Masters of Environmental Studies and Governmental Administration Dual Degree Program Announced

The University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies are pleased to announce a new dual degree program in the School of Arts and Sciences, which will allow qualified candidates to receive the Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) and the Masters of Governmental Administration (MGA) in just two years of full-time study. The MES/MGA dual degree allows students to apply a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the environment as it relates to government, non-profit and public sector work. The dual MES/MGA will train students to take leadership roles in areas of Environmental Policy, Planning, and Regulation. 

"For decades, the Fels Institute has educated thousands of leaders who have a mastery of the political environment necessary to turn ideas into reality," notes Fels Executive Director David Thornburgh. "Graduates of the MES/MGA dual degree, with the rigorous training in both environmental studies and practical management they will receive, will prove to be formidable advocates for environmental issues, one of the most daunting challenges facing our society."

"As federal, state, and local governments in the U.S. are increasingly confronted with environmental issues of public health and safety there will be more and more need for qualified individuals who can help drive the creation and implementation of well informed environmental regulations, policies, and standards," says Yvette Bordeaux, Director of the Professional Master's Programs in Earth and Environmental Science. "These environmental concerns confront all nations, and international governmental cooperation while working to resolve issues of air and water quality is an urgent need worldwide. Graduates of the MES/MGA dual degree program will be well qualified to address these problems and find solutions."

Candidates for this new dual degree apply and are accepted to each program independently and once enrolled may request dual degree status. Students in the dual degree program are allowed to double-count selected courses in the two degrees, which reduces the total number of courses for the combined degree from 24 to 17. Students take classes full time for the first two semesters in the MGA and the subsequent year in the MES program. 

For more information about the programs and admission requirements, visit:

MES:  www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/graduate/mes
MGA:  www.fels.upenn.edu/Academic_Programs/grad_programs.html