Examine the socioeconomic impacts of climate change and environmental policy via restructuring of social and economic opportunities and policymaking processes
Inequality and climate change are the twin policy and management challenges of our time. The Environmental Justice concentration is unique in focusing on how these two intersect. Using an interdisciplinary curriculum, this concentration encompasses the environmental justice movement and its influence over policies and programs at the federal and local levels; policy and program design aimed to address the disproportionate impacts of global environmental and climate change; technological and institutional innovations; multi-scale approaches to policy and program evaluations; and analytical tools needed to disentangle the complexities of competing policy proposals to address the challenges of environmental and climate justice.
Students in the environmental justice concentration engage in rigorous coursework and pursue career-building opportunities through internships, fellowships, and in-house research projects, putting them in an immediate position to take their careers to the next level. With the expected growth in climate-related jobs, industries, and organizations, there is no better time to be entering this field. Graduates of the environmental justice concentration are prepared to pursue jobs at all levels of government, in research organizations, and more. They will work as policy analysts and program/project managers, as well as brand new job titles in this rapidly evolving field.
Connection to Heller Research Institutes and Centers and Brandeis
Students in this concentration benefit from access to faculty in two research groups at the Heller School. The Institute for Economic and Racial Equity is dedicated to advancing economic opportunity, security and equity for individuals and families, particularly those left out of the economic mainstream. The Center for Youth and Communities works to improve the quality of education, workforce development, and community systems in order to prepare young people for college, work, and life. The concentration is also connected to Brandeis’ Environmental Studies Program through faculty affiliation.
Concentration Chair: Prakash Kashwan
“The Environmental Justice concentration equips students with analytical tools needed for designing, implementing, and evaluating environmental and climate policies and programs from the vantage points of social and economic justice. They learn that the outcomes of the policy process depend quite significantly on who is at the table and who has the authority to make decisions for the allocation of vital resources. They explore how the planet's health is tied intricately to the visions of a just world that eschews extractivism and favors human wellbeing, particularly for the most marginalized.”
Course Requirements
- The full spectrum of MPP core courses
- The following specialized course:
- Additional course(s) selected from the following list in consultation with a faculty advisor:
- HS 201a, Political Ecology and Development
- HS 211f, Agriculture and Rural Development
- HS 224f, Gender and Environment
- HS 228b, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Development
- HS 263f, Applied Geographic Information Systems
- HS 264f, Environment and Development
- HS 297f, Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
- HS 300f, Integrated Conservation and Development
- HS 303f, Disaster Management and Capacity Building
- HS 322b, Sociological Inquiry (Housing Policy)
- HS 413f, Introduction to Demography for Policy Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
- ANTH 121b, Archaeology and Environment
- ANTH 151b, Nature, Culture, Power: Anthropology of the Environment
- EBIO 33b, Citizen Science: Bridging Science, Education and Advocacy
- ENVS 107b, Atmospheric Civics and Diplomacy
- GECS 188b, Human/Nature: European Perspectives on Climate Change