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This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Master of Science in Environment and Resources

Up one level:

Emmett Interdisiplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER)

Students may not apply directly for the M.S. in Environment and Resources degree. The M.S. is an option exclusively for students currently enrolled in the joint degree programs with the M.B.A. in the Graduate School of Business or the J.D. with the Stanford Law School; concurrently pursuing the M.D. in the School of Medicine; in special cases for students pursuing a Ph.D. in another Stanford department; or for E-IPER Ph.D. students who do not continue in the Ph.D. degree program.

JOINT MASTER'S DEGREE

Students enrolled in a professional degree program in Stanford's Graduate School of Business or the Stanford Law School are eligible to apply for admission to the joint M.S. in Environment and Resources degree program (JDP). Enrollment in the JDP allows students to pursue an M.S. degree concurrently with their professional degree and to count a defined number of units toward both degrees, resulting in the award of joint M.B.A. and M.S. in Environment and Resources degrees or joint J.D. and M.S. in Environment and Resources degrees.

The joint M.B.A./M.S. degree program requires a total of 129 quarter units to be completed over approximately eight academic quarters (compared to 105 units for the M.B.A. and 45 units for the M.S. if pursued as separate degrees).

The joint J.D./M.S. degree program requires a minimum of 111 quarter units, although it is possible that students may need to take additional units to satisfy the degree requirements for both the J.D. and M.S. The joint J.D/M.S. may be completed in three years.

The student's program of study is subject to the approval of the student's faculty adviser and E-IPER staff. The joint degrees are conferred when the requirements for both the E-IPER M.S. and the professional degree programs have been met. For application information, see http://e-iper.stanford.edu/admissions/joint-ms-application. For additional information, see http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms-requirements.

In addition to requirements for the professional degree, requirements for the JDP include:

  1. Completion of required introductory core courses:
    • For joint M.B.A/M.S. students: ENVRES 538, Environmental Science for Managers and Policy Makers (same as OIT 538; ENVRES 539/OIT 539 also fulfills this requirement) and ENVRES 540, Environmental Science for Managers II (same as OIT 540).
    • For all other JDP students: ENVRES 310, Environmental Forum Seminar.
  2. Completion and presentation of a capstone project that integrates the student's professional and M.S. degrees, as part of the required course ENVRES 290, Capstone Project Seminar in Environment and Resources.
  3. Completion of a minimum of four letter-graded courses, while maintaining a 'B' average, from one joint M.S. course track:
    • Energy
    • Climate and Atmosphere
    • Cleantech
    • Land Use and Agriculture
    • Oceans and Estuaries
    • Freshwater
    • Global, Community, and Environmental Health
    • Sustainable Built Environment.

    Approved courses in each track are below. See also http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms/joint-ms-course-tracks.

  4. Completion of at least four additional 3-5 unit graded elective courses at the 100-level or higher, which may be taken from one or more course tracks or elsewhere in the University, while maintaining a 'B' average.
  5. Among the courses fulfilling requirements 3 and 4 above, completion of at least four courses at the 200-level or above, excluding individual study courses. Individual study courses, directed reading. and independent research units may count for a maximum of 4 units for joint M.S. students (such as ENVRES 398 or ENVRES 399).

Restrictions on course work that may fulfill the Joint M.S. degree include:

  1. A maximum of 5 units from courses that are identified as primarily consisting of guest lectures, such as the Energy Seminar or the Environmental Law Workshop, may be counted toward the joint M.S. degree. Additional courses in this category are listed at http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academic/joint-ms/joint-ms-curriculum.
  2. A maximum of 12 units from approved courses related to the environmental and resource fields from the student's professional school may be applied toward the M.S. A list of approved courses from the GSB, School of Law, and School of Medicine can be found at http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms-curriculum.

DUAL MASTER'S DEGREE

Students in the School of Medicine, or in special cases, students pursuing a Ph.D. in another Stanford department may apply to pursue the M.S. in Environment and Resources degree. For the dual degree, students must meet the University's minimum requirements for the M.D. and complete an additional 45 units for the M.S. in Environment and Resources. Completion of the M.S. is anticipated to require at least three quarters in addition to the quarters required for the M.D. For additional information, see http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms/joint-ms-requirements.

