Environment, Community, and Equity (Graduate Certificate)

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Offered by the School of International Service , the Environment, Community, and Equity (Graduate Certificate) equips students with knowledge and preparation to address a growing set of challenges at the intersection of environmental protection, community resilience, and equity. Students completing the program are conversant with the leading theories and the connections between environmental change and environmental justice. Students are equipped with foundational understanding of major areas of focus around environmental equity, including scholarly and policy debates. Students are prepared to work across a range of settings that aim to integrate protection of the environment with equity and inclusion, including international organizations, governments, and nongovernmental organizations. Students must complete a curricular and a co-curricular component.

Admission to the Program

This certificate is available to students currently enrolled in an American University graduate degree program. It is also open to students with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited institution. Applicants must submit their official transcripts along with a one-page statement of purpose.

Non-native English speakers are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) unless they hold a degree from a U.S.-accredited institution before enrollment at SIS. The minimum TOEFL score for full admission consideration is 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT) or 600 on the paper-based test (PBT). The minimum IELTS score is 7.0.

Certificate Requirements

12 credit hours with grades of C or better
Compliance with all regulations for a certificate (Graduate Academic Regulations 4.11 , 5 , 6 )
Completion of Approved Co-Curricular Activity

Course Requirements

Competence Acquisition (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following, or other environment-related courses approved by faculty advisor:

Foundational

SIS-620 Studies in Global Environmental Politics (3) :
Activism and the Environment
Environmental Justice

Electives

Complete 6 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Foundation, or other courses, including no more than 3 credit hours from the Washington College of Law , approved by faculty advisor:

ACCT-688 Sustainability Reporting and Analysis (3)
GOVT-627 Government Regulation and Deregulation (3)
IBUS-641 Social Sustainability Strategy (3)
MGMT-617 Sustainability Systems and Innovation (3)
MGMT-643 Water, Energy and Sustainable Enterprise (3)
MGMT-644 Managing for Climate Change (3)
MGMT-685 Topics in Management (1.5-3)
PUAD-685 Topics in Policy Analysis and Management (1-3) : Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy
SIS-620 Studies in Global Environmental Politics (3) :
Activism and the Environment
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Environmental Risk Assessment
Environmental Justice
Global Climate Change
SIS-649 Environment and Development (3)
SIS-653 Topics in U.S. Foreign Policy (3) : Geopolitics of Energy
SIS-660 Environment and Politics (3)

Competence Application (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following, or other course approved by faculty advisor: