Combined BA in Environmental Studies/MA-ESP

The Environmental and Sustainability Policy (ESP) program offers a combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts program that allows qualified GW undergraduate students in the Department of Geography's BA in Environmental Studies program to complete 9 master's credits as part of the undergraduate program, thereby completing both degrees on an accelerated schedule. 

Students in the combined degree track complete 9 ESP graduate-level credits and apply them to both their BA and MA in ESP degrees. After completing the bachelor's degree, students will be able to earn their master's degree by completing only one additional full academic year (summer, fall and spring semesters) of study.


Application Requirements

To be eligible to apply, students must have completed 75 undergraduate credits. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 or above in environmental studies courses or a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or above. Applicants are not required to take the GRE.

You may submit an application any time after grades are posted for the semester in which you reach the threshold 75 undergraduate credits. We review applications on a continuing basis with a preferred deadline of April 1 for summer and fall admissions, and October 1 for spring admissions. However, strong applicants will be considered at any time. Whenever you submit your application, we will return a decision within one month, and often much more quickly.

Note that to complete the degree within one calendar year of completion of the BA degree, you will have to take six credits during summer sessions. 

To apply, submit the required materials to Mindy Galvan, the Trachtenberg School's Associate Director, Admissions and Recruitment, by April 1 (for summer and fall admission) or October 1 (for spring admission):

  • A completed copy of the Combined Degree Application form, including the signature of your Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS). This form can be downloaded from the Columbian College Combined Degree Website.
  • Statement of purpose (500 words) describing your intellectual interests and academic and professional goals.
  • Full transcripts of all undergraduate coursework (unofficial transcript of courses completed at GWU accepted).
  • Recommendation letter written by a professor who instructs one of the courses required for the Environmental Studies major or the Director of the Environmental Studies program who can provide an informed assessment of the applicant’s work. The recommender should send this letter directly to the Director of Admissions and Recruitment
  • Interview with the ESP Program Director.

We realize that some students may reach senior year out of sync with the standard 4-year program. We will work with you to develop a program of study that meets your circumstances.


Requirements for BA in Environmental Studies/MA-ESP

This combined degree program includes the general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs (36 credits, including 24 credits in required courses and 12 credits in elective courses). 

*Students who have done significant undergraduate coursework relevant to environmental sciences may be able to waive ENRP 6101 and ENRP 6102.  If you believe this situation applies to you, contact ENRP's director, Rachel Emas, to discuss further.
**Students who have done significant undergraduate coursework in applied statistics may be able to take PPPA 6013, Econometrics for Policy Research I (spring), instead of PPPA 6002. If you believe this situation applies to you, contact ENRP's Director, Rachel Emas, to discuss further.
***Students who have done significant undergraduate coursework in economics may be able to take PPPA 6015, Benefit-Cost Analysis (fall or spring), instead of ECON 6217. If you believe this situation applies to you, contact ENRP's Director, Rachel Emas, to discuss further.

In addition to the requirements for the BA in Environmental Studies, students must complete the MA requirements:

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.

36 credits, including 24 credits in required courses and 12 credits in elective courses.

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 36 credits, including 24 credits in required courses and 12 credits in elective courses.

Required
Foundation
PPPA 6140Introduction to Environmental Law
PPPA 6066U.S. Environmental Policy
or IAFF 6151 Environmental Policy
One course in physical or life sciences selected from the following:
PPPA 6101Environmental Sciences I: Physical Sciences
or PPPA 6102 Environmental Sciences II: Life Sciences
or PUBH 6011 Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public Health
One course in ethics and culture selected from following or similar course selected in consultation with advisor:
PHIL 6281Environmental Philosophy and Policy
or PMGT 6428 Cultural Aspects of Global Engagement
Economics and tools courses
PPPA 6002Research Methods and Applied Statistics *
ECON 6237Economics of the Environment and Natural Resources
And one additional economics and tools course selected from the following:
PPPA 6006Policy Analysis
PPPA 6007Microeconomics for Public Policy I **
PPPA 6013Regression Methods for Policy Research
PPPA 6014Microeconomics for Public Policy II
PPPA 6015Benefit-Cost Analysis
PPPA 6016Public and Nonprofit Program Evaluation
PPPA 6020Decision Modeling for Public Policy
PPPA 6021Data Visualization
PPPA 8022Econometrics for Policy Research
PPPA 8023Mixed Methods in Research Design
Capstone
PPPA 6198Environmental Resource Policy Capstone
or PPPA 6008 MPA/MPP Capstone
Electives
12 credits of approved courses from various University departments selected in consultation with the advisor.

*Students with a strong statistics background can request to be exempt from taking PPPA 6002 and take an additional 3-credit economics and tools course from the list above.

**Students with limited economics background must take PPPA 6007. PPPA 6007 must be taken before ECON 6237 and students may substitute ECON 6217 for PPPA 6007.