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.
Admission Process
The admission process will parallel that for degree-seeking students at the graduate level.
All applicants to the Environmental Policy Graduate Certificate Program must complete and submit the on-line application through our Graduate School at: https://gradapply.purdue.edu/apply/
Applicants will be required to pay a $60 application fee at the time of application.
In addition, applicants must provide a current Purdue transcript OR indicate “YES” on the application where it says “I consent and authorize Purdue University faculty and/or staff to access my Purdue University academic record for university business.”
The graduate certificate will be selected in the Program Details section of the application.
- Your Selected Campus: West Lafayette (Main Campus)
- Your Selected Graduate Major: Political Science
- Select a Degree Objective (Based on your Program selection): Environmental Policy Graduate Certificate
Students from outside of Political Science must also provide a completed G.S. Form 18, Dual Graduate Program Request, signed by the applicant and the Head of the applicant’s home department.
All application materials must be received by: August 1 (for Fall admission) and December 1 (for Spring admission). Students may apply at any time prior to, during, or after completion of the course requirements, but no later than August 1 to qualify for a December certificate or December 1 to qualify for a May certificate.
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:
AGEC 60800 – Benefit-Cost Analysis
STAT 50200 – Experimental Statistics II
STAT 51200 – Applied Regression Analysis
STAT 51300 – Statistical Quality Control
POL 60500 – Research Design Methods {Spring 2018, 2019, 2020}
POL 60600 – Advanced Quantitative Methodology {Fall 2018, 2019, 2020}
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
FNR 572/573 – Community Involvement in Natural Resource Management and Community Involvement Practicum