EnvPolicyHopeful

Just trying to clarify something -- so you specifically want an Urban Planning program and not an Environmental Policy program? Because there are focused Environmental Policy programs. Not trying to deter you from one or the other, it's just that your background/interests seem very Environmental Policy, not specifically Urban Planning. Of course there is substantial overlap between the two disciplines, but many schools (including the one I started in this semester) offer them as two separate degrees within the policy school. I started grad school this year (MS in Environmental Policy) with 6 years of work experience out of undergrad, some in field biology but mostly in environmental planning/consulting, also in CA (prepping CEQA docs for state/local jurisdictions, because as you probably know, they don't actually write those documents themselves). My experience in planning led me to feel that pursuing environmental policy was more beneficial to my career path, because frankly a lot of planning restrictions or needs come down to environmental policy strengths/weaknesses. Also I didn't want to be tied to urban planning when many planning needs are not necessarily urban (for example, rural energy infrastructure). One thing I've also observed -- and this is entirely anecdotal and I'm sure is not true in all or potentially even most programs -- is that a lot of the urban planning students that I share classes with have a very idealistic and actually legally infeasible perception of what can and cannot be done, I believe because many of them lack experience working within existing environmental law/policy parameters. I doubt you'd personally have issues with those concepts due to your extensive background, but it is something I personally observed that really surprised me. Not trying to deter you from pursuing urban planning, just trying to better understand why you're going into urban planning when it seems like your interests may align better with environmental policy as a whole. I didn't actually apply to any LA area programs. Actually I left CA entirely which may or may not have been advisable from a "where I'll get future jobs" standpoint lol, but I'm really satisfied with my program. I almost went to UCSD, though.

I just went through this last year (was looking for the same thing as you) and ended up at the University of Minnesota's MS in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS-STEP) at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Despite the program's name, it's definitely more environmental policy-heavy in emphasis than tech policy-heavy in emphasis, so that may or may not be what you're looking for (but it was what I was looking for, so I'm satisfied). The program has a core quant course requirement, so everyone needs to take a few specific quant courses, but then you can fill in with pretty much as much quant as you want for that. There are plenty of quant courses in the School of Public Affairs specifically, but the school seems to also offer quite a bit of wiggle room (for example, if you want to take some sort of advanced level stats class that's in the math department, not the School of Public Affairs, I doubt you'd run into any issues getting approval to do so). Many students in the STEP program also work in labs, so that may of be of interest to you.

Definitely agree with you here. Fortunately my work experience is in policy/regulatory-related environmental consulting (for local, state, and federal agencies), with some additional work experience that isn't specifically environmental consulting, but is environmentally relevant. By this fall, 4 of my 6 years of work experience will be in environmental consulting (land use, energy, biological issues, CEQA/NEPA, etc). I want to clarify that I definitely think that the group capstone projects would still present me with plenty of learning opportunities. But I feel that I would be challenging myself less than I would were I to pursue a thesis-track, which would be entirely new to me and would definitely supplement a resume that already shows a decent amount of experience in the area.

