1. Academic Programs
  2. Master’s Programs
  3. Master of Environmental Management — MEM
  4. MEM Specializations
  5. People, Equity, and the Environment Specialization

People, Equity, and the Environment Specialization

The purpose of this specialization is to give today's professional environmental managers a range of theoretical, conceptual, and methodological skills necessary for understanding how to critique, improve and implement models of environmental management that address historically engrained challenges.

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    For the reasons above, this specialization expands beyond ahistorical and technical training by focusing students on historical processes, power dynamics and changing societal values. We believe that any solution to global environmental problems must consider issues of social equity and human well-being, in addition to environmental sustainability.

    Note that a capstone course used to fulfill the MEM capstone requirement cannot also be used toward fulfilling an MEM Specialization requirement; a capstone course taken once cannot be used to fulfill multiple requirements. Learn more about YSE capstone courses by visiting the MEM Capstone page.

    Program Courses

    Core

    Two core courses required. Choose one course from Group A and one course from Group B.
    Those students who matriculated to the program prior to Fall 2021 may follow the requirement for their entering class of 2 required core courses: ENV 826 & ENV 759.

    Group A

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 759
    Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science         		Dove
    M 1:00-3:50    		   Dove  
    ENV 839
    Power in Conservation         		Carpenter
    W 1:00-3:50    		     Carpenter

    Group B

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 631
    Poverty, Environment and Inequality         		Taylor
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		          
    ENV 642
    Environmental Justice/Climate Justice         		Torres
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		   Torres  

    Elective

    Students must take 3 courses from the "Social Sciences and Humanities" and at least 1 course from the "Ecological Sciences"

    Social Science Perspectives

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 561
    Energy Justice Seminar         		  Torres
    M 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 618
    Anthropology of Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries         		  Carpenter
    W 1:00-3:50    		 Carpenter  
    ENV 621
    The Ministry for the Future: Exploring The Science and Politics of Climate Solutions through Fiction         		        Sanford  
    ENV 633
    Critical Race Theory         		Torres
    Tu,Th 2:30-3:50    		   Torres  
    ENV 640
    Ethical Consumption: Promoting Workers’ Rights, Fair Prices, and Sustainability         		  Robinson
    M,W 2:30-3:50    		        
    ENV 645
    Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability         		Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Seto  
    ENV 648
    Organizing: People, Power, and Change         		  Robinson
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 698
    Carbon Containment         		O’Rourke
    F 1:30-3:20    		          
    ENV 742
    Fundamentals of Working with People         		  DeCew
    Tu,Th 8:30-9:50    		   DeCew
    ENV 764
    Sociology of Sacred Values: Modernity, Ecology, and Policy         		        Farrell  
    ENV 772
    Indigenous Self-Government in the U.S. Constitutional Order         		Torres
    Th 4:10-6:00    		          
    ENV 799
    Sustainable Development Goals and Implementation         		  Geballe
    Tu,Th 11:35-12:50    		        
    ENV 818
    Sovereignty and the Environment         		  Graef
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 821
    Environmental Policymaking: From Local to Global         		Sanford
    M,W 2:30-3:50    		   Sanford  
    ENV 828
    Risk Assessment & Management: Climate Change         		  Wargo
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		 Wargo  
    ENV 836
    Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development         		Faculty
    W 1:30-5:20    		   Faculty  
    ENV 839
    Power in Conservation         		Carpenter
    W 1:00-3:50    		     Carpenter
    ENV 850
    International Organizations and Conferences         		Boyd
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Boyd  
    ENV 857
    Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries         		Kurukulasuriya
    Th 4:00-6:50    		     Kurukulasuriya
    ENV 860
    Developing Environmental Policies and Winning Campaigns         		Alt
    M 1:00-3:50    		   Faculty
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 878
    Climate and Society: Past to Present         		Dove
    Th 1:30-3:20    		   Dove  
    ENV 960
    Urban Climate Solutions Capstone: New Haven Clinic         		  Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Seto
    ENV 962
    Tribal Resources and Sovereignty-Clinic         		Gonzalez-Rogers
    W 9:00-11:50    		 Gonzalez-Rogers
    W 9:00-11:50    		 Faculty  
    ENV 975
    Western Lands and Communities Field Clinic: Research to Practice         		  Farrell
    Th 4:00-6:50    		   Farrell

    Humanities: History, Religion and Ethics

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 615
    Green Stages: Environmental Themes in the Theatre         		  Chertow
    Th 3:30-5:30    		        
    ENV 628
    How to Ruin the World: Global Environmental History Since 1500         		  Amrith
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 636
    Carbon Dioxide Removal         		        O’Rourke  
    ENV 637
    A Toolkit for Communicating Environmental Science         		  Mooney
    M 9:00-11:50    		        
    ENV 638
    Lab and Landscape of the Green Revolution         		  Acciavatti
    M 11:00-12:50    		        
    ENV 690
    Rethinking Nature and Culture from Latin America         		  Faculty
    Th 3:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 749
    Research in Environmental History         		  Sabin
    Tu 9:25-11:15    		        
    ENV 775
    Federal Indian Law         		  Torres
    M,W 1:35-3:00    		   Torres
    Tentative
    ENV 959
    Clinic in Climate Justice, Climate Policy, the Law, and Public Health         		Faculty
    Th 1:00-2:50    		 Faculty
    Tu 3:00-4:50    		 Faculty  
    ENV 970
    Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar)         		Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00    		 Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00    		 Kysar
    Tentative    		 Kysar
    Tentative

    Ecological and Conservation Science

    Course Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025
    ENV 602
    Ecosystems and Landscapes         		Bradford
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		   Faculty  
    ENV 629
    North American Drylands: Ecology and Land Use         		  Lauenroth
    Tu,Th 9:00-10:20    		        
    ENV 630
    The Physical Science of Climate Change         		  Raymond
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Raymond
    ENV 659
    The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology (Friday field trips)         		  Ashton
    M,W 8:30-10:20    		   Ashton
    ENV 660
    Forest Dynamics         		Duguid
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Duguid  
    ENV 677
    Ecological Restoration         		  Duguid
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 696
    YFF:Tribal Forestry: Understanding Current Issues & Challenges in Contemporary & Traditional Management of Forested Landscapes         		  Dunning
    Th 12:00-1:50    		        
    ENV 725
    Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate         		          Saiers
    ENV 745
    Global Human-Wildlife Interactions         		Harris
    M,W 2:30-3:45    		   Harris  
    ENV 752
    Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Forests         		        Harris  
    ENV 963
    Case Studies in Water Management: Conflict and Cooperation         		  Anisfeld
    Th 2:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 966
    Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings         		Smiley Smith
    Th 1:00-3:50    		   Smiley Smith  
    Illustration: leaves on oak branch each leaf a different skin tone

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