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 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 759
    Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science         		Dove
    M 1:00-3:50    		   Dove  
    ENV 839
    Power in Conservation         		  Carpenter
    M 2:30-5:20    		        

    Group B

    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 631
    Poverty, Environment and Inequality         		        Taylor  
    ENV 642
    Environmental Justice/Climate Justice         		Torres
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		          
    ENV 682
    Environmental Justice/Water Justice         		        Torres  

    Elective

    Students must take at least 1 course from each of the three bins below (Social Science, Humanities, Ecological). The 4th elective course must be from either the “Social Science Perspectives” bin or the “Humanities: History, Religion, and Ethics” bin. 

    Social Science Perspectives

    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 618
    Anthropology of Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries         		Carpenter
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		          
    ENV 621
    The Ministry for the Future: Exploring The Science and Politics of Climate Solutions through Fiction         		Sanford
    W 1:00-3:50    		          
    ENV 622
    Carcerality and the Environment         		  Taylor
    M,W 4:00-5:15    		        
    ENV 633
    Critical Race Theory         		Torres
    Tu,Th 2:30-3:50    		   Torres  
    ENV 639
    Food Systems and Climate Services         		Hernandez-Aguilera
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Hernandez-Aguilera  
    ENV 645
    Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability         		Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Seto  
    ENV 648
    Organizing: People, Power, and Change         		          Robinson
    ENV 701
    Seminar on Climate Change Economics         		  Mendelsohn
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 740
    Understanding Environmental Philanthropy: Funding, Financing, and Grant Writing         		Taylor
    Tu,Th 1:00-2:20    		   Taylor
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 742
    Fundamentals of Working with People         		  DeCew
    Tu,Th 8:30-9:50    		   DeCew
    ENV 764
    The American West: Culture, Policy, and Public Lands         		Farrell
    Th 9:00-11:50    		   Farrell  
    ENV 772
    Indigenous Self-Government in the U.S. Constitutional Order (Follows Law Calendar)         		Torres
    Th 4:10-6:00    		          
    ENV 774
    "Framing" Climate Migration: Science, Policy, Ethics & Politics of a Growing Crisis         		  Gelobter
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 790
    Managing the Clean Energy Transition: Contemporary Energy and Climate Change Policy Making         		Simons
    F 9:25-11:15    		          
    ENV 794
    Climate Ethics: Principles and Model Applications         		  Rao
    Tu 1:00-2:20    		        
    ENV 799
    Sustainable Development Goals and Implementation         		  Geballe
    Tu,Th 11:35-12:50    		        
    ENV 819
    Measuring and Visualizing Urban Environments         		  Salazar Miranda
    Th 2:30-5:20    		   Salazar Miranda
    ENV 821
    Environmental Policymaking: From Local to Global         		Sanford
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		   Sanford  
    ENV 828
    Risk Assessment & Management: Climate Change         		  Wargo
    M,W 1:00-2:20    		   Wargo
    ENV 829
    Pathways to a Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Future (First Class meets August 27)         		Esty
    Tu 4:00-6:50    		          
    ENV 836
    Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development         		Faculty
    Tentative    		   Faculty
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 850
    International Organizations and Conferences         		Boyd
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Boyd  
    ENV 857
    Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries         		        Kurukulasuriya
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 860
    Developing Environmental Policies and Winning Campaigns         		Alt
    M 2:30-5:20    		   Faculty
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 878
    Climate and Society: Past to Present         		Dove
    Th 1:30-3:20    		   Dove  
    ENV 892
    Introduction to Planning         		Smotrich
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		   Faculty
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 960
    Urban Climate Solutions Capstone: Freetown, Sierra Leone Clinic         		  Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		        
    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 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 620
    History of Environmental Thought and Activism         		  Taylor
    Tu,Th 1:00-2:20    		        
    ENV 636
    Carbon Dioxide Removal         		O’Rourke
    M 2:30-5:20    		          
    ENV 775
    Federal Indian Law         		  Torres
    M,W 1:35-3:00    		   Torres
    ENV 852
    Food Systems & US Environmental Law         		  Lehner
    W 4:10-6:00    		        
    ENV 959
    Clinic in Climate Justice, and Public Health         		Faculty
    Th 1:00-2:50    		   Faculty
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 961
    Environmental Law and Politics: Research and Advanced Topics Seminar         		               
    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 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 582
    Natural Climate Solutions in Agricultural Landscapes: Topics in Enhanced Rock Weathering         		  Almaraz
    M 12:00-12:50 Webinar: 1:00-1:50 Discussion    		        
    ENV 626
    Writing for Publication in the Natural Sciences         		  Queenborough
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Queenborough
    ENV 629
    North American Drylands: Ecology and Land Use         		          Lauenroth
    ENV 630
    The Physical Science of Climate Change         		  Raymond
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Raymond
    ENV 644
    Coastal Environments in a Changing World         		Decker
    Tu 12:00-4:00    		   Decker
    Tentative    		  
    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
    ENV 686
    Synthesizing Science for Policy and Practice         		Bradford
    M 9:00-10:20    		          
    ENV 696
    YFF:Tribal Forestry:         		  Dunning
    Th 12:00-1:50    		   Dunning
    ENV 697
    Science for Policy and Practice: A Seminar         		  Bradford
    Tu 1:00-2:20    		        
    ENV 705
    Global Climate Change: Simple, Serious, and Solvable         		Denning
    M,W 1:00-2:15    		          
    ENV 714
    Ocean Conservation and Sustainability: Policy and Strategies         		Muñoz
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		          
    ENV 725
    Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate         		  Saiers
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Saiers
    ENV 745
    Global Human-Wildlife Interactions         		Harris
    M,W 2:30-3:45    		          
    ENV 752
    Ecology and Conservation of Tropical Forests         		Harris
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		   Comita  
    ENV 768
    Data-Driven Urban Forestry         		  Murphy-Dunning
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 791
    Climate Adaptation         		  Mach
    M 2:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 963
    Case Studies in Water Management: Conflict and Cooperation         		               
    ENV 966
    Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings         		Smiley Smith
    Th 9:00-11:50    		          
    Illustration: leaves on oak branch each leaf a different skin tone

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