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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Master of Science in Environment and Resources

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Graduate Programs in Environment and Resources

Students may not apply directly for the M.S in Environment and Resources degree. The M.S. is an option exclusively for students currently enrolled in the joint degree programs with the M.B.A. in the Graduate School of Business or the J.D. with the Stanford Law School; concurrently pursuing the M.D. in the School of Medicine; or for IPER Ph.D. students who do not continue the Ph.D.

JOINT MASTER'S DEGREE

Students enrolled in a professional degree program in Stanford's Graduate School of Business or the Stanford Law School are eligible to apply for admission to the joint M.S. in Environment and Resources joint degree program (JDP). Enrollment in the JDP allows students to pursue an M.S. degree concurrently with their professional degree and to count a defined number of units toward both degrees, resulting in the award of joint M.B.A. & M.S. in Environment and Resources degrees or joint J.D. & M.S. in Environment and Resources degrees. The joint M.B.A./M.S. degree program requires a total of 129 quarter units to be completed over approximately eight academic quarters (compared to 100 units for the M.B.A. and 45 units for the M.S. if pursued as separate degrees). The joint J.D./M.S. degree program requires a total of 87 semester or 130.5 quarter units (compared to 86 semester units for the J.D. and 45 quarter units for the M.S. if pursued separately) and may be completed in three years. For additional information, see http://iper.stanford.edu/study/requirements.html#ms.

Students in the JDP are required to take two core courses: IPER 310, Environmental Forum Seminar, and IPER 335, Environmental Science for Managers and Policy Makers (same as OIT 338 and LAW 608). Students also complete at least eight other graded courses at the 100 level or higher, of which at least two must be at the 200 level or higher, while maintaining a 'B' average. A maximum of 4 units of directed research and independent study may be counted toward the M.S. Joint J.D./M.S. students are also required to take LAW 604, Environmental Law Workshop, and, as part of this class or an alternate one, to write a 25-35 page paper on a topic of their choosing that integrates their J.D. and M.S. course work. It is recommended that joint M.B.A./M.S. students take GSBGEN 339, Environmental Entrepreneurship.

Additional M.S. courses may be chosen from approved course lists in IPER's four focal areas (culture and institutions; economics and policy analysis; engineering and technology; or natural sciences) or from other courses at the appropriate level approved by the student's advising team. These courses are listed in the "Doctor of Philosophy in Environment and Resources" section of this bulletin. A maximum of 12 units (8 semester units) from the student's professional school, including Environmental Law Workshop units for Joint J.D./M.S. students, may be applied toward the M.S. A list of approved GSB and School of Law courses can be found in the M.S. requirements: http://pangea.stanford.edu/IPER/internal. In the approved GSB classes, joint M.B.A./M.S. students must focus their final projects on an environmental or natural resource topic for that course to be counted toward the M.S. While a science or mathematics background is not required for acceptance, quantitative skills are necessary for many courses and students may be required to take additional course work in quantitative methods.

The student's program of study is subject to the approval of the student's advising team, consisting of at least one faculty member from the applicable professional school and one faculty member from the student's IPER focal area. The two degrees are conferred when the requirements for both the IPER M.S. and the professional degree programs have been met. For application information, see http://iper.stanford.edu/apply/app_processMS.html.

DUAL MASTER'S DEGREE

Only students in the School of Medicine may apply to pursue the M.S. in Environment and Resources degree by meeting the University's minimum requirements for the M.D. and complete an additional 45 units for the M.S. in Environment and Resources. Completion of the M.S. is anticipated to require at least three quarters in addition to the quarters required for the M.D.

Students in this dual degree program must take two core courses: IPER 310, Environmental Forum Seminar; and IPER 335, Environmental Science for Managers and Policy Makers. Students also complete at least eight other graded courses at the 100 level or higher, of which at least two must be at the 200 level or higher, while maintaining a 'B' average. A maximum of 8 units of directed research and independent study may be counted toward the dual M.S./M.D. degree program. Additional M.S. courses may be chosen from approved course lists in IPER's four focal areas (culture and institutions; economics and policy analysis; engineering and technology; or natural sciences) or from other courses approved by the student's advising team. While a science or mathematics background is not required for acceptance, quantitative skills are necessary for many courses and students may be required to take additional course work in quantitative methods.

The student's program of study is subject to the approval of the student's advising team, consisting of at least one faculty member from the applicable professional school and an IPER faculty member. The degrees are conferred when the respective requirements have been completed. For application information, see http://iper.stanford.edu/apply/app_processMS.html.

MASTER OF SCIENCE

In exceptional circumstances, IPER offers a Master of Science degree for students in IPER's Ph.D. program who opt to complete their training with a M.S. degree or who do not advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. Admission directly to the M.S. program is not allowed.

M.S. course work totals at least 45 units at or above the 100-level, of which the majority of units should be at or above the 200-level. Masters students normally complete the IPER Ph.D. core curriculum, comprising: IPER 310, Environmental Forum Seminar; IPER 320, Designing Environmental Research; and IPER 330, Research Approaches for Environmental Problem Solving. Additional courses may be selected from approved course lists in IPER's four focal areas (culture and institutions; economics and policy analysis; engineering and technology; or natural sciences) or from other courses approved by the student's lead advisers. Students may take no more than 6 of the required 45 units credit/no credit and must maintain at least a 'B' average in all courses taken for the M.S. degree. Directed research and independent study may count for a maximum of 8 units of the 45 unit M.S.

The M.S. degree does not have an M.S. with thesis option. Students may write a M.S. thesis, but it is not formally recognized by the University.

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