CA definitely isn't my be all/end all goal after graduating -- I actually live there now haha! I'd be fine with landing a job here after graduating, but it's not a specific trajectory I'm aiming for. CA cities really are just so insanely expensive. I in fact really encourage anyone considering accepting a CA offer to seriously consider how challenging it would be to live here as a graduate student. I certainly don't want to discourage anybody from picking the program that's right for then, I just think that factors that may impact quality of life (such as cost of living) are also important considerations. When people hear, "CA cities are expensive," I think that their thoughts tend to immediately/understandably go to housing costs, but people don't tend to also think about how much more you also spend here on groceries, medical expenses, etc. I applied to Berkeley (which ended up being my only non-acceptance), but I was almost afraid of getting in and the subsequent "expectation" to go. Even though I'm local, the notion of living here as a grad student is absolutely terrifying. Admittedly SD isn't quite as bad as the Bay, but still. CA is awesome for all sorts of reasons and opportunities, don't get be wrong, but the amount I've been able to save after working for multiple years on a slightly-below-average salary is certainly less than I'd have liked. That said, were I to attend UCSD, I'd at least be benefitting from moving to somewhere with a marginally lower CoL than my current area. Students moving to SD from other areas would be unlikely to be in an equal scenario. With respect to my choices, I used to live in the midwest, hence the draw of those schools. The winter will be an adjustment after getting used to CA, but I'm not unfamiliar with it or anything. The way you framed the SEAS/Ford School dual degree program is helping me reset my mind back to my initial impressions (back before my brain got a bit clouded by my unexpected scholarship offer!). One of my takeaways from the SEAS "visit" day was that they really emphasize the group professional capstone project. I have no doubt that I could learn loads from that project, but at the same time, its greatest benefit is that it provides students with professional experience. As someone who will have 6 years of relevant work experience by this fall, I personally am more interested in a thesis, but as I learned at "visit" day, there are some barriers to pursuing the thesis track at Michigan. However, there would be no such barriers to me choosing the thesis path at the Humphrey School.

So glad I found this post. I'm pursuing environmental policy, and was fortunate enough to be accepted into 7 of the 8 programs I applied to, and waitlisted at the last. However, that's made decisions very challenging! I've been able to narrow down my options some, but now I'm stumped. I should clarify that "DC" isn't really my goal. Post-graduation I'm interested in corporate roles, nonprofit roles, and potentially some international roles (bilingual). I'll have ~6 years of relevant professional experience by this fall. Stuck between: Minnesota Humphrey School MS-STEP. Offered me in-state tuition as an out-of-state student, plus 50% off of THAT cost via a 10 hr/week fellowship (with additional hourly pay) in a lab working on a project with a great new professor who I really clicked with on the call. Project would be a joint effort with MIT, and as long as I do a good job, the prof could hire me for my 2nd year as well. Total cost of attendance after fellowships would end up being $10k/year for 2 years. Affordable cost of living, nice area. School is good but does lack the "wow-factor" that some other schools could provide on a resume. I have no doubt that I'd get a good education here, just a bit less resume power. Michigan MS SEAS/MPP Ford School Joint Degree. 3 year program, $$$. Had a phone call with my potential future advisor here, we really clicked and I love the program, but it's terribly cost-prohibitive (would literally be a >$100k degree). Got an email yesterday that the advisor personally fought for me to get a scholarship after our phone call, and I was offered $15k off of my first semester. If I'm later accepted into a TA or research assistantship position in my 2nd or 3rd years at the program, those roles would offer full tuition reimbursement. However, those roles are highly competitive, and my worry is that while I was accepted, I'd be in over my head as a student, and my GPA may not be competitive enough to secure those roles. Accepting this offer could result in a low-cost degree from one of the top institutions in the world, but may result in terrible debt instead. UCSD GPS MPP. Offered full tuition for both years and a living stipend for the first year, though admissions confirmed to me that the stipend is nonrenewable. Admissions also notified me that I would not be able to get a research assistant position in a lab for the first year, but I could apply to those positions in my second year. I have loads of professional experience already, so I do want to be able gain lab research experience. Cost of living is high, though slightly less than where I currently live. Geographically very strong in my industry, high job prospects upon graduation. However, the program has a very "professional" vibe, and I think I prefer a bit more of a "research-based program" vibe, even if the program itself is still a professional program.

