Virginia Commonwealth University
AC-4: Graduate Program

The Master of Environmental Studies degree is a terminal, two-year professional degree for a significant proportion of our students. It provides a unique, interdisciplinary opportunity for students and faculty to explore the critical links among environmental life sciences, technology and policy.

The Center offers a Master of Science in Environmental Studies that focuses on environmental planning, environmental science, environmental health and environmental technology. Graduates may then find employment in government, nonprofit, and public and private sector positions.

The Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at VCU is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board and provides professional grounding in the theory and methodology of planning through a curriculum that balances classroom and field experience. Students learn practical planning skills through hands-on, field-based instruction and a required internship in a public or private planning-related organization. Because Richmond is the state capital, there are ample opportunities for paid internships in state and local government, as well as with private, planning consulting firms and development organizations.

The Certificate in Urban Revitalization provides specialized training in the techniques and processes of city and neighborhood revitalization. Topics include adaptive reuse of buildings, historic preservation, real estate market analysis and the role of private-public partnerships in financing development projects. The certificate is useful for mid-career professionals who wish to learn new skills to expand their career options. It also is useful for recent college graduates who desire advanced training beyond the baccalaureate level and accelerated entry into the job market.

The mission of the Certificate in Sustainability Planning is to provide students with a better understanding of society’s land use and natural resource systems, with a particular emphasis on the factors that contribute to or constrain their level of sustainability. The program aims to give students the knowledge and skills needed to identify and address barriers to sustainability and to formulate strategies to create more sustainable practices, systems and institutions. Using a holistic and integrated approach, the program emphasizes the interdependence of sociocultural, biophysical and political-economic dimensions of sustainability, especially as they relate to urban or other subnational regions.