Environment and Energy Policy

Message from
Carolyn Kissane
Academic Director of the MS in Global Affairs

Dear Prospective Student,

 

As the Concentration head for Energy and Environmental Policy and as Academic Director of the MSGA, I am thrilled to share with you the amazing array of opportunites offered through the CGA and the study of energy and the environment.  Energy drives our economy and the world, and at the same time, we have an obligation to make sure our environment is protected and sustained. Students who study Energy and Environment in the MSGA program analyze the implications of the changing global energy and environmental landscape, as well as the new and emerging opportunities and challenges energy and climate change present for national and global sustainability and security. The E&E faculty work and practice across the energy and environmental landscape and they bring an applied learning approach to the classroom; our faculty challenge students to do rigorous research, analysis and writing, and prepare them to thrive in the competitive marketplace.


I teach the Geopolitics of Energy, Energy, Environment and Resource Security and most years lead one of our Global Field Intensives.  Our Global Field Intensives, Real World Courses Internships and Consulting Practicum courses offer students an exciting and critical array of unique opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills required to thrive in the energy and environmental ecosystem of careers.  Our faculty focus on educating the next generation of energy and environmental leaders and to do so we are committed to engaging students in complex problems and solutions and help them develop the skills to make and implement impactful policy and practices.

 

Best,

Carolyn Kissane

Description

The Environment/Energy Policy concentration analyzes the implications of the changing global energy and environmental landscape, as well as the new and emerging opportunities and challenges energy and climate change present for national and global sustainability and security. As the world's demand for energy continues to grow, the quest is to find sustainable sources and solutions is critical.  The modern energy sector is experiencing rapid change with new oil and gas developments reshaping traditional energy geopolitics; a strong and growing renewable energy sector impacting local, national, and international energy policies and future forecasts; and innovative technological advances that are transforming all areas of the energy supply chain. The concentration is structured to prepare students to help solve complex problems, and offers students the opportunity to understand the roles of public and private sectors and how to formulate and implement impactful policy changes.  This concentration equips students to compete and thrive in this challenging and exciting sector, taking advantage of the opportunities occurring across the energy and environmental landscape. Courses reflect the increasing importance of energy and the environment in the formulation of national and foreign policy among countries the world over, as well as the impact of climate change on our environment. Students in the Environment and Energy Policy concentration are required to take the first course listed below. 

 

Goals

Educating the next generation of leaders in energy and environment and preparing them with the knowledge and skills to thrive in their careers.  Students are prepared to understand energy and environmental security through multiple international, national and local perspectives. Students learn to analyze and anticipate new patterns and structural shifts in environmental and energy policy and geopolitics.

Outcomes

Alumni graduating with a Concentration in Energy and Environment find careers in areas that include energy and environmental security, energy analytics, electricity markets, sustainable finance, environmental justice and sustainability, political risk are just some of the professional trajectories available to students in the concentration.

Requirements

Concentration: Environment and Energy Policy

The Environment/Energy Policy concentration analyzes the implications of the changing global energy and environmental landscape, as well as the new and emerging opportunities and challenges energy and climate changes present for national and global sustainability and security. The modern energy sector is experiencing rapid change with new oil and gas developments reshaping traditional energy geopolitics; a strong and growing renewable energy sector impacting local, national, and international energy policies and future forecasts; and innovative technological advances that are transforming all areas of the energy supply chain. This concentration prepares students to compete and thrive in this challenging and exciting sector, taking advantage of the opportunities occurring across the energy and environmental landscape. Courses reflect the increasing importance of energy in the formulation of national and foreign policy among countries the world over, as well as the impact of climate change on our environment. Students in the Environment and Energy Policy concentration are required to take the first course listed below. Students must then select five concentration elective courses (3 credits each) that are offered on a regular basis.