policy.