Environment - Master of the Environment (MENV)

The Master of the Environment (MENV) Graduate Program at the University of Colorado Boulder is an innovative, interdisciplinary professional master’s degree that equips students with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to address the complex environmental challenges of the 21st century. This 21-month, immersive, cohort-based graduate program develops students into leaders in a wide range of careers in conservation, consulting, energy, natural resources, planning, policy, sustainability and more. 

The MENV program focuses on application and problem solving, and the curriculum is comprised of four components:

• One core course
• Required specialization courses in one of five specializations
• Electives
• Four Capstone courses, including the MENV Capstone Project

Throughout the program, students develop and hone their skills and leadership capacities through experiential learning, theory and foundational knowledge building, professional development opportunities, career mentoring and capstone project in lieu of a thesis.

Students become conversant in the language, knowledge, theory, techniques and methodologies of various disciplines while developing general analytical skills, problem-solving abilities and the adaptability that is indispensable to professional and career success.

MENV provides a foundation of multidisciplinary knowledge and communication and analytical skills that enable students to address increasingly complex sustainability challenges in a wide range of professional careers.

In addition, the MENV program values a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, and is deeply committed to diversifying our student body, faculty and staff; improving the equity of our systems; and creating an inclusive culture in the program, on CU Boulder’s campus and in the environmental sector at-large.

For more information, visit the Master of the Environment website.

Requirements

Application Requirements

To be considered for the MENV program, students must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent. We recommend a minimum of one year of professional experience or applicable training prior to applying. The MENV program selects students who we believe will achieve academic and professional success while adding value to the graduate community. The MENV program selects talented and diverse candidates through a holistic review of the application materials. Decisions are based on academic and professional backgrounds, as well as individuals' potential to contribute both inside and outside of the classroom.

Program Requirements

Students must complete at least 48 credit hours of coursework during the 21-month program, to include:

• Core course 
• Required specialization courses in one of five specializations
• Electives
• Four Capstone Courses, including MENV Capstone Project

Courses

Capstone Project

All MENV students complete a twelve-month capstone project. These projects provide students with hands-on experiences embedded within an external sponsoring organization while also providing client organizations with specific solutions to identified environmental, sustainability and business challenges. Deliverables might include management plans, models, analyses, prototypes or proof-of-concept projects.

Program Tracks

Urban Resilience & Sustainability

The Urban Resilience and Sustainability (URS) specialization prepares students for careers as resilience and sustainability leaders, designing, implementing and leading resilience and sustainability policies, programs and plans for communities and companies. 

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Understand and analyze the systems, frameworks and concepts that contribute to and determine sustainability (i.e., environmental, economic and societal) outcomes.
• Identify the opportunities, levers and solutions that different stakeholders can implement to strategically drive positive change.
• Engage critically with different viewpoints and values to develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the tradeoffs implicit in sustainability decision-making.
• Demonstrate the professional skills and knowledge required to drive change and impact in sustainability and related fields through real-world projects and applications.
• Work collaboratively and effectively within teams and with external stakeholders.
• Students will communicate effectively to a variety of audiences through different mediums.