Energy & Environment Concentration

From stormwater and sewage runoff to global emissions, the Energy and Environment concentration equips students to evaluate and improve upon policies affecting the water we drink, the ecosystems we enjoy, and the climate we rely upon. We use the city and the region as our classroom to develop versatile skills and insights essential for addressing energy and environmental challenges in our backyards and around the globe. The Pittsburgh region has experienced dramatic improvements in air and water quality, and yet the legacy of heavy industry and fossil fuel extraction remains and often burdens the most vulnerable. Similarly, the region is at the forefront of change in the global energy landscape, being the epicenter of the shale gas boom and now the transition away from coal with all its attendant consequences on local opportunity and well-being. Building on its manufacturing base, the Pittsburgh region, like many others, also seeks to harness opportunities in the burgeoning renewable energy industry so that its 21st century is cleaner and more prosperous than its 20th century. Thus, the Pittsburgh region is a useful laboratory to study how these issues affect societies around the world.

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SPIA Core Classes (12 credits)

    Quantitative Methods
    Microeconomics
    Public Policy Analysis
    Capstone Seminar
OR
    Thesis
Internship Requirement: All students must complete an approved internship of at least 300 hours while enrolled at SPIA. The internship must be approved by the student’s career advisor in advance. Students with at least three years of relevant full‐time work experience may petition their career advisor for a waiver of this requirement during their first semester.

MPA Degree Core (9 credits)

    Administration of Public Affairs
    Program Evaluation
    Financial Management

Energy & Environment Major Courses (12 credits)

Two of the following five courses:
    Environmental Economics & Policy
    Natural Resources Governance & Mgmt.
    Contemporary US Energy Policy
    Political Economy of Global Environment
    Climate Policy Local and Global
PIA 2--- Approved E&E Major Course

PIA 2--- Approved E&E Major Course

Free Electives/Minor Courses (15 credits)

PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective
PIA 2--- Elective

Below is a sample of electives that may be offered depending on the semester. Please speak with your advisor to confirm availability and create your personalized plan of study.

PIA 2115: Environmental Economics
PIA 2125: City & Regions Theory & Practice
PIA 2473: Strategies of Global Inquiry
PIA 2522: Climate Policy: Local & Global
PIA 2553: Global Health Policy
PIA 2563: Planning & Designing Development Projects
PIA 2704: Neighborhood & Community Development
PIA 2715: GIS for Public Policy
PIA 2720: Applied GIS in the Local Government
PIA 2740: Planning and Analysis for Sustainable Regions