"If you value being able to design your own program, taking an interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues, and having access to highly encouraging and responsive faculty, then the MES program might just be right for you. It was definitely the right choice for me."

Beth Gingold, who received her Master of Environmental Studies in 2007, describes her experiences in the MES program from her post in Bangalore.

"I started my undergraduate career at Penn in Computer Science Engineering and ended up graduating in four years with a BA in Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences and an MES degree. I was a pretty unusual case... I submatriculated as a junior so I didn't spend any time outside of school before joining the MES program. I was planning on double majoring in environmental studies and economics, but as a sophomore I realized that I had a lot of free electives-I was in a position where I could either decide to graduate a year early or think about taking another major or getting another degree.

I was already involved in the environmental studies department through my major, and had very positive experiences with several of the faculty. In particular, I was already working on an independent study project with Fred Scatena which later became my Masters Capstone. When I looked up the Masters program online I realized that it would be entirely possible to complete the program using my free electives over the next two years. Given my interest in environmental studies and positive experience with the department, this program was pretty much ideal for me!

Some of my favorite courses were actually the ones I took through other departments. I learned an amazing amount taking Environmental Law with Jason Johnston through Penn Law, and it was a good challenging (and a little intimidating!) experience to be taking an elective second-year law class as a junior! I was blown away by Urban Fiscal Policy, a BPUB (Business and Public Policy) Wharton MBA course taught by Robert Inman, and Housing in Developing Countries taught by Marja Hoek-Smit of the Real Estate Department.

Of the courses I took through the MES program I really enjoyed Global Water Issues taught by Stan Laskowski, and my Capstone with Dr Scatena. In fact, taking Global Water Issues with Stan Laskowski got me involved with the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative (PGWI), and I eventually ended up traveling to Cameroon on Penn's money to conduct research as part of a team for a PGWI project.

My official focus in the MES program was environmental policy. I ended up focusing more specifically on policy in urban issues and from an international development perspective. My Capstone was titled "Valuing water and sediment tradeoffs between forest and pasture in montane tropical environments in Puerto Rico." This project combined my interests in economics and environmental studies by allowing me to investigate "ecosystem services" in Puerto Rico. Essentially ecosystem services are the benefits that ecosystems provide to people that have value but there is no market for them so it is difficult to place a monetary value on them.

So far my degree has taken me to India. I am working with an NGO in Bangalore called Janaagraha, which works to improve urban governance through advocacy and increasing citizen participation. I am teaching a course in qualitative social science research methods at a local college as part of the youth outreach program.

In the future, I want to work in the field of international development, and I want to first get a broad idea of how the major stakeholders involved work-from NGOs to international aid organizations, to private consulting firms.

Learn more about Penn LPS Master of Environmental Studies.