Hey, all! I posted early on, but my cycle just finally (for the most part) wrapped up yesterday, so I wanted to give a little recap showing all my results for those interested. I have a bit of an interesting background with a lot of work experience, which I suppose must have made up for my sub-par undergraduate GPA. Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MPA, MS (MS in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy) and some joint degrees including Berkeley's MPP/ERG and Michigan's MPP/MS in Environment and Sustainability Schools Applied To: UC Berkeley Goldman School Concurrent MPP and Energy and Resources Group (MPP/ERG) UW Madison La Follette MPA with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy University of Minnesota Humphrey School Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS-STEP) University of Michigan Joint Ford School MPP and School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) MPP/MS in Environment and Sustainability and Public Policy University of Washington Evans School MPA with the Environmental Policy specialization CU Boulder Masters of the Environment (MENV) with the Environmental Policy specialization CU Denver School of Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Policy, Management, and Law UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) Environmental Policy Specialization Schools Admitted To: UW Madison, Minnesota, Michigan (accepted to both SEAS and Ford), Washington, CU Boulder, CU Denver, UCSD Schools Rejected From: Got rejected from the Berkeley ERG program but waitlisted to the Goldman School itself. Still Waiting: None! Undergraduate Institution: UW Madison Undergraduate GPA: 3.0X for all of it, but 3.2ish last 60 credits Undergraduate Major: Zoology, Spanish, Latin American Studies (triple major) GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 60/154/6.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 6 Years of Work Experience: 5 years of relevant work experience Describe Relevant Work Experience: A pretty diverse range of relevant work experience ranging from wildlife field research on BLM and DOD land, a lot of land use experience with energy/agriculture/you name it, experience as an environmental consultant preparing environmental review documents for major state regulatory agencies, CEQA/NEPA author. I don't have published research per se but I have authored many environmental review documents that were published for local, state, and federal agencies (a variety of topics including energy, zoning ordinance amendments, development, etc). Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm a good writer. I hate this type of writing, but I feel relatively certain that these were very strong. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I also assume good? Two former coworkers and a former professor. I didn't read them. I truly do not understand how all these people know how strong their LORs are. Didn't you guys all check the box waiving your right to read the letters? That's what I did. In all I'm really thrilled, and leaning a bit towards the MS-STEP program at Minnesota, where I was offered both a fellowship and a scholarship. Sure, I got into Michigan which is a great program and all, but it's also a financially prohibitive program. I really don't believe that my opportunities upon graduating from Michigan will make me so much happier than my opportunities upon graduating from Minnesota, and I could attend Minnesota without accruing any debt. I think that had I been coming right from undergrad, I'd be drawn in by Michigan's prestige, but quite frankly I quite like the Minnesota program, and I have from the start. If there's a program that I really like, and I could attend it with minimal financial burden, it seems silly not to accept. Now we've got the whole COVID-19 scenario with the visit days, though. That's interesting haha.

Just received notice from CU Boulder (MENV) about 10 minutes ago of an admit! Honestly I'm a bit floored by this whole process. I applied to 8 schools, assuming *maybe* 2 would want me. Accepted to 7, still waiting on one. The other one is a mega-reach, but I thought Michigan was s mega-reach as well, so who knows?! I'm actually really impressed by the faculty and opportunities with Minnesota's MS-STEP program at the Humphrey School. It's a very small program, no doubt about that, but they have some faculty working in areas that really interest me, and I wonder if a small, collaborative program may end up treating me well. Got a lot to think about, I guess!

Nope -- not the slightest clue, unfortunately. Have you also heard radio silence?

I heard back from Evans MPA program yesterday with an acceptance. For the SEAS folks, I had one advisor listed in my email (unfortunately no funding information -- yikes). I actually applied to Michigan for joint Ford School MPP and SEAS MS, and I'm still waiting to hear back from the Ford School.

In at SEAS! No info of funding in the email blast I received. Is that where other people found their funding info? My Rackham School account page also hasn't yet been updated.

I applied to both of those with the same tracks (+ ERG at Berkeley), as well as some other programs. No news yet from Goldman at Berkekey or Evans at Washington.

I ended up contacting them the other day. They said that MS-STEP notifications should go out by the end of next week, so not too long. Good luck with all!

