The Department of Political Science houses a program designed to give graduate students an opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary specialization in environmental policy.

The program is designed to give master’s and doctoral level graduate students an opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary specialization in environmental policy. While administered through the Political Science Department, the program is coordinated by a committee of representatives from the following participating departments and programs –

• Agricultural Economics
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Economics
• Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries
• Geography
• Management
• Political Science
• Sociology

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Students may request admission to the minor following admission to a graduate program in one of the participating departments.
• Students in good standing in one of these programs may apply for admission to the minor in environmental policy.
• The coordinating committee will consider the admission of interested students. Applicants should have a background in both natural and social sciences evidenced by prior course work or experience.

Credit Hours Required

18 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• One graduate course (3 credit hours) in environmental studies from the student’s major discipline and chosen in consultation with the major professor and/or coordinating committee
• One graduate course (3 credit hours) in quantitative methods and chosen in consultation with the major professor and/or coordinating committee
  • The above two requirements may be fulfilled before or after admission to the minor.
• All students admitted to the minor will be required to register for
  • POLS 549  (3 credit hour)
  • Complete the following (3 credit hours)
    • A choice of EEB 421  or EEB 484  or another Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) course with the consent of the program coordinating committee or
    • GEOG 433  or approved equivalent as determined by the program coordinating committee.
• 6 credit hours of graduate course work outside the major discipline approved by the coordinating committee

Non-Course Requirements

• Doctoral students seeking a minor in environmental policy must also complete, in addition to above, a policy-relevant dissertation approved by the coordinating committee.