Graduate Degrees in Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies

Meeting the environmental challenges of the 21st century requires research, education and training that spans traditional disciplinary boundaries. The Department of Environmental Studies provides unique training that equips graduate students with the knowledge and skills needed to confront complex problems affecting social-environmental systems.

The program is flexibly structured, giving students the opportunity to pursue diverse areas of interest, especially those that do not fall neatly within disciplinary boundaries. Environmental studies graduates pursue diverse career paths, including positions in academia, government, education, environmental consulting, natural resource management and those within the private sector.

In addition to research-based MS and PhD programs, we also offer three dual degrees: an MS/MBA in collaboration with the Leeds School of Business, and an MS/Juris Doctor and a PhD/Juris Doctor in collaboration with Colorado Law.

Degree Types

MS ᐧ PhD ᐧ MS/MBA ᐧ MS/JD ᐧ PhD/JD

Degree Options & Application Requirements

Environmental Studies Dual Degrees

Environmental Studies

Master of Science

36 hours of coursework
Thesis and nonthesis options
Acceptance depends heavily upon the recommendation of a potential faculty advisor. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact a potential advisor. Take a look at faculty members’ research interests, websites and publications. Email faculty whom you are interested in working with to let them know of your interest and learn more about their lab and current research.

Application Deadlines & Requirements

To learn about the upcoming term application deadlines, please visit the Graduate School website.

For program details, review the .

Doctor of Philosophy

Students must complete 32 hours of coursework plus an additional 30 hours of dissertation credit hours.
Preliminary exam, prospectus defense and dissertation defense are required.
Acceptance depends heavily upon the recommendation of a potential faculty advisor. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact a potential advisor. Take a look at faculty members’ research interests, websites and publications. Email faculty with whom you are interested in working to let them know of your interest and learn more about their lab and current research.

Application Deadlines & Requirements

To learn about the upcoming term application deadlines, please visit the Graduate School website.

For program details, review the .

Dual Degrees

MS/MBA in Environmental Studies and Leeds School of Business

The environmental studies Master of Science program provides advanced training in a setting that prioritizes cross-disciplinary perspectives and problem-oriented scholarship. Our goal is to deliver the knowledge and skills needed to confront 21st-century environmental challenges. This includes skills in business management and entrepreneurship. For these reasons, the Leeds School of Business and the Environment Studies Program collaborate to offer a dual MS/MBA degree program.

This dual degree program requires 36 credit hours of graduate coursework in environmental studies and 43 credit hours of MBA coursework (with 12 credit hours of environmental studies coursework applying toward the required 55 credit hours for the MBA). The MBA program will be considered the student's primary program. For more information, visit Leeds’ MS/MBA webpage.

MS/JD or PhD/JD in Environmental Studies and Colorado Law

Those who wish to pursue advanced degrees across these fields have the option of two dual degree programs: MS/JD and PhD/JD. Students will complete coursework in the core areas of the law, the natural and social sciences, values and ethics, and policy. Graduates of the dual degree program in law and environmental studies have the skills to impact future policies in government, industry and nonprofits, or to pursue research-focused careers.

This dual degree is offered in conjunction with the University of Colorado Law School. Colorado Law will grant credit for acceptable performance in graduate-level environmental studies courses toward the JD degree for up to 9 (for MS students) or 12 (for PhD students) credit hours of the required 89 credit hours for the JD degree. Environmental studies will grant up to 9 (for MS students) or 12 (for PhD students) credit hours of acceptable performance in law courses. The JD program will be considered the student's primary program. For more information, visit Colorado Law’s MS/JD and PhD/JD webpage.

Research Areas

Public Policy and Governance
Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
Biogeochemistry
Conservation Biology
Climate Studies
Food Systems
Environmental Psychology
Environmental Health

Funding Opportunities

We understand funding opportunities play a major role in helping you to decide whether a program is right for you. At CU Boulder, PhD students are supported through research and teaching assistantships. Students are also encouraged

Explore General Funding Explore Department-Specific Funding

Graduate Student Resources

Student success is best met with holistic support and resources. CU Boulder offers robust resources, programming and opportunities to help students establish meaningful connections, adjust to graduate student life and find assistance when they need it. Whether it’s academic, social, or health and wellness support, the university provides an array of resources to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Graduate Student Organizations