Contribute to a sustainable future and confront pressing ecological challenges with an environmental science career launched in DC, international hub of environmental research, advocacy, and policy.

Integrating rigorous science with practitioner tactics, American University's MS program bridges the politics, methods, and economics of environmental concerns, so you can transform research into tangible results.

Specialize Your Studies

The program offers students the option to pursue either scientific/research or policy/advocacy tracks, both open to interdisciplinary specialization:

• Thesis option for those interested primarily in scientific research careers: Students work with a faculty mentor to define a research project during their first year of study.
• Non-thesis option for those pursuing careers in environmental policy or advocacy: Faculty assist students in securing an internship and complementary elective coursework by the end of their first year.

Ongoing areas of faculty and student specialization include the following non-exhaustive list, continually expanding, and beyond which students may pursue their own niche subfields:

• Atmospheric aerosol from volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and man-made pollution 
• Contaminants and geochemistry of freshwater systems and agricultural watersheds
• Food systems, food waste, seafood globalization, and related system- and data-modeling
• Nutrient pollution and climate change affects on coral reefs
• Urban tree cooling and heating, boreal forests, carbon monitoring, and related software
• Watershed urbanization and green infrastructure

While completing their studies, our students often publish as first and second authors on a wide range of topics, from urban forest macroinvertebrates to effects of oil and gas on regional water quality, or intern with local and international organizations, including the US Congress, EPA, and NSF, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Center for International Environmental Law.

Curriculum - https://www.american.edu/cas/environmental/masters/

https://www.american.edu/cas/environmental/masters/