The student's program of study is subject to the approval of the student's faculty adviser and E-IPER staff. The two degrees are conferred when the requirements for both the E-IPER M.S. and the professional degree programs have been met. For application information, see http://e-iper.stanford.edu/admissions/joint-ms-application.

In addition to requirements for the M.D., requirements for the dual M.S. include:

  1. Completion of a required introductory core course: ENVRES 310, Environmental Forum Seminar.
  2. Completion and presentation of a capstone project that integrates the student's professional and M.S. degrees, as part of the required course ENVRES 290, Capstone Project Seminar in Environment and Resources.
  3. Completion of a minimum of four graded courses, while maintaining a 'B' average, from one Joint M.S. Course Track:
    • Energy
    • Climate and Atmosphere
    • Cleantech
    • Land Use and Agriculture
    • Oceans and Estuaries
    • Freshwater
    • Global, Community, and Environmental Health
    • Sustainable Built Environment.

    Approved courses in each track are below. See also http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms-curriculum.

  4. Completion of at least four additional 3-5 unit letter-graded elective courses at the 100-level or higher, which may be taken from one or more course tracks or elsewhere in the University, while maintaining a 'B' average.
  5. Among the courses fulfilling requirements 3 and 4 above, completion of at least four courses at the 200-level or above, excluding individual study courses. Individual study courses, directed reading, and independent research units may count for a maximum of 4 units for dual M.S. students (such as ENVRES 398 or ENVRES 399).

Restrictions on course work that may fulfill the Dual M.S. degree include:

  1. A maximum of 5 units from courses that are identified as primarily consisting of guest lectures, such as the Energy Seminar or the Environmental Law Workshop may be counted toward the Joint M.S. degree. Additional courses in this category are listed at http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms/joint-ms-curriculum.
  2. A maximum of 12 units from courses related to the environmental and resource fields from the student's professional school may be applied toward the M.S. A list of approved courses from the GSB, School of Law, and School of Medicine can be found at http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms/joint-ms-curriculum.

Joint M.S. and Dual M.S. Course Tracks

Students should consult Stanford Bulletin's Explore Courses web site to determine course description, class schedule, location, eligibility, and prerequisites. Course tracks and other recommended courses are also available at http://e-iper.stanford.edu/academics/joint-ms/joint-ms-course-tracks.

ENERGY
CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE
CLEANTECH
LAND USE AND AGRICULTURE
OCEANS AND ESTUARIES
FRESHWATER
GLOBAL, COMMUNITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

MASTER OF SCIENCE

In exceptional circumstances, E-IPER offers a Master of Science degree for students in E-IPER's Ph.D. program who opt to complete their training with a M.S. degree or who do not advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Admission directly to the M.S. program is not allowed.

Requirements for the M.S. include:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 45 units at or above the 100-level, of which the majority of units should be at or above the 200-level.
  2. Completion of the E-IPER Ph.D. core curriculum, each with a letter grade of 'B' or higher, comprising:
    • ENVRES 310. Environmental Forum Seminar
    • ENVRES 315. Environmental Research Design Seminar
    • ENVRES 320. Designing Environmental Research
    • ENVRES 330. Research Approaches to Environmental Problem Solving, taken concurrently with:
    • ENVRES 398. Directed Individual Study in Environment and Resources
  3. Additional courses may be chosen from approved course lists in E-IPER's four focal areas (culture and institutions; economics and policy analysis; engineering and technology; or natural sciences) or from other courses approved by the student's lead advisers.
  4. Students may take no more than 6 of the required 45 units credit/no credit and must maintain at least a 'B' average in all courses taken for the M.S. degree.
  5. Directed research and independent study may count for a maximum of 8 units of the 45 unit M.S.

The M.S. degree does not have an M.S. with thesis option. Students may write a M.S. thesis, but it is not formally recognized by the University.

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