M.A. in Environmental Law

Master of Environmental Law

The Master of Environmental Law graduate degree is for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree and have an interest in pursuing a career in environmental law or policy, but do not wish to practice law or obtain a law degree. Potential students include people pursuing careers in industry, government, legislative drafting or lobbying, non-profit work, compliance or operations professionals, agency employees, teachers, elected officials, and journalists, as examples.

The Master of Environmental Law degree requires completion of 30 semester credit hours.  As part of the total credit hours, students must complete a “Capstone” project on an approved topic of choice, which can take the form of an academic article of publishable quality, a policy “white paper,” meeting professional standards, or a similar undertaking, OR as an alternative to the Capstone, a Graduate Seminar course in Health and Environmental Law.  The Master of Environmental Law program can be completed in two semesters, or spread over up to three years. 

**Please note: not all courses are offered every academic year.**

Requirements (13 hours)

  • LAW L858 Environmental Law (3 credits)
  • LAWM L705 U.S. Law and Legal Analysis – one-week intensive course before the regular fall semester begins (1 credit)
  • Capstone project (3 credits) or LAWM L710 Graduate Seminar in Health and Environmental Law (3 credits)
  • LAW L844 Administrative Law, LAW L847 Legislation and Regulation OR an approved equivalent (3 credits)
  • *One experiential offering, or other pre-approved equivalent offering or experience, including:
    • LAW L900 Approved Academic Environmental Externship (3 credits)
    • LAW L976 S50 Environmental Law and Policy: Florida Keys (3 credits)
    • Any other experiential opportunity (including work experience) with approval

*We require students to complete an experiential opportunity, which can be fulfilled in many ways (internship, externship (LAW L900), Environmental Law and Policy: Florida Keys course (LAW L976 S50), independent study project (LAW L899), outside employment, etc.) Note, this is not a specific credit requirement, but some of the opportunities do offer credit hours.

For the remaining credit hours necessary for the Master of Environmental Law degree, students may choose from a wide array of courses from law, environmental, non-law, and non-environmental offerings, (Note: generally, non-environmental and/or non-law courses are capped at six credits that apply toward the degree, unless otherwise pre-approved).

LAW ELECTIVES (17 hours) (no more than 6 hours combined non-environmental and non-law)

  • LAW L819 Construction Industry & Sustainability Seminar (2 credits)
  • LAW L822 Bioethics and the Law (3 credits)
  • LAW L834 Environmental Justice (2 or 3 credits)
  • LAW L835 Natural Resources Law (3 credits) 
  • LAW L837 Property and Land Use Seminar (2 or 3 credits)
  • LAW L838 Oil and Gas Law (3 credits) 
  • LAW L856 State and Local Government Law (2 credits)
  • LAW L864 Admiralty 1 (3 credits)
  • LAW L879 Admiralty Seminar: Marine Pollution OR Intro to International Law of the Sea (1-3 credits)
  • LAW L886 Environmental Law Seminar (1-3 credits) (may take more than one), including:
    • Law and the Climate Crisis; 
    • Environmental Enforcement and Compliance; 
    • Hot Topics in Environmental Law
  • LAW L896 Professional Seminars (1-3 credits) (may take more than one), including:
    • Green Building
  • LAW L900 Approved Academic Environmental Externship (1-3 credits - experiential)
  • LAW L911 Introduction to American Indian Law: Overlapping Jurisdictions (3 credits)
  • LAW L913 Disaster and Policy Law (2 credits)
  • LAW L914 Public Health Law (3 credits)
  • LAW L922 Toxic Torts (2 or 3 credits)
  • LAW L929 Energy and the Environment in International Law (2 credits)
  • LAW L975 Energy Law and Policy (2 or 3 credits)
  • LAW L976 S50 Environmental Law and Policy: Florida Keys (May Term, 3 credits - experiential)

NON-LAW ELECTIVES (no more than 6 hours combined non-environmental and non-law)

Remaining course offerings, including those at main campus, with instructor approval and graduate level work added. Examples include:

For a fuller list of possible courses, review the topics below in the undergraduate bulletin:

Environmental courses
Food Studies courses
Business, Decision Science and Entrepreneurship
Political Science courses 
Sociology courses

For more information, please contact Marianne Cufone, Director of the Environmental Program.