September 28, 2022

Goucher launches new Master of Arts in Environmental Sustainability and Management

The program combines natural and social sciences courses into a cohesive framework, training students to assess and mitigate environmental threats while communicating effective strategies to decision-makers and communities.

  • Students participating in environmental management courses

This fall, Goucher has launched a new graduate program—an M.A. in Environmental Sustainability & Management—aimed at developing the next generation of leaders in environmental policy.

The program combines natural and social sciences courses into a cohesive framework, training students to assess environmental threats, mitigate those threats, and communicate the effectiveness of those strategies to decision-makers and communities.

Germán Mora, associate provost for curriculum at Goucher, says this graduate program is an extension of Gouchers work in the field so far.

Goucher has been on the front line of solving complex environmental crises for many years, and our program offers the academic rigor of those experiences coupled with the curricular flexibility of online learning that permits working professionals to take classes at their own pace, Mora says.

The program consists of seven core courses, four electives, and one capstone course, all of which are offered entirely online, with the option of in-person classes for some core courses.

Because there are multiple entry points to the M.A., students can begin new classes in a fully online session either in the fall or spring semesters. Students also have the option to attend on-campus night classes.

The M.A. will prepare students for careers in environmental communication, government policy, business and industry, and environmental justice, advocacy, and engagement. Graduates will be communicators, teachers, activists, and future directors of nonprofits and sustainability offices.

The program aims to develop leaders prepared to collaborate across disciplines to address the complex ecological and societal aspects of environmental challenges, creating the foundation to realize a healthy planet and healthy communities now and for generations to come.

We pushed traditional disciplinary boundaries by creating an interdisciplinary program that goes beyond presenting traditional tools to mitigate environmental problems, Mora says. Our curriculum expands students views of how these problems developed and evolved, and through this understanding, students can creatively construct new tools to address them more effectively.

For more information, please visit the M.A. in Environmental Sustainability & Management page.