Master of Arts [M.A] [Environmental Studies] From Florida Gulf Coast University

The program provides students with professional experience while acquiring a graduate degree. Students are required to complete a professional internship with a local agency or environmental organization. That experience culminates with the production of a capstone scholarly document customized for the specific internship experience. The program also permits already employed environmental professionals to adopt their current professional responsibilities into their internship.

This program does not require the completion of a thesis. The curriculum and professional internship are very manageable through a 2-year, full-time commitment. (A longer time to graduation would be required of persons entering as part-time students.)

The Environmental Studies MA Program prepares graduates students for careers and leadership positions in a variety of fields. Graduates will have advanced education that opens the doors to a wide range of career possibilities in organizations such as:

• Environmental agencies of local, state, and federal government.
• Consulting firms who work with those agencies in assessing environmental programs, and with private firms who want to be good stewards toward the environment or want to evaluate their environmental impacts.
• Non-government organizations dedicated to protecting the environment, who need skills in assessing environmental systems, designing programs for environmental protection, and critical analysis of public policies.
• Non-traditional environmental educational facilities and programs, providing children through adult-level education in informal, public settings.

Environmental Studies leads people into a growing and urgently needed field, with needs in the State of Florida and nationally. The program is an effective terminal degree for seeking entry to these fields at a high career level. It also is an opportunity for advanced training to enhance the skills ? and boost the careers ? of current professionals. And, it is designed to serve as an entry-level research degree for those who wish to pursue studies at the doctoral level.