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Training the next generation of environmental leaders
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The Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management

affiliated with the UC Davis Institute of the Environment, provides advanced training in applying environmental science to real-world environmental policy and management issues. The program leverages the position of UC Davis as among the world’s strongest campuses in environmental and natural resources research and science.

The EPM program sets itself apart by targeting students with interdisciplinary backgrounds who seek applied professional careers in environmental policy and management. The focus is on building quantitative skills for practice-oriented careers in environmental policy and management.
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About us

The EPM program is designed to address needs in several areas:

  • Students and employers often ask for better and more formal preparation to bridge the differences between scientific academic background and policy and management work, with emphasis on communicating technical information in various management and policy contexts.
  • Increased attention is being placed on the co-development of science for policy and management. Doing so requires training individuals with the interdisciplinary skills to understand both communities.
  • Environmental problem solving increasingly requires more analytical capability within a political and economic decision-making framework.
  • Real and rigorous problem-solving skills involving analysis, communication, and negotiation are needed for students with scientific backgrounds involved in policy-making and management positions.

 

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EPM News

Six diverse students smiling together in front of a university program banner

Deep Dive into California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Exemptions

  • by Carlin Coleman, Shina Cortez Garcia, Christian Fuentes-Macias, Estrella Silva and Elizabeth Uemura

Every year, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) manual is updated, making the previous year’s manual obsolete. A book treasured by CEQA practitioners, the manual is turned into a dense paperweight that gets heavier each year. At the same time, exemptions to CEQA are limiting this foundational law’s domain.

Four smiling people standing before a UC Davis Environmental Policy and Management banner

Practical Policy Recommendations to Enhance Climate Resilience in California’s Marine Waters

  • by Erin Gustafson, Julia Jamison, Nicole Naylor, and Sam Stromberg
Seeking refuge in California's Changing Oceans

Between 2014 and 2016, an unprecedented marine heat wave known as “The Blob” spread across the Pacific coast and pushed ocean temperatures off the coast of Northern California several degrees above normal. Along the rocky coastline of the Sonoma Coast, vast underwater forests of bull kelp that support fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals began to disappear. Within just a few years, more than 90% of the region’s bull kelp canopy had collapsed.

Smiling woman with wavy hair, wearing a floral shirt, against a brick wall.

Faculty Spotlight- Camille Frazier

  • by Camille Frazier
Tell us about yourself

I grew up in the small foothills town of Jamestown, California, and now live in Sacramento with my husband and two daughters. My career spans research and policy contexts and has taken me from Los Angeles to India, northern New York to Sacramento. I have a BA from Scripps College in Claremont, CA, and an MA and PhD from UCLA.

Be close to the action.

California stands at the forefront of environmental policy with its pioneering initiatives in areas such as renewable energy, emissions reductions, and conservation efforts. Located just 20-minutes from California's capital, UC Davis provides students with unique opportunities to engage in cutting-edge environmental work. 

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Bringing hands-on education into the classroom

Students will apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world environmental policy and management problems in the Policy Clinic and Practicum.

Explore the degree
EPm alums Cheryl and Nick representing their organization at EPM's Job Fair

Cultivating a community of environmental leaders

Engage with alumni and members of our External Advisory Committee actively working on unique environmental challenges through EPM's mentorship program and networking events.

Learn about Mentorship
JieQi Yan talking with a student, pointing to a poster board with details of her completed project.

Leveraging the interdisciplinary nature of UC Davis

Students are able to choose from a wide array of electives from outside our graduate group to specialize in a topical area of interest- from environmental justice to water resources management.

Browse Electives