Master's Programs
Students interested in continuing their education in Earth, environmental sciences, and engineering, or integrating their scientific interests with a career in public policy, management, education, conservation or journalism, will find a graduate program to suit their needs at Columbia University.
Our unique affiliation with top-level science and research institutes, together with an immense interdisciplinary effort within Columbia University departments and schools, provides an array of programs expressly designed for M.S. and M.A. students.
(M.A.)
Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B) and the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC):
The M.A. in Conservation Biology focuses on biological sciences with the addition of a basic foundation in environmental policy and economics. This interdisciplinary approach provides students with a range of options for advancing their environmental careers.
(M.A./M.S.)
Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science and the Columbia School of Journalism:
A two-year dual-degree program in which students learn to blend scientific knowledge with journalistic skills and to deal with some of the central issues of the 21st century.
(M.S.)
Dept. of Earth and Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science:
A flexible program (full- or part-time) for engineers and scientists pursuing careers in environmental management or development. The focus is on the environmentally sound provision of primary materials (minerals, fuels, water), the recycling or proper disposal of used materials, and assessment and remediation of past damage to the environment.
(M.A.)
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences:
The new twelve-month M.A. Program in Climate and Society trains professionals and academics to understand and cope with the impacts of climate variability and climate change on society and the environment. This rigorous program emphasizes the problems of developing societies.
Master's students at the School of Public Health focus on understanding and predicting the health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to chemicals and radiation. Students acquire a general background in public health and specialize in an area of interest.
An intensive 12-month program integrating environmental science with policy analysis and management principles, offered by Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. An initial summer of science studies taught at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is followed by fall and spring terms where policy and management studies are closely integrated with environmental science in hands-on applied consulting workshops.
The concentration in Environmental Policy Studies is designed for students interested in national and international environmental policy, law, economics, journalism and business. Students draw upon the resources of various schools at the University to shape the program to fit their interests and career goals.
(M.I.A./M.P.A.)
School of International and Public Affairs:
Students interested in international energy resource management and related public policy issues examine economic, environmental, and social policies applicable to energy development and consumption; political and strategic issues arising from the unequal distribution of global energy resources; and the impact of technological change on the future role of energy in the global economy.
Five Masters of Public Health students from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University will spend six months applying their classroom training on the ground in the Millennium Villages of Tanzania, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Malawi.