MEM Course Requirements

Description of the Master in Environmental Management Program

A minimum of 46 credits is required for the MEM degree.  The 20-credit Core, plus one 3 credit elective in the first year, earns a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management. Students who earn the MEM do not also earn a Graduate Certificate after the first year.

All MEM students must complete the 20-credit Core

Core Courses

    ENVS 601 Introduction to Environmental Management                                          5 cr

    ENVS 605: Science of Environmental Management                                                3 cr

    ENVS 608: Environmental Politics and Policy                                                         3 cr

    ENVS 611: Integrative Skills for Environmental Management                                   3 cr

    ENVS 612: Quantitative Skills for Environmental Management                                 3 cr

    ENVS 615: Science of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation                                        3 cr

Sustainable and Resilient Communities track (beyond required Core courses)

   ENVS 616 Environmental Organization Development and Management                     3 cr

Nine credits of:

    ENVS 620 Studies in Sustainable and Resilient Communities (topics vary, repeatable) 3 cr

Master's Project Requirement:

    ENVS 690 Master’s Project Development                                                            5 cr

    ENVS 694 Master’s Project and Portfolio                                                             9 cr

Students must take 3 cr of ENVS 694 Fall II and 6 cr of ENVS 694 Spring II

Integrative Land Management track (beyond required Core courses)

    ENVS 618 Public Lands Management                                                                 3 cr

Nine credits:

    ENVS 625 Studies in Integrative Land Management (topics vary, repeatable)          3 cr

Master Project Requirement:

    ENVS 690 Master’s Project Development                                                           5 cr

    ENVS 694 Master’s Project and Portfolio                                                            9 cr

Students must take 3 credits of ENVS 694 Fall II and 6 credits of ENVS 694 Spring II

MEM Course Descriptions

ENVS 601      Introduction to Environmental Management                           5 credits

An introduction to the MEM program, to bioregional and resilient approaches to environmental management, and to the environmental stakeholders, problems, solutions, and learning laboratories of the Gunnison Valley.  Requires two-week residency in Gunnison during culmination of course.  Prerequisites: Admission to the MEM Program

ENVS 605      Science of Environmental Management                                    3 credits

Provides a rigorous and hands-on overview of the principles and methods of environmental science.  Students gain practical experience with a range of laboratory, field, and analytical approaches, with a focus on current environmental research in the Gunnison Basin.  Topics include water quality, riparian condition, rangeland monitoring, forest health, threatened and endangered species, air quality, conservation, and ecological restoration.  Students develop skills in scientific literature searches, writing monitoring protocols, ensuring quality data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, written and oral communication, and peer review.  Prerequisites: ENVS 601

ENVS 608      Environmental Politics and Policy                                              3 credits

Analysis of the key interactions between environmental policy and management, focusing on environmental decision-making within an array of policy contexts.  Emphasis is on important federal policies such as the Clean Water Act and NEPA, with additional attention to relevant state and local policies.  Prerequisites: ENVS 601

ENVS 611      Integrative Skills in Environmental Management                       3 credits

Course focuses on developing and managing environmental projects and organizations.  Students develop a thorough understanding of integrative assessment, adaptive management, and triple bottom line strategies.  Students apply these approaches to the development of professional skills such as organizational development, conflict management, and environmental communication.  Prerequisites: ENVS 601

ENVS 612      Quantitative Skills for Environmental Management                     3 credits

An overview of a range of quantitative analytical methods and statistical approaches essential to environmental management careers in both Integrative Land Management and Sustainable and Resilient Communities.  Topics covered include descriptive and inferential statistics, geographic information systems, cost-benefit analysis, and graphic presentation of results.  Course empowers students to organize, analyze, and graphically present environmental data.   Prerequisites: ENVS 601 and an undergraduate-level course in statistics. 

ENVS 615      Science of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation                           3 credits

An investigation of the science of climate change, with an emphasis on mitigation and adaptation strategies for careers in  environmental management. Students will develop an understanding of the principles of atmospheric and earth sciences that form the scientific basis of climate change and survey the large body of evidence of anthropogenic warming.  Topics include greenhouse gas emissions, climate forcings and feedbacks, observed and projected climate changes, effects on ecological and human systems, and the opportunities and challenges of a diverse suite of strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation at the local, regional, and planetary scale.  Prerequisites: ENVS 605; two undergraduate courses in natural or environmental sciences, one of which must be upper-level with lab/field component

ENVS 616      Environmental Organization Development and Management    3 credits

An introduction to developing and managing environmental organizations, including managing change within and beyond organizations to maximize the effectiveness of environmental solutions.  Course discusses competitively advantageous strategies and practices organizations adopt to write successful grants, grow revenues, cut costs, and redesign projects and processes.  Management examples will include sustainable innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in private, government, and nonprofit sectors from around the world.  Students learn leadership skills that foster a culture of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship within an organization, utilizing principles from a variety of thinking methods including systems, design, and group thinking.  Prerequisites: ENVS 605; ENVS 608; ENVS 611; ENVS 612

ENVS 618      Public Lands Management                                                        3 credits

An exploration of the current and traditional approaches to public land and resource management.   A regional focus on the Western U.S. is integrated with comparative examples from other regions and countries to enhance and broaden student perspectives.  Course examines the history and future management implications of public lands agencies and policies, such as the National Parks, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, NEPA and multi-use mandates.  Special focus will be given to the management skills necessary in leading public lands agencies on the regional level.  Prerequisites: ENVS 605; ENVS 608; ENVS 611; ENVS 612

ENVS 620      Studies in Sustainable and Resilient Communities                    3 credits

An examination of selected topics covering the content understanding, analytical skills, and management approaches vital to cultivating sustainable and resilient communities.  Topics include subjects such as Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Sustainable Food Systems, Sustainable Energy Futures, Sustainable Economic Development, Movements in Community Resilience, and Frameworks in Sustainability.  This course is repeatable, since students are required to take this course three times, as long as the topic changes.  Prerequisites: ENVS 616

ENVS 625      Studies in Integrative Land Management                                3 credits

An examination of selected topics covering the content understanding, analytical skills, and management approaches vital to integrative land management.  Topics include subjects such as Watershed Coalition Development; Forest Ecology and Management; Rangeland Ecology and Management; Wildlife Ecology and Management; The History and Future of Energy on Public Lands; Public/Private Conservation Partnerships; Managing the Urban/Wildland Interface; and Conservation Advocacy.  This course is repeatable, since students are required to take this course three times, but cannot repeat the same topic.  Prerequisites: ENVS 618

ENVS 690: Master’s Project Development (Summer II, 5 credits)

An introduction to the Master’s Project.  Course examines environmental project design strategies, successful environmental solutions, and organizations/community stakeholder groups seeking environmental management assistance from MEM students in the Master’s Project.  Students design, plan, and coordinate second year Master’s Project with faculty mentors and community stakeholders.  Requires two-weeks residency in Gunnison during culmination of course.  Prerequisites: MEM Core