Environmental Economics Degree Programs
Students in our Environmental Economics (EE) degree programs study the intersection of society and the environment, learning skills to inform a wide range of environmental policies.
The Environmental Economics programs train students in state-of-the-art economics and policy analysis pertaining to environmental issues, combining an emphasis on quantitative approaches with unique strengths in interdisciplinary and marine applications such as fisheries, offshore energy, coastal land use, sea level rise, and climate change. Students study how to manage environmental resources, evaluate the effectiveness of policies, ensure sustainability and environmental justice, and address local and global environmental change.
This is a multidisciplinary program, equipping students with the tools and knowledge to understand complex issues from multiple perspectives. Economics provides a common language for understanding the decision-making process in light of financial, policy, and environmental drivers. Students also take classes from the natural sciences and learn how to integrate knowledge across disciplines to address questions of policy. The program is housed in the School of Marine Science & Policy, drawing upon its long tradition of interaction between the natural and social sciences, along with its world-class environmental researchers and facilities. In addition, students have access to courses and faculty expertise at the Biden School of Public Policy & Administration, the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, and the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.
Students build expertise in policy areas of their choosing and acquire cutting-edge research and analytical skills. The EE programs are appropriate for students with quantitative social science backgrounds seeking to better understand environmental issues; STEM students who want to apply their interests to public policy; persons with experience in public or private sectors looking to advance their environmental policy expertise; and recently graduated students continuing their matriculation with focused interests related to environmental economics. Students from diverse backgrounds and international students are encouraged to apply.
The Ph.D. in Environmental Economics focuses on the intersection of economics and the environment and trains students to inform decision-making in environmental policy. Students learn state-of-the-art economic and policy analysis methods pertaining to environmental issues, with an emphasis on quantitative approaches, and the program offers unique strengths in interdisciplinary and marine applications such as fisheries, offshore energy, coastal land use, sea level rise, and climate change. The program prepares students for jobs in academia, government, and the private sector (consulting, think tanks, and industry). Applicants who would like to be considered for a competitive fellowship or research assistantships should submit their full application by December 15.
Admission is competitive. It is based on grades, letters of recommendation, and an application essay. A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is expected. The SMSP Graduate Committee evaluates each applicant for admission. The Committee reserves the right to interview applicants, but it is not required for admission.
A four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) in any academic field from an accredited college or university is required. A student may be admitted to the program with or without a Masters degree.
International students must have a TOEFL score of 90 or higher. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may be taken in lieu of the TOEFL exam. The University of Delaware requires an overall band score of 6.5 or higher on the IELTS, with no individual speaking score being less than 6. This requirement is waived for international student applicants graduating from degree programs in countries where English is the primary language. TOEFL or IELTS scores must be within the last two years.
The Ph.D. in Environmental Economics program trains graduate students to achieve the highest level of proficiency in economics and policy analysis pertaining to environmental issues. All doctoral students work closely with faculty on their dissertation research.
The coursework provides a solid foundation for original research and extends the student’s knowledge beyond mastering a primary set of knowledge and skills. Students will work with their advisors to determine relevant additional coursework to reach the minimum total of 54 credits. All courses in the program are selected with the approval of the student's advisor.
For students holding a Master's degree in an appropriate field of study, the coursework from the Master's degree can be taken into account through a Plan of Study with their advisor (see the program’s policy statement for more information). Outstanding MS students in Environmental Economics at UD may petition to bypass to the Ph.D. program within the first two semesters, subject to recommendation by their advisor and approval by the Graduate Committee and School Director.
- MAST 675/ECON 675 Natural Resource Economics
- MAST 676/ECON 676 Environmental Economics
- MAST 688 Climate Change Economics
- ECON 811 Microeconomic Theory I
- ECON 813 Microeconomic Theory II
- ECON 822 Econometric Theory I
- ECON 823 Econometric Theory II
- UAPP 701 Public Policy or UAPP 707 Public Policy Analysis
- MAST 610 Coupling Natural & Human Systems (substitution of another science course is allowed with approval by advisor)
- 18 elective credit hours approved by advisor
- MAST 969 Dissertation Research
Each doctoral committee shall consist of not less than four and not more than six members. The selection of members of the doctoral committee is made by the student and the advisor. This is forwarded via the School Director and respective college deans to the Graduate College. The doctoral committee is composed of the student's advisor, who is also the chair of the committee, members from the SMSP faculties, and at least one member who holds a doctoral degree and does not have an SMSP appointment. At least two committee members, one of which is the committee's chairperson, represent the major field of interest. Half the committee must consist of SMSP faculty members.
There are two milestone requirements for a student to be entered into candidacy. First, satisfactory completion of the dissertation proposal, which is at the discretion of the advisor in consultation with the student’s advisory committee. Second, a qualifying examination must be successfully completed.
To proceed in the program, doctoral students must demonstrate to their advisory committee that they have acquired a comprehensive grasp of their field of study through a qualifying examination. This examination is usually taken near or after the completion of the required credits of coursework. In order to take the qualifying examination, students are ordinarily required to first submit a research proposal and to be in good academic standing. .
The qualifying examination includes written and oral components and is prepared and administered by the advisor in consultation with the student’s advisory committee. At least 