Environmental Planning and Policy, B.A.

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The Department of Environmental Science and Policy offers a B.A. degree in environmental planning and policy. Capability in these two disciplines is built upon the department’s basic environmental science core courses. The degree is designed to prepare students for graduate school and careers in federal, state, and local government; the private sector; nonprofit organizations; and citizen advocacy groups. Many graduates have immediately entered professions in regulatory compliance, land-use or community planning, urban renewal, environmental consulting, education, and as environmental technicians.

The faculty seek to educate individuals who make a difference by contributing to solving environmental problems, making public and private institutions more responsive to social and economic needs of communities, and by moving toward a more sustainable society. The curriculum emphasizes application as well as theory by focusing on problems and projects affecting the region. The opportunity to gain practical planning and policy experience is also provided to students through participation in field-based courses and an internship.

The environmental planning aspect of the degree is intended to introduce students to foundations of community and natural resource planning. Through a series of core courses, students examine spatial and non-spatial aspects of environmental problems. The environmental policy aspect trains students on policy development, formulation, and implementation, through an in-depth examination of policy science, assessment, environmental impact analysis, and environmental economics.

The Department of Environmental Science and Policy offers an accelerated graduate degree pathway for students in the B.A. program. Students can combine their senior year with the first year of graduate work on a Master’s in Policy, Planning, and Management (M.P.P.M.) in USM’s Muskie School of Public Service.

Program Requirements

Minimum number of credits required for the major is 67, plus the University’s Core Curriculum. Some departmental major requirements may overlap with the Core Curriculum, allowing students to double-count and be efficient in course selection. A student must achieve at least a 2.0 grade point average and must earn a C- or higher in each course applied toward completion of the major.

Minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University’s Core Curriculum) required for the Environmental Planning and Policy major: 67.
Minimum grade requirement for major courses listed below: C-.

Required courses for all majors in the department: (34 credit hours)

ESP 101 - Environmental Science and Sustainability Credits: 3
ESP 102 - Fundamentals of Environmental Science Laboratory Credits: 1
ESP 125 - Introduction to Environmental Ecology Credits: 3
ESP 126 - Introduction to Environmental Ecology Laboratory Credits: 1
ESP 150 - Environmental Science Field Immersion Session Credits: 3
ESP 203 - Environmental Communication Credits: 3
ESP 280 - Research and Analytical Methods Credits: 4
ESP 340 - Environmental Regulations Credits: 3
ESP 475 - Topics in Environmental Science Credits: 3
ESP 480 - Environmental Science and Policy Capstone Credits: 4
ESP 400 - Internship Credits: 3 (between junior and senior year)
A statistics course:
LOS 120 - Statistics for Informed Decision Making Credits: 3
or
PSY 201 - Statistics in Psychology Credits: 3
or
MAT 120 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 4

Required courses specific to students in the B.A. in environmental planning and policy: (33 credit hours)

CHY 1XX Chemistry Lecture Credits: 3
Planning
ESP 200 - Environmental Planning Credits: 3 (other planning courses may be substituted with permission of faculty advisor)
ESP 417 - Site Planning and Assessment Credits: 3
Policy
ESP 220 - Introduction to Environmental Policy Credits: 3
ESP 421 - Natural Resource Policy Credits: 3
Integration
ESP 308 - Global Sustainability Credits: 3
Economics
ESP 326 - Environmental Economics Credits: 3
or
ESP 327 - Natural Resource Economics Credits: 3
Assessment
ESP 375 - Environmental Risk Assessment and Management Credits: 3
or
ESP 401 - Environmental Impact Assessment and Lab Credits: 3

Electives: (9 credit hours)

Three environmental planning and policy classes 200-level or higher

Major Courses that Satisfy Core Requirements

Students are encouraged to explore Core courses that also count towards their major or minor. Courses listed below are part of this major and also satisfy University Core Curriculum requirements. Course lists that satisfy each requirement can be found on the Core Curriculum webpage.

Writing, Reading, and Inquiry 3:
Quantitative Reasoning: LOS 120 or MAT 120
Creative Expression:
Cultural Interpretation:
Science Exploration: ESP 101 /102 , ESP 125 /126
Socio-cultural Analysis:
Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship: ESP 200 , ESP 308
Culture, Power, and Equity:
International: ESP 308
Engaged Learning: ESP 150 , ESP 250 , ESP 341 , ESP 389 , ESP 400 , ESP 412 , ESP 413 , ESP 445
Capstone:
ESP 401
, or approved STEM- or Education-based capstone course

USM Core Requirements

Students must complete all Core and degree requirements as part of the Graduation Requirements. For more information, see Academic Policies.

The USM Core Curriculum provides a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal arts education that fulfills general education requirements. It is designed to help students become globally aware, purposeful, and lifelong learners.

Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.