Demand for Environmental Management Skills

For those with interests in environmental policy and management, there are many opportunities to apply this knowledge to the military, government agencies, the nonprofit sector, and the business world.

The Military 

• The U. S. Coast Guard finds solutions to environmental issues through regulatory enforcement to safeguard marine waters.
  
• The U.S Army’s Environmental Management Division works to support military missions while protecting the environment.
  
• The Department of Defense needs professionals well versed in public land management to oversee roughly 27 million acres of land, including old-growth forests, wetlands, and other ecologically sensitive areas.
  
• The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is made up of subject matter experts who address environmental problems, including regulatory compliance, restoration, waste management, and data analysis.

Government agencies 

• The Environmental Protection Agency works on critical environmental issues such as slowing climate change and advancing environmental justice.
  
• The Department of Energy works with professionals to pursue major energy projects such as the president’s net-zero carbon emissions initiative. 

Nonprofits

• The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit member-based organization advocating for sustainable solutions to protect the earth. It's the organization that helped with the passage of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s and helped champion a $97 million legal settlement to examine and replace Flint, Michigan, water lines.
  
• The World Wildlife Fund teams with corporate partners to advance sustainability goals. For example, since 2007 it has worked with Coca-Cola to improve water security for some of the world's most water-stressed areas. Now WWF and Coca-Cola are engaged in projects and strategies to address climate resilience and plastic waste reduction.

Businesses 

• As the demand for more eco-conscious practices increases, there is an increased need for consulting firms. The research firm Verdantix forecasts a 17% annual growth in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) as well as sustainability consulting between 2022 and 2027. According to the job sites Indeed and LinkedIn, environmental advisors and chief sustainability officers are needed to help corporations and nonprofit organizations create sustainability strategies. 
  

Serve As A Community Leader

Discover new ways to serve by solving complex environmental challenges and bringing diverse communities together. Taking a leadership role in environmental planning requires a savvy communicator – someone who can parse disparate data, hear divergent views, navigate political situations, explain complex interactions, put forth proposals, and gain consensus. 

Throughout the master of environmental policy and management program, you’ll become aware of the impact of human activities and industrialization on the environment. This program is designed to enhance your leadership and management skills by applying qualitative and quantitative analysis, examining competing ethical arguments, and exploring socio-political and economic influences on public policy. 

Deepen your Expertise with your Choice of Concentration

Our concentrations offer opportunities to delve deeply into topics you're passionate about, from tackling global environmental challenges to managing fish and wildlife resources to examining the human impact on our environment. Concentration areas have allowed students to focus on topics such as water resource management, risk assessment, renewable energy, fisheries management, and wildlife management.

Learn From Experienced Practitioners

Gain real-world skills and mentorship from faculty who are passionate about sharing their knowledge with the next generation of leaders. Our seasoned faculty have worked directly in government and industry on environmental challenges across diverse fields. Faculty members have held roles as environmental managers and officers, geospatial analysis consultants, research project leads, stormwater compliance and enforcement managers, as well as chief conservation officers. They have the interdisciplinary background to discover novel solutions to pressing environmental issues. 

In addition to sharing their experience in the field, they are well versed in the latest developments in environmental policy and practice. Discussions with these subject matter experts bring practical experience you can apply directly toward your goals.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Our graduate program provides many opportunities to learn outside the classroom by allowing academic credit for approved research and internships of your choosing. We encourage students to identify potential internship options. 

Research is also a key deliverable in our graduate program. To complete the program, students may choose to either build a professional portfolio to demonstrate their scholarly work to date or present and defend original research. 

Note: Many internships require face-to-face presence. Thus, an internship is the one element of our environmental management degree program that is not necessarily completed online. Students who are interested in internships are responsible for identifying appropriate opportunities and reaching out to the program chair and advising for guidance about next steps. 

Why Attend American Military University?

Academic excellence. American Military University is part of the American Public University System, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Ability to quickly apply skills. Faculty members encourage students to use innovative thinking to tackle environmental issues. Our graduate program is designed to offer practical applications and competencies you can swiftly use in real-world situations.

Flexibility. Aside from undertaking an optional in-person internship, this degree program is online and built around the needs of working professionals. We have rolling admissions for maximum flexibility with courses starting every month.

Affordability. In addition to affordable tuition rates, there’s no cost for admission applications or transfer credit assessments, and students can access low or no cost ebooks.

Military-friendly. We support active-duty military personnel and veterans, as well as military spouses. As a top education provider to the U.S. military, we offer a Preferred Military Rate for U.S. active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists, and military families. Our Veterans Grant makes tuition more affordable for veterans and their families. Transfer credits may also be possible for military courses.