Energy & Environment Concentration

From stormwater and sewage runoff to global emissions, the Energy and Environment concentration equips students to evaluate and improve upon policies affecting the water we drink, the ecosystems we enjoy, and the climate we rely upon. We use the city and the region as our classroom to develop versatile skills and insights essential for addressing energy and environmental challenges in our backyards and around the globe. The Pittsburgh region has experienced dramatic improvements in air and water quality, and yet the legacy of heavy industry and fossil fuel extraction remains and often burdens the most vulnerable. Similarly, the region is at the forefront of change in the global energy landscape, being the epicenter of the shale gas boom and now the transition away from coal with all its attendant consequences on local opportunity and well-being. Building on its manufacturing base, the Pittsburgh region, like many others, also seeks to harness opportunities in the burgeoning renewable energy industry so that its 21st century is cleaner and more prosperous than its 20th century. Thus, the Pittsburgh region is a useful laboratory to study how these issues affect societies around the world.

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GSPIA Core Classes (12 credits)

    Quantitative Methods
    Microeconomics
    Public Policy Analysis
    Capstone Seminar
OR
    Thesis
Internship Requirement: All students must complete an approved internship of at least 300 hours while enrolled at GSPIA. The internship must be approved by the student’s career advisor in advance. Students with at least three years of relevant full‐time work experience may petition their career advisor for a waiver of this requirement during their first semester.

MPA Degree Core (9 credits)

    Administration of Public Affairs
    Program Evaluation
    Financial Management

Energy & Environment Major Courses (12 credits)

Two of the following five courses:
    Environmental Economics & Policy
    Natural Resources Governance & Mgmt.
    Contemporary US Energy Policy
    Political Economy of Global Environment
    Climate Policy Local and Global
PIA 2--- Approved E&E Major Course

PIA 2--- Approved E&E Major Course

Free Electives/Minor Courses (15 credits)

PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective
PIA 2--- Elective