Gain the skills and knowledge to manage Earth's natural resources, understand the policy frameworks that govern our relationship with the environment, and pursue research in areas that interest you.
At Michigan Tech, you'll learn from faculty who prepare graduate students for successful careers in industry. Our program brings together expertise across energy systems, forest resources, food sovereignty, and other environmental issues with a particular focus on the social, legal, and political contexts that influence resource governance and access. You'll be equipped to advance your career across diverse organizations, including non-governmental agencies (NGOs); businesses managing environmental impacts; consulting firms; and local, state, or federal agencies.
Career Pathways
Industry and Private Firms
Companies, governments, and non-profit organizations recognize the need for professionals with combined technical and sociopolitical expertise. Those with skills in environmental and energy policy analysis and citizen participation fill an important niche.
Private sector employment opportunities are typical in policy-related positions of manufacturing corporations and large engineering firms. Companies require technical professionals who are also trained to participate in regulatory proceedings, policy-related conferences, and public meetings. National business leaders have reported a need for managers possessing technical proficiency blended with an understanding of policy development, decision-making, and the interests of community groups and members. Because of their experience and expertise, our graduates have been hired at environmental consulting and industrial firms.
Federal, State, and Local Government
The public sector recognizes the need for environmental managers with broad interdisciplinary training in both policy processes and social or natural sciences. Federal regulatory agencies and international environmental organizations often engage with community-based groups and must address citizens' needs outside of the mandated, formal hearing process. Our graduates are employed by agencies like the US Environmental Protection Agency, the USDA Forest Service, and the United Nations Environment Programme.
In addition, state agencies are an important site for making, implementing, and enforcing environmental and energy policies. State environmental offices are in a unique position to mediate the sociopolitical demands of many stakeholders in disputes as they are often situated between the demands of national and international environmental policies and the needs of local communities and businesses. State agencies, such as the Michigan Department of the Environment and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, are also active in local communities. Our graduates are employed in state agencies as well as in local organizations such as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
Non-profit Organizations
Non-profit organizations and consulting firms need technically trained policy and environmental specialists. This sector is an important source of employment for graduates of environmental policy programs. As public relations, advocacy, and education organizations, non-profits often mediate between large questions of public policy and the environmental and energy concerns of everyday citizens. Our graduates work for non-profit organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and Trustees for Alaska.
Advanced Degrees
Our MS program provides excellent preparation for an advanced degree. Many of our MS graduates have gone on to PhD programs—including our own—as well as law school programs, sometimes after working with a public or private organization. We support students as they develop indispensable research skills and find and transition into top-quality degree programs.
MS Program
Students enter the Master of Science in Environmental and Energy Policy program with bachelor's degrees in an array of disciplines, including the various social sciences and disciplines like biology, environmental science, and engineering. The intent of the master's program is to provide students skills and knowledge necessary in solving present and future environmental and energy challenges.
In coursework, students develop an understanding of:
- The existing policy framework that governs social relationships to the environment, including policies that influence energy choices and the use of natural resources
- How and why an existing policy, legal, and regulatory framework has come to be structured in its current form
- Methods for analyzing policy choices and for facilitating decision-making processes involving a range of participants, including the general public
- The sociopolitical facets of environmental and energy policy issues
In addition, students complete a research project, allowing them to investigate a specific topic in detail.
Funding and Research
Students in the MS program may receive up to four semesters of funding via tuition assistantships that cover tuition costs. Students may also be eligible for stipends or teaching assistantships. All complete and on-time applications are considered for funding at admissions time.
Funding is competitive and not guaranteed. A master's degree is a significant investment in your future, and how you finance your education is a critical factor to consider. Most master's students in our programs fund their education with a variety of sources, including department support as teaching or research assistants, work study, student loans, fellowships, and grants. Our MS students also often have opportunities to work with faculty on their funded research projects.
Students are actively involved in a wide array of research projects on topics such as energy transitions, household resource consumption, water resources governance, and food justice. Program faculty members have expertise across issues of energy systems, forest resources, and food sovereignty, among other environmental issues. They offer particular insight into the social, legal, and political contexts influencing resource governance and access.
Progressing Through the Program
Prerequisites
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental policy and the rigorous curriculum, students accepted into the MS program must have strong undergraduate credentials and a high level of proficiency in written and oral communication skills. We also expect applicants to have taken at least one undergraduate-level course in all of the following areas before entering the program: environmental sciences, statistics, and microeconomics. If an applicant has not completed these courses when they apply for admissions, they should specify their plan for completing the courses before they start the program, if accepted.
Degree Requirements
Typically, the program involves two years in residence. During the first year, students take the required core coursework in environmental policy analysis and the social context of environmental issues. Most of the second year is devoted to concentration courses and to the project or thesis.
The Master of Science in Environmental and Energy Policy requires 30 credits. At least 20 of the 30 credits must be taken in courses at or above the 5000 level.
The M.S. Program applications for Fall 2026 are open and will close on January 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Earn a Master's in One Year
Are you a highly motivated student? Jump-start your advanced education with an Accelerated MS Program in Environmental and Energy Policy. This full-time, one-year master's program trains students with the skills to conduct and interpret social research.
Gain a competitive edge for a career in industry or pursue doctoral studies in social science; the Accelerated Master's puts you on the fast track.
Earn your master's with only one additional year of study beyond your bachelor's!
