Courses
Graduate studies in Environmental Science and Policy is an interdisciplinary program at George Mason University. Therefore, appropriate courses may be found in a number of academic units within Mason.
We have compiled a list of most commonly used courses to satisfy certain coursework requirements into an Excel file with multiple tabs for the types of courses (Methods, Policy, etc). This page is set up along the lines of the PhD program, but can also be helpful for identifying MS electives. We have done our best to specify semesters of offering, but since this can vary depending on faculty availability, they may vary. We will try to keep them as current as possible.
Graduate Courses Database (updated May 11, 2020). This is a multi-tab spreadsheet that is best viewed on a larger screen.
Since there are courses that are regularly being created by the ESP department and other GMU departments, there may be courses that would count as a methods, natural science, or policy course but have not yet been added to the spreadsheet.
Every student is required develop an individualized Program of Study to meet their specific needs in consultation with their advisor and the ESP Graduate Program Director. For current course offerings, consult the Schedule of Classes. For all course offerings, please consult the GMU University Catalog (choose the catalog year that applies to you).
Internship for Credit
Internships (EVPP 894) may be taken for credit for students admitted to our degree programs. Work must be Environmental Science and Policy related work. Supervisors must have a terminal degree or the student must be supervised by someone with a PhD. Students must complete an Internship Contract and submit it to the ESP Graduate Office to be considered for an internship and give it to the host supervisor for signature. Once the host supervisor has agreed to the internship, the student should give the “Supervision of Internships” handout to the host supervisor. After careful review by the ESP Graduate Program Director, the student will be registered for EVPP 894 by the ESP Graduate Office. When the student has completed the internship and the written material has been graded by the host supervisor, the host supervisor must send the final grade to the ESP Graduate Program Director.
SMSC Graduate and Professional Courses
Graduate and professional courses are also offered by the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, a modern, innovative gold LEED-certified learning venue within the 3,200-acre Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. The School engages undergraduates, graduate students and professionals from around the world in a range of compelling, trans-disciplinary programs in conservation biology. The participants thrive in an atmosphere of creative, critical and analytic thinking on how to search solutions to some of the most intractable conservation problems facing society today. The School’s integrated approach incorporates natural science, social science, economics, policy and management. The SMSC offers access to the world famous Smithsonian’s unique living collection of endangered species and ongoing conservation biology research and field work; forests in neighboring Shenandoah National Park; connection to wider Smithsonian resources; as well as linkages to Mason’s comprehensive academic programs, faculty, students, and facilities.
Admitted ESP graduate students can register for CONS course numbers and pay for the credits like EVPP courses. To register for Professional Training (earning CEUs), formally apply here: http://smconservation.gmu.edu/programs/graduate-and-professional/graduate-courses. All materials must be sent in by the course application deadline. The SMSC will then respond to you with an admissions decision. Scholarship information is here: https://smconservation.gmu.edu/financial-aid. If you need more information, please contact SMSC directly: https://smconservation.gmu.edu/contact-us.