Environmental Policy and Planning
Interdisciplinary Major or Minor
(Bachelor of Science)
Environmental Policy and Planning is an environmental studies program based in the social sciences. It is designed to prepare students for a variety of challenging professions involving the planning, analysis, design, and administration of policies and programs dealing with the natural and human-made environment. Students who major in Environmental Policy and Planning consider environmental challenges through the lens of law, politics, and economics. The program provides students with a solid background in environmental policy, environmental law, environmental planning, and an introduction to sustainable development and community-based environmental protection. It also prepares students for graduate work in environmental studies, public policy, public administration, law, urban and regional planning, and related fields.
Environmental Policy and Planning majors engage in both theoretical and applied study in their courses, and have flexibility to choose from different courses. Students may serve as interns in planning agencies in local governments, work with environmental organizations, or develop programs for sustainable communities. The two program emphases from which majors can choose are public policy and planning. While students must select one emphasis for their Environmental Policy and Planning major, students are also encouraged to take courses in the other emphasis.
The major in Environmental Policy and Planning consists of three sets of requirements: required supporting and analytical tool courses, an upper-level core of courses, and completion of courses within an area of emphasis. Other courses are recommended for majors. Students should discuss these recommended courses with their program advisers when establishing an academic plan.
The public policy emphasis focuses on environmental policy development and implementation; methods of policy analysis; and political, administrative, legal, and economic issues in environmental policy. It provides students with a strong background in the public policy and administrative aspects of environmental studies. This emphasis prepares students for employment in the public, nonprofit, and private market sectors as environmental policy analysts, specialists in public information, environmental management, government relations, and related careers, as well as for graduate work in environmental studies, public policy, public affairs, administration, and law.
The planning emphasis focuses on sustainable planning theory and methods, techniques in geographic information systems, land and resources use, and economic issues in environmental policy and planning. Students interested in developing skills in the planning and development of land at the community and regional levels, and in the economic issues of environmental policy and planning, may want to select this emphasis. It helps prepare students for careers and graduate work in environmental planning, urban and regional planning, community-based environmental management, geography, and related fields.
A minor in Environmental Policy and Planning is similar to the major in developing knowledge and skills in planning, decision-making, public policy, environmental sciences, political and economic processes, as well as the analytic capacities to participate in decision-making. An interdisciplinary minor in Environmental Policy and Planning is a good choice for students who wish to major in Environmental Science, Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, Urban and Regional Studies, Democracy and Justice Studies, or a number of other programs.
Considering a Double Major or a Major and a Minor?
Some students may want to consider a double major, combining Environmental Policy and Planning with Public Administration. Other popular second majors include Political Science and Economics. A double major or a minor in one of these fields complements the Environmental Policy and Planning curriculum, and makes students stronger candidates when seeking careers or entry into graduate programs. A certificate in Environmental Sustainability and Business is also available and fits well with a major or minor in Environmental Policy and Planning. Students should contact a faculty adviser early in their academic careers for advice on these options.
Students may study abroad or at other campuses in the United States through UW-Green Bay’s participation in international exchange programs and National Student Exchange. Travel courses are another option for obtaining academic credits and completing requirements. For more information, contact the Office of International Education at (920) 465-2190 or see http://www.uwgb.edu/international/ .
An academic plan for a major in Public Administration may vary, depending upon student interests, needs, and specialization within the major. The courses listed below, and the sequence in which they are listed, represent the faculty's recommendation for the general array of courses taken by all students in the program. Of particular importance is that lower-level prerequisites be completed before enrollment in upper-level courses. Students should pay particular attention to those required courses included in their academic plans that are offered only in alternate years.
As part of the general education requirements of the University, all majors will be completing 36 to 42 credits of work, including 9 credits or 3 courses each in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, 3 credits in Other Cultures, 3 credits of Ethnic Studies and 4 courses certified for the Writing Emphasis requirement. Some of these requirements are satisfied by courses taken as part of the major. Beyond these, we encourage Public Administration majors to discuss their preferences for general education courses, as well as other electives, with the PEA faculty. In general, we recommend that students become thoroughly acquainted with the major ideas, findings, and methods of inquiry in each domain of knowledge. We especially encourage majors to take introductory courses in the social sciences beyond those required as lower-level prerequisites (e.g., in sociology, psychology, and political science).
Recommended Academic Plan (using a sample of a possible electives)
Scott Furlong; Professor; Ph.D., American
Earl R Hutchison; Professor; Ph.D., Chicago
John R Stoll; Professor; Ph.D., Kentucky, chair*
Marcelo P Cruz; Associate Professor; Ph.D., UC-Los Angeles
Thomas S Nesslein; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Washington-Seattle
Laurel E Phoenix; Associate Professor; Ph.D., College of Environmental Science and Forestry/SUNY*
Lora H Warner; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth
David J Helpap; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., UW-Milwaukee*
Aaron C Weinschenk; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., UW-Milwaukee*
Elizabeth E Wheat; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Western Michigan*
Karen K Dalke; Lecturer; Ph.D., UW-Milwaukee
Courses
PU EN AF 102. Environment and Society. 3 Credits.
An examination of the relationship between humans and the biophysical environment at local, national, and global levels. Emphasis is given to the impact of personal attitudes, cultural beliefs, economics, politics, technology and available resources on environmental problems and solutions.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 198. First Year Seminar. 3 Credits.
This First Year Seminar offers student a chance to engage in a small class setting.
Reserved for New Incoming Freshman.
PU EN AF 202. Introduction to Public Policy. 3 Credits.
Contemporary issues in American public policy. Substantive public policies such as those dealing with the American economy, energy, crime, environmental quality, the welfare state and social programs. Models of the policy process are also considered.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 215. Introduction to Public Administration. 3 Credits.
Using case studies, this course explores the principal tools and methods for conducting public affairs, the external and internal elements affecting public agencies, and the role of these elements and the human dimension in creating and implementing public policies and programs.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 250. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 2 Credits.
Computerized Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent revolutionary software advancement that allow sophisticated information management, analysis and mapping with computer systems. In this class you will learn basic principles for creation and analysis of digital maps, cartographic concepts, and experience an intensive introduction to GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS).
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 299. Travel Course. 1-4 Credits.
Travel courses are conducted to various parts of the world and are led by one or more faculty members. May be repeated to different locations.
P: cons of instr & prior trip arr & financial deposit.
PU EN AF 301. Environmental Politics and Policy. 3 Credits.
U.S. and global environmental problems and their political implications. Emphasizes U.S. environmental politics, issues and controversies in environmental protection policy, the performance of governmental institution in response to environmental challenges, and strategies for environmental improvement.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 305. Natural Resources Economic Policy. 3 Credits.
Acquaints the student with policies leading to arrangements for the development, management, and use of natural resources. Emphasizes the longer time horizon required for the conservation of resources and a general concern for the quality of ecosystems.
P: ECON 203.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 306. Regulatory Policy and Administration. 3 Credits.
The origins, purposes and operation of regulatory agencies and the programs in the U.S.: theories of regulation, issues and controversies in regulatory policy, and decision-making in such areas as economic regulation, public health, consumer protection workplace safety and environmental quality.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202.
Fall Even.
PU EN AF 314. Administrative Law. 3 Credits.
Administrative law in the American federal (intergovernmental) system: connections between administrative law issues and issues of public policy; and legal dimensions of administrative problems.
P: POL SCI 101 or PU EN AF 215.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 315. Public and Non-Profit Management. 3 Credits.
Using case studies and applied learning techniques, this course explores management in public and nonprofit organizations from the perspective of a manager. Management approaches, techniques and concepts and theoretical frameworks are covered.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202; REC: PU EN AF 215.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 321. Coastal Resources Policy and Management. 3 Credits.
The importance of coastal resources, with an emphasis on Wisconsin's coasts. With field trips to local lakes and Lake Superior, we will study issues of development, overuse, risk, and their consequent environmental, aesthetic and economic impacts.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 322. Environmental Planning. 3 Credits.
History, processes, and impacts of environmental planning in the United States. Action forcing legislation and its effect on environmental issues and processes. Emphasizes environmental planning and implementation at the national, state, and local levels.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202; REC: ENV SCI 102.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 323. Sustainable Land Use. 3 Credits.
Various forms of public land-use controls in planning and administration, addressing "what, why and how" aspects of land-use controls. Smart Growth, Environmental Impact Analysis, and other comprehensive planning models studied.
P: jr st.
Spring.
PU EN AF 324. Transitioning to Sustainable Communities. 3 Credits.
Creating resilient communities based on local inputs/outputs to support jobs, housing, transportation, schools, agriculture and city services.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 335. Principles and Practices of Emergency Management. 3 Credits.
The philosophy of comprehensive Emergency Management will be discussed with the four attendent steps, which include mitigation, preparedness, response and recover. In addition, legal issues involving state and Federal law effecting emergency operations will be studied.
REC: PU EN AF 315.
PU EN AF 336. Strategic Emergency Preparedness, Planning and Implementation. 3 Credits.
Strategic planning and budgeting is a very important component in emergency planning and mitigation. Learn how to acquire and allocate resources, plan for crises with or without warning, and implement preparedness programs.
PU EN AF 337. Disaster Response Operations and Management. 3 Credits.
Examine the roles and responsibilities of the players in a crisis event. Explore the various problems associated with response operations such as: inadequate preparedness measurers, safety and site security, politics, and record keeping.
PU EN AF 338. Disaster Recovery. 3 Credits.
Examine disaster recovery in isolation. Explore the short and long term effects of disasters, as well as, the process of putting families, businesses and communities back together. You will learn the importance of reconstruction and relocation.
PU EN AF 339. Political and Policy Dimensions of Emergency Management. 3 Credits.
This course considers the political and policy environment in which emergency management is practiced. It focuses on political processes and phenomena associated with mitigating the likely effects of extreme events, responding to them, and recovering from them. The course is intended to help emergency managers develop an understanding of local, state, federal, and intergovernmental politics affecting and affected by extreme events.
PU EN AF 344. Leadership in Organizations. 3 Credits.
Roles, functions and environments of organizational managers and leaders broadly defined, especially in public enterprises; issues of human resources management within these sectors.
Fall Odd.
PU EN AF 345. Public and Nonprofit Human Resource and Risk Management. 3 Credits.
Risk and human resource management as it affects not-for-profit organizations. This course is applicable to both nonprofit and governmental entities who utilized paid or volunteer staff and face multiple sources of risk to their functioning. Topical coverage will include risk assessment and planning as well as staff development, performance standards, and professional practices regarding proper interviewing, hiring, evaluation and dismissal procedures. Legal requirements and the institutional setting for both human resource and enterprise risk management will be examined.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 350. GIS in Public and Environmental Policy. 2 Credits.
Uses state-of-the-art software to integrate digitized data maps, transfer data, manage relational data bases, overlay maps, display, query, edit interactive graphics, and geocode addresses. Focus is upon GIS applications tailored to public and environmental policy, e.g., tax base analysis, property mapping, natural resources inventory, crime demography, transportation routing, natural hazards, and emergency management.
P: PU EN AF 250
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 351. Water Resources Policy and Management. 3 Credits.
This course will cover the basics of water management and planning, covering local to global examples of such things as surface water pollution, mining of fossil aquifers, water wars at regional, interstate, and international levels.
P: PU EN AF 102 or ENV SCI 102.
Spring.
PU EN AF 378. Environmental Law. 3 Credits.
An overview of major environmental laws such as the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, with emphasis on how these laws are implemented by the federal and state governments.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202 or 215.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 379. Natural Resources Policy, Law, and Administration. 3 Credits.
This course examines public land and resources policy, law and administration from multiple perspectives. It covers environmental and administrative decision making and various contemporary resource management problems and conflicts.
P: POL SCI 101 or PU EN AF 202
Spring Even.
PU EN AF 380. Global Environmental Politics and Policy. 3 Credits.
This course explores the transnational and international context of environmental politics and policy. Particular focus areas include the causes of environmental harm, the meaning of sustainability, and the relevance of new environmental actors on the global stage.
P: jr st. REC: POL SCI 100
Spring.
PU EN AF 390. Colloquium in Environmental Sustainability & Business. 1 Credit.
Required component of the Certificate in Environmental Sustainability and Business. Focus is placed be upon the nature of systems thinking systems dynamics, and problem solving. Will address systems dynamics in natural world policy creation, human creativity and the arts, and business decision making. Latter half of class is applications focussed.
P: jr st & EMBI certificate enrollment
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 402. Environmental and Resource Economics. 3 Credits.
Applications of tools such as cost-benefit analysis and other economic concepts in current public decision making, with special emphasis upon common property resources management.
P: ECON 303 or 305.
Spring.
PU EN AF 406. State and Local Government. 3 Credits.
Policy and institutional comparisons across states and local governments through hands-on research, placing a special focus on Wisconsin's local governments.
P: POL SCI 101 or PU EN AF 215.
Spring.
PU EN AF 407. Service in the Public Sector. 3 Credits.
This course explores what is meant by public service, with a special focus on service in local governmental settings. The course considers case studies from the International City/Council Management Association and what management and leadership in local government entails.
REC: PU EN AF 215
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 408. Public Policy Analysis. 3 Credits.
An introduction to public policy analysis and to the policy-making process, primarily in American government. The course emphasizes the political aspects of policy analysis, models and methods for rational design of public policies, and applications of policy studies to particular public problems.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 409. Public Finance and Fiscal Policy. 3 Credits.
Effects of government spending and taxation on resource allocation, incomes, prices and employment. Includes consideration of the uses and effects of fiscal policy.
P: ECON 203.
Fall Odd.
PU EN AF 415. Public and Nonprofit Budgeting. 3 Credits.
The purposes and attributes of major public budgetary systems: principles and methods in designing and managing relationships among program planning, policy planning and budgetary operation; applications of analytical and decision-assisting tools in public budgetary operations.
P: POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202 or 215.
Spring.
PU EN AF 425. Fundraising and Marketing for Nonprofits. 3 Credits.
The course is designed for students aspiring to manage a nonprofit or serve on a Board of Directors. Students learn about creating a sustainable nonprofit by developing broad based fundraising strategies and by marketing the organization to create a positive community image.
P: PU EN AF 215; REC PU EN AF 315.
Fall Only.
PU EN AF 426. Strategic Philanthropy: Civic Engagement Through Giving. 3 Credits.
A hands-on course where students learn the motives, methods, and values of philanthropy by studying local data, working with nonprofits and donors, and allocating funds (provided by community partners) to organizations in the community. Appropriate for all majors.
P: Junior status REC: One or more of PU EN AF 315, 425 or 428
Spring.
PU EN AF 428. Public and Nonprofit Program Evaluation. 3 Credits.
Develops a working understanding and selected skills relating to the conduct of program evaluations. Evaluation design, data collection, data analysis, and utilization of findings are discussed using the political and social context of "real" organizations.
P: PU EN AF 215; REC: COMM SCI 301; PU EN AF 315; PU EN AF 408.
Spring.
PU EN AF 430. Seminar in Ethics and Public Action. 3 Credits.
A capstone course intended to introduce a range of ethical concerns in public affairs. Through theoretical and case study readings and applied projects, students deal with ethical issues and varied responses to them.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 450. Advanced Geographic Information Systems. 3 Credits.
Project-based course using ArcGIS. Students define a project, develop a database, analyze spatial data, and develop GIS maps displaying results of their analysis.
P: GEOG 350 or PU EN AF 350.
Spring Even.
PU EN AF 452. Planning Theory and Methods. 3 Credits.
Planning for public and not-for-profit agencies: theory and practical significance of planning; the political and administrative setting of planning operations; and methods of planning analysis such as strategic planning.
P: BUS ADM 216 or COMM SCI 205 or MATH 260
Fall Even.
PU EN AF 453. Cost Benefit Analysis. 3 Credits.
Application of tools and concepts in current economic decision making, with special emphasis upon Natural Resource management, environmental problems, market failure, and public policy approaches.
PU EN AF 461. Special Topics in Public and Environmental Affairs. 3 Credits.
An interdisciplinary study of public policy issues selected from public administration and environmental policy and planning. Includes issues such as health care reform, environmental policy analysis, policy planning.
PU EN AF 478. Honors in the Major. 3 Credits.
Honors in the Major is designed to recognize student excellence within interdisciplinary and disciplinary academic programs.
P: min 3.50 all cses req for major and min gpa 3.75 all UL cses req for major.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 490. EMBI Co-Op/Experience. 3 Credits.
Required component of the Certificate in Environmental Sustainability and Business. Enrolled students will be placed by EMBI in a business, nonprofit, or governmental setting that involves interdisciplinary problem solving within an environmental sustainability context. This will be a special co-op/internship/project experience.
P: Junior standing and enrollment in Environmental Sustainability and Business certificate program.
PU EN AF 497. Internship. 1-12 Credits.
Supervised practical experience in an organization or activity appropriate to a student's career and educational interests. Internships are supervised by faculty members and require periodic student/faculty meetings.
P: jr st.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 498. Independent Study. 1-4 Credits.
Independent study is offered on an individual basis at the student's request and consists of a program of learning activities planned in consultation with a faculty member. A student wishing to study or conduct research in an area not represented in available scheduled courses should develop a preliminary proposal and seek the sponsorship of a faculty member. The student's advisor can direct him or her to instructors with appropriate interests. A written report or equivalent is required for evaluation, and a short title describing the program must be sent early inthe semester to the registrar for entry on the student's transcript.
P: fr or so st with cum gpa > or = 2.50; or jr or sr st with cum gpa > or = 2.00.
Fall and Spring.
PU EN AF 499. Travel Course. 1-6 Credits.
Travel courses are conducted to various parts of the world and are led by one or more faculty members. May be repeated to different locations.
P: cons of instr & prior trip arr & financial deposit.