Undergraduates at Michigan Tech are eligible to apply for an accelerated MS program.
Accelerated MS Course Requirements
Required Core Courses
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SS 5300 or SS 5101 | Environmental and Energy Policy or Energy and Climate Policy |
3 |
| SS 5350 | Policy Analysis | 3 |
| SS 5950 | Professional Development | 3 |
| SS 5301 | Policy Process | 3 |
| SS 5318 | Public Management | 3 |
| SS 4313 / SS 5313 | Sustainability Science^ | 3 |
Total Credits: 18
Methods
Choose 1:
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SS 5003 | Survey Methods | 3 |
| SS 5004 | Statistics for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| SS 5049 | GIS for Graduate Researchers | 3 |
| SS 4050 / SS 5050 | Advanced GIS Methods & Projects^* | 3 |
| MA 4700 | Probability & Statistical Inference I^* | 3 |
| MA 4710 | Regression Analysis^* | 3 |
| EC 4200 | Econometrics^* | 3 |
Total Credits: 3
Economics
Choose 1:
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EC 4620 / 5620 | Energy Economics^* | 3 |
| EC 4640 / 5640 | Natural Resource Economics^* | 3 |
| EC 4630 / 5630 | Mineral Industry Economics^* | 3 |
| EC 4650 / 5650 | Market Failure & the Environment^* | 3 |
| EC 4500 | Public Sector Economics^* | 3 |
| EC 4710 | Labor/Human Resource Economics^* | 3 |
| FW 4080 | Forest Economics & Finance^ | 3 |
| EC 5000 | Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
Total Credits: 3
Electives
Choose 2, 3 credit courses, with advisor approval
- 4000/5000 level courses may double-count^*
Total Credits: 6
^Indicates suggested Double-Count course (limit 6 credits)
*Check pre-requisites / permissions
Frequently Asked Questions
PhD Program
The PhD program in Environmental and Energy Policy provides opportunities for conducting interdisciplinary research in support of sustainable and equitable development. Students' research contributes to environmental goals such as facilitating the transition to sustainable energy systems, effectively managing the world's scarce water and other natural resources, and protecting the ecosystem services upon which we all depend. The opportunities for research exist at many scales, from projects involving local watersheds and urban recycling programs, to global supply chains and international treaties.
Funding and Research
Students in the PhD program can receive up to three years of funding via assistantships that cover the costs of tuition and provide a stipend. Students are actively involved in a wide array of research projects on topics such as energy transitions, household resource consumption, water resources governance, and food justice. Work with program faculty who are experts in energy systems, forest resources, food sovereignty, and other environmental issues. Explore the social, legal, and political contexts that influence resource governance and access.
"The interdisciplinary training I received during my doctoral education has been immensely helpful to me for exploring and adapting to new areas of research easily. I found the EEP program very versatile; it helped me look at the big global picture of environmental and energy issues of our time by exploring the interconnected local problems."
Career Pathways
The doctoral degree program prepares students to conduct research in support of environmental energy and environmental policy making, implementation, and enforcement. Potential areas of employment include universities, government agencies, industry and consulting firms, and non-profit organizations.
Universities
The academic path is a good fit for graduates who seek to join an interdisciplinary department or research center focused on environmental or energy policy. A potential step along this path is a postdoctoral research position focused in an area of expertise.
Government
The public sector recognizes the need for researchers and environmental managers with broad interdisciplinary training in policy processes and the social or natural sciences. For example, federal regulatory agencies and international environmental organizations often require professionals capable of conducting and assessing research in areas relevant to environmental and energy policy. State agencies, such as those responsible for managing environmental quality and the use of natural resources, are also potential employers.
Industry and Consulting Firms
Private-sector employment opportunities are typically in policy-related positions of consulting firms and industry trade groups. Industrial firms often require professionals capable of conducting and evaluating research and participating in regulatory hearings, policy-related conferences, and public meetings. Consulting firms, which work with large companies on a project basis, also need professionals with the same skillset.
Non-profit Organizations
Non-profit organizations often employ specialists in environmental and energy policy. In their role as lobbyists, watchdog organizations, think tanks, and public education organizations, non-profits often mediate between large questions of public policy and the environmental concerns of everyday citizens.
Progressing Through the Program
To be considered for the PhD program in Environmental and Energy Policy, a prospective student must:
- Hold an MS degree in a field related to social sciences, public policy, or the environment
- Have completed at least one microeconomics course, one statistics course, and one course in environmental science
- Have a commitment from a faculty advisor who has agreed to mentor the applicant
Once admitted to the PhD program, a student is expected to meet the following requirements:
- Complete 30 credits of coursework. Plan your curriculum with the help of an advisor.
- Identify a research advisory committee chair (an advisor) by the end of the second semester in residence. Together with the committee chair, students construct an advisory committee including at least one faculty member from outside the department.
- Pass a written and oral qualifying examination. Following the completion of all coursework, students complete their qualifying examination to demonstrate competency in three selected subfields within environmental and energy policy and within the subject area of their dissertation. Qualifying exams are usually scheduled early in the third year of study in the PhD; however, the examination can be held sooner for an advanced student.
- Pass an oral and written research proposal examination before proceeding to dissertation research. Students are expected to prepare a written research proposal, present it in a public forum, and defend it in a meeting with their advisory committee.
- Conduct significant research supporting some aspect of a societal or organizational choice related to an environmental or energy policy/program and write and defend a dissertation as a final product.