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Global studies

Global Sustainability Track

Master in Environmental Management

Degree Type

Master in Environmental Management

Department

Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability

The Global Sustainability Track will prepare you for a meaningful career serving nonprofits, businesses and government entities that seek place-based sustainable solutions.

Program Overview

study abroad peru

Help cultivate a more socially and environmentally sustainable future.

Western’s MEM students have completed 80,000+ hours of projects on five different continents to create a more just and sustainable future. Just some examples of student projects include: natural resource conflict management; environmentally sustainable urban and rural development; scalable, place-based climate mitigation and adaptation strategies; international conservation biology; and promoting the use of local knowledge in the co-creation of environmental solutions.

Citizens of the world

A group of students installs solar panels in Peru. Global Sustainability students explore societies beyond our borders, help find solutions to global problems and become inspired to make a difference in the world.

Program Requirements

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

The Master in Environmental Management (MEM) is a professional terminal degree, specifically focused on the content understanding and methods necessary to manage environmental organizations, public lands agencies, and communities towards sustainable solutions. The program emphasizes entrepreneurial and systems-thinking approaches to environmental issues associated with increasing climate disturbances, natural resource demands, and socio-economic insecurity. The MEM offers a “hybrid” learning environment for full-residency students rooted in the learning laboratories of the Gunnison Country, combined with a low-residency option for select environmental professionals from all over the world.

Program Goals

  • Improving student understanding of environmental systems and services, of the human impact on those systems, and of the array of sustainable and resilient solutions to those impacts.
  • Developing students’ capacities for interdisciplinary critical thinking, entrepreneurial innovation, and collaborative environmental problem-solving with diverse stakeholders.
  • Enhancing career opportunities in environmentally related disciplines.

Student Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Understand the complex interactions among human, climate, and ecological systems.
  • Access and evaluate information about environmental issues.
  • Critically assess the fundamental elements of environmental problems.
  • Develop and apply diverse management and adaptation strategies to solve environmental problems.
  • Effectively communicate the complexity of environmental problems as well as appropriate solutions to diverse audiences.
  • Collaborate with and build partnerships among diverse stakeholders in order to complete major environmental projects.

Program Prerequisites

(For admissions requirements for “3+2” programs, please refer to the guidelines outlined in the undergraduate academic catalog under ENVS, POLS, SOC, ROE, and BIOL)

  • BA degree, BS degree, or Provisional Admittance to the graduate program is required.
  • Minimum Prerequisites must be completed by end of first MEM Fall term:
    • college-level statistics course.
    • two college-level natural or environmental science courses (BIOL, GEOL, ENVS, PHYS, CHEM, SCI), at least one course with lab or field component.
    • two college-level social science courses.
  • Integrative and Public Land Management Recommended Prerequisites
    • one upper-level Ecology course
    • one GIS course
  • Sustainable and Resilient Communities Recommended Prerequisites
    • one course in Economics (Micro or Macro preferred)
    • Financial Accounting
  • Faculty Mentor may recommend further coursework or certifications for students to complete before Master’s Portfolio is due in Spring II, depending upon student career ambitions and professional career standards.
  • Admissions Criteria: a holistic package balancing academic excellence with environmental leadership experience encouraged. Admissions packages will include: academic transcripts showing a recommended 3.0 undergraduate GPA or above in relevant courses; a portfolio outlining environmental employment, leadership and volunteer experience; a statement of purpose describing the student’s intellectual and professional interests in environmental management; and three letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors in related fields.
  • Provisional Admission to the Master in Environmental Management Program: An applicant who does not meet the requirements for full admission to the Master in Environmental Management Program may be provisionally admitted or may be required to submit additional materials in order to be considered for provisional admission upon the recommendation of the program director and approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies. A provisionally admitted student will have a maximum of one calendar year to complete any pre-requisite academic coursework. The program director or Dean of Graduate Studies may set additional timeline requirements.
  • International Students: see Graduate Academic Catalog section, Criteria for International Admission.

Program Requirements

A minimum of 46 credits is required for the MEM degree.

All MEM students must complete the 20-credit Core.

Course List
Code Title Credits
Core Courses
ENVS 601Introduction to Environmental Management5
ENVS 605Science for Environmental Management 23
ENVS 608ENVIRONMENTL POLITICS & POLICY3
ENVS 611Integrative Skills for Environmental Management3
ENVS 612Introduction to Analysis and Assessment for Environmental Management 23
ENVS 615From Climate Science to Action3
Total Credits20
2

Students may take BIOL 606 Ecological Research Methods in lieu of ENVS 605 Science for Environmental Management and/or BIOL 613 Advanced Ecological Analysis in lieu of ENVS 612 Introduction to Analysis and Assessment for Environmental Management.

Integrative and Public Land Management Emphasis (beyond required Core courses)

Course List
Code Title Credits
ENVS 618PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT3
Select nine credits of the following (choose any combination within these areas):9
ENVS 623
Studies in Environmental Management
ENVS 625
Studies in Integrative and Public Land Management
Masters Project Requirement:
ENVS 690MEM Project Development5
ENVS 694Master's Project and Portfolio 19
Total Credits26
1

Students must take 3 cr of ENVS 694 Master's Project and Portfolio Fall II and 6 cr of ENVS 694 Master's Project and Portfolio Spring II

Sustainable & Resilient Communities Emphasis (beyond required Core courses)

Course List
Code Title Credits
ENVS 616Environmental Organization Development and Management3
Select nine credits of the following:9
ENVS 620
Studies in Sustainable and Resilient Communities
ENVS 623
Studies in Environmental Management
Masters Project Requirement:
ENVS 690MEM Project Development5
ENVS 694Master's Project and Portfolio 19
Total Credits26
1

Students must take 3 cr of ENVS 694 Master's Project and Portfolio Fall II and 6 cr of ENVS 694 Master's Project and Portfolio Spring II

Global Sustainability Emphasis (beyond required Core courses)

Course List
Code Title Credits
ENVS 617Global Sustainability3
Select nine credits of the following (choose any combination of global themes within these areas):9
ENVS 620
Studies in Sustainable and Resilient Communities
ENVS 623
Studies in Environmental Management
ENVS 625
Studies in Integrative and Public Land Management
Masters Project Requirement:
ENVS 690MEM Project Development5
ENVS 694Master's Project and Portfolio 19
Total Credits26
1

Students must take 3 cr of ENVS 694 Master's Project and Portfolio Fall II and 6 cr of ENVS 694 Master's Project and Portfolio Spring II

Spotlight

Global Sustainability Track

Rachel Weakland

Alumni

"Rachel Weakland has dedicated her professional efforts towards environmental education and creating global leaders here in Colorado and abroad."

Global Sustainability Track

Jade Swor

Student

"Jade Swor is exploring potential projects at the interface of tribal relations, mycology, and biomimicry."

Global Sustainability Track

Francis Mitalo

Alumni

“As an international student, I felt welcomed into the MEM community. I regularly consulted with my accessible professors and fellow students while implementing my graduate project in the Gunnison community with passion, experience and newly gained knowledge.”

Careers


Top Skills

  • Business Development
  • Communications
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Policy
  • Environmental Science
  • Forestry



Career Pathways

  • Chief Sustainability Officer
  • Climate Change Policy Analyst
  • Energy Auditor
  • Environmental Economist
  • Park Naturalist
  • Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Take the first steps toward your academic and personal growth.

Fostering your intellectual development is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling and enriched life after graduation.

Get Involved

Mountain Resiliency

A world of opportunities and partnerships awaits.

The Global Sustainability track is the home of numerous international institutions for social and environmental change. Western’s Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability co-founded the Mountain Resilience Coalition to facilitate the United Nations Mountain Partnerships in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Region. We are also the lead university partner with international sustainability organizations such as Earthship Biotecture Academy, Solar Energy International, Sustainable Development Strategies Group, Eco2librium, Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows, and the Foundation for the Contemplation of Nature. As a Global Sustainability student, you can provide service to these and other organizations in your second-year MEM Project anywhere in the world.

Our students recently attended the United Nations Mountain Partnership meetings in Europe and reported on their project progress to the in Rome, sharing their vision for turning dreams into actions for the world’s mountain communities.

Please watch these videos about our United Nations Mountain Partnership, student opportunities with Earthship Biotecture and Solar Energy International and our class experiences in India.

Mountain Resiliency

Students help to restore a traditional irrigation ditch, called an acequia, as part of a trip to the Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association.

Peace Corps

Peace Corps

Earn your master’s degree while serving in the Peace Corps.

The MEM has a vibrant community of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers many of whom are Paul D. Coverdell Fellows. We are one of the only programs in the nation where you can receive your master’s degree while doing Peace Corps service. Whether you’re currently in the Peace Corps or interested in joining, we can aid you in getting your graduate degree.

Working for the world

At Western, students can receive their master’s degree while doing Peace Corps service — one of the only such programs in the nation. If you are inspired to make an impact while earning your graduate degree, Western’s Global Sustainability Track may be a great fit for you.

News & Research

Three students stand surrounded by plants in a greenhouse

Western’s Clark School wins grant to help add value to internships

Read More about Western’s Clark School wins grant to help add value to internships
Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Read More about Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission
Western Faculty Preserves Nature and Protects Public Lands

Western Faculty Preserves Nature and Protects Public Lands

Read More about Western Faculty Preserves Nature and Protects Public Lands

Additional Resources

Apply

Application Deadlines MEM program May 1: Applications due (application fee waived) May 20: Deposits due Start date for MEM distance summer course June 1 NOTE: For all 3+2 applications, …

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Program Prerequisites

All three tracks (Global Sustainability, Integrative and Public Land Management and Sustainable and Resilient Communities) requires a B.A. or B.S. degree and the following prerequisites which must be completed no later than …

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Residential and Distance Options

The MEM program at Western Colorado University offers a globally informed, place-based, environmental leadership education to its students.

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Tuition & Financial Aid

Tuition & Financial Aid Credits Tuition/Credit Fees/Credit* Total Tuition & Fees Year 1 Summer 5 $730.03 $50.40 $3902.15 Fall 9 $730.03 $50.40 $7023.87 Spring 9 $730.03 $50.40 $7, …

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Our Curriculum

Your academic journey begins in an online ENVS 601 summer class through dialog with your faculty mentor considering important ideas and readings.

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Global Sustainability Electives

International Conservation Strategies and Solutions – Global mountain regions provide the basis for human livelihood and ecosystem services as they provide 80 percent of the water we use, possess 25 percent of the biodiversity and…

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Community Events

The Headwaters Conference – Every fall, Western Colorado University hosts a gathering of scholars, writers, poets, journalists, public officials, community activists, social and natural scientists and …

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ENVS Network

The ENVS Network documents people, organizations, and projects involved with the School of ENVS. Each year, Master in Environment Management students complete a 600 hour project, connecting people and organizations worldwide.

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Fellowship Opportunities in MEM

Western’s MEM offers a suite of graduate fellowships to reduce tuition, to enhance organizational partnerships, to elevate master’s project quality and to improve career competitiveness for select MEM students.

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Peace Corps Fellowship

All RPCV’s who are interested in developing projects in conjunction with organizations abroad may be considered for the Global Sustainability Peace Corps fellowship.

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MEM Sponsor/Partner Testimonials

Matt Feier – Director of Planning at Crested Butte Mountain Resort – “I had the opportunity to work with a group of Western MEM, developing a sustainability proposal for Crested Butte Mountain Resort…

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Sustainability Professionals

According to the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, a “…sustainability practitioner [is] a professional who works to advance sustainability in organizations and communities. …

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MEM Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop Tutors Writing Workshop tutors offer assistance at any point in the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, polishing a final draft, or preparing a piece to submit for publication …

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MEM Success Stories

Over 85% of Western MEM students are placed in environmental management careers after graduating. Our curriculum is applied and relevant, providing skills such as managing projects, …

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Center for Public Lands

The Center is a hub for cross-boundary land management work and study.

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Center for Cold-Climate Food Security

The School of ENVS seeks funding for the Center for Cold-Climate Food Security to amplify experiential educational opportunities around high-alpine and cold-climate food production, while addressing hunger in the Gunnison Valley.

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International Baccalaureate to MEM 2+2 Pathway

In this innovative pathway, International Baccalaureate students can combine their high school credits with their Western education to earn their bachelor’s degree and Master in Environmental Management in just four years.

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Dean

Micah Russell, M.S.

Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability, Integrative and Public Land Management Director; MEM Director

Program Facilitator

Lindsay Dolezal

Program Facilitator and Grants Administrator

Campus Location

1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81230

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