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MPA, MS (MS in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy) and some joint degrees including Berkeley's MPP/ERG and Michigan's MPP/MS in Environment and Sustainability Schools Applied To: UC Berkeley Goldman School Concurrent MPP and Energy and Resources Group (MPP/ERG) UW Madison La Follette MPA with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy University of Minnesota Humphrey School Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS-STEP) University of Michigan Joint Ford School MPP and School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) MPP/MS in Environment and Sustainability and Public Policy University of Washington Evans School MPA with the Environmental Policy specialization CU Boulder Masters of the Environment (MENV) with the Environmental Policy specialization CU Denver School of Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Policy, Management, and Law UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) Environmental Policy Specialization Schools Admitted To: CU Denver and UCSD Schools Rejected From: None yet Still Waiting: Berkeley, UW Madison, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington, CU Boulder Undergraduate Institution: UW Madison Undergraduate GPA: 3.0X for all of it, but 3.2ish last 60 credits Undergraduate Major: Zoology, Spanish, Latin American Studies (triple major) GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: First take 152/162/5.0, Second take 160/154/6.0 (86th, 53rd, and 99th percentiles) Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 6 Years of Work Experience: 5 years of relevant work experience Describe Relevant Work Experience: A pretty diverse range of relevant work experience ranging from wildlife field research on BLM and DOD land, a lot of land use experience with energy/agriculture/you name it, experience as an environmental consultant preparing environmental review documents for major state regulatory agencies, CEQA/NEPA author. I don't have published research per se but I have authored many environmental review documents that were published for local, state, and federal agencies (a variety of topics including energy, zoning ordinance amendments, development, etc). Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm going to sound like a jackass here, but even though I personally don't think my SOPs were great compared to what I'm capable of writing -- simply because the style of writing required for an SOP just isn't my strong suit -- I can write myself out of a goddamn sarcophagus cursed by Osiris himself. I cringed every time I read my various SOPs and other required essays because they're just my least favorite type of writing, but they were certainly good SOPs. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think good? I'm quite removed from school. I had two letters from project managers I'd worked with at previous jobs who were THRILLED to write letters for me, and one from a former professor I studied abroad with, whose area of research overlaps with international conservation. I haven't read any of them, though. Other: I think I have a good range of school options in there. I know there are other programs that would have been good academic fits, but I oped out of some places simply because I only wanted to consider places where both my partner and I would be happy living for the duration of my degree and perhaps longer -- and I think that within those parameters, I was able to find some programs that seem to be a really great fit! I'm already local to one of the schools I applied to, but quite frankly it's a bit of a long shot. I'm super pleased to have heard back from two schools already, though!

Applied to 8 total programs either in environmental policy or in policy/public affairs with an environmental focus/certificate. All applications submitted by early/mid-December. Only heard back from one so far and it's an admit. UW Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs MPA with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy U Mich Ford School/SEAS Joint MPP/MS in Environment and Sustainability and Public Policy Washington MPA with the Environmental Policy program specialization UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy MPP with the Environmental Policy specialization -- ADMITTED 1/29 CU Boulder MENV Environmental Policy Specialization CU Denver School of Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Policy, Management, and Law UC Berkeley Goldman School Concurrent MPP/ERG U of Minn Humphrey School Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS-STEP) I'm pretty below-average academically, at least according to my academic record. I went from pretty much straight As throughout all of high school to solid Cs and even a D in college due to quite frankly having no idea how to study and some very bad test anxiety. Fortunately, all those Cs and Ds where chem, physics, biochem, etc. Undergrad degree (BA Zoology, Spanish, Latin American Studies) from a top public school. GPA 3.0X. Took the GRE twice (151 Q/162 V/5.0 AW, then 154 Q/160 V/6.0 AW). However, I'm 5 years out of school with some very relevant experience in the environmental regulation/planning sphere for both energy and land use projects. I also have extensive wildlife field research experience, including at the intersection of wildlife management, land use regulations, and agencies. I'm also a very strong writer, which I believe helped me a lot with my SOPs. I tend to think that Berkeley and Mich are both long shots, but the other schools -- plus my UCSD admit -- seem promising. I'm a bit worried about CU Denver, though. Their website says that applicants will hear back 2-6 weeks after applying. Tomorrow marks exactly 6 weeks since I applied -- I'm thinking of emailing tomorrow to check in. I feel like it isn't poor form to do so given that I've paid attention to their timeline. Any other Env Policy hopefuls hear back from any of these schools?