Environmental Policy Graduate Certificate

The Environmental Policy Graduate Certificate seeks to impart some knowledge of the context, content, and methods required for meaningful policy analysis in the area of environmental policy.

Professionals and researchers working on environmental challenges often must work closely with policymakers or the policy process. Because of this, various public and private employers often seek scientists and researchers with some familiarity with the policy-making process.

To meet this need, the Department of Political Science offers a graduate certificate in Environmental Policy to current Purdue graudate students who wish to add an interdisciplinary credential in environmental policy to their degree. Students in the certificate program gain a basic understanding of the environmental policy process as part of their graduate study.

This certificate is offered at the graduate level only, not the post-baccalaureate level.

Admission Criteria

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0 with the possibility of conditional admission for applicants who do not meet this requirement.

Minimum TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, or 77 or higher on the Internet-based test (iBT) for applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants who take the TOEFL IBT must achieve the following minimum test scores, in addition to the overall score of at least 77: reading, 19; listening, 14; speaking, 18; and writing, 18. Applicants taking the IELTS must score at least 6.5 on the Academic Module. Applicants taking the PTE must score at least 58.

Courses

Students will take four required courses in three areas for a total number of 12 required credits. The dates in parentheses indicate when these courses will be offered in the next few years. Course offerings are subject to change. Specific course requirements are as follows:

ONE Required Course on the Policy Process:

POL 620 – ProSeminar in Public Policy, or approved substitute.

 ONE Required Course in Policy Analysis Tools:

STAT 50200 – Experimental Statistics II
STAT 51200 – Applied Regression Analysis
STAT 51300 – Statistical Quality Control
POL 60500 – Research Design Methods
POL 60600 – Advanced Quantitative Methodology
POL 69300 – Dynamics of Social, Ecological, and Technological Systems
SOC 58100 – Methods of Social Research II
SOC 68000 – Advanced Social Research Methods

TWO Substantive courses: Any of the following courses or approved substitutes:

POL 523 – Advanced Environmental Policy and Politics
POL 623 – Research Seminar in Environmental Policy
AGEC 525 – Environmental Policy Analysis