Environmental Science and Public Administration Dual Degree

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies (B.A.) or Environmental Science (B.S.). Students interested should apply to the program by the spring of a student’s third year in undergraduate studies. Students should apply to this program if they are interested in pursuing a career in environmental-related public administration.  

Throughout the program, students will complete the following curriculum: 

• 120 hours taken during undergraduate pursuing a B.A. Environmental Studies or B.S. Environmental Science. This includes the required courses for the General College and 12 courses in the major. The major courses will provide a strong foundation in the basic sciences and additional track or concentration requirements.  
  • B.A. in Environmental Studies concentrations: Agriculture and Health, Ecology and Society, Environmental Behavior and Decision-making, and Population, Environment and Development  
  • B.A. in Environmental Studies – Sustainability Track  
  • B.S. in Environmental Science concentrations: Ecology and Natural Resources, Environment and Health, and Water and Climate 
  • B.S. in Environmental Science – Quantitative Energy Systems Track 
• 48 hours in the MPA program. Pre-admitted students can begin taking MPA courses during their fourth year of undergraduate studies and can take up to four or five courses (13.5 max credit hours) that will be transferred to the MPA program. MPA credit hours taken during a student’s fourth year will not count towards completion for the B.S. or B.A. in undergraduate studies. 
  • Recommended MPA elective courses for early completion include: 
    • PUBA 722 – Federal Policies and Institutions (3 credit hours – Fall) 
    • PUBA 730 – Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting and Reporting (3 credit hours – Spring) 
    • PUBA 734 – Community Revitalization Methods (3 credit hours – Fall) 
    • PUBA 735 – Community Revitalization Applied (3 credit hours – Spring) 
    • PUBA 739 – Intergovernmental Relations (1.5 credit hours – Fall) 
    • PUBA 740 – Decision Analysis (3 credit hours – Spring) 
    • PUBA 751 – City and County Management (3 credit hours – Fall) 
    • PUBA 768 – Mediation Skills for Public Organizations (1.5 credit hours – Fall) 
    • PUBA 769 – Facilitation Skills for Public Sector Managers (1.5 credit hours – Fall) 
    • PUBA 787 – Applied Environmental Finance (3 credit hours – Spring) 

Interested undergraduate students apply for pre-admission on a rolling basis, but no later than during the spring of their third year of undergraduate studies. Pre-admission does not guarantee admission to The Graduate School, but it allows students to being taking MPA courses in their fourth year of undergraduate studies. Students officially apply to The Graduate School during the spring of their fourth year.  

Advising is a critical component to successful completion of this dual degree program. Students interested in this program should contact advisors at E3P on a semester basis and the School of Government no later than the beginning of their third year of their undergraduate studies to plan their program of study and be sure that they will be able to meet the requirements.  

For more information and advising for the E3P curriculum, contact the following: 

• Amy Cooke: acooke@email.unc.edu 
• Greg Gangi: ggangi@email.unc.edu 
• Geoff Bell: gwbell@email.unc.edu 

For more information and advising for the School of Information and Library Science, contact the following: 

• Bill Rivenbark: rivenbark@sog.unc.edu  

For more information about advising please visit https://mpa4esc.web.unc.edu/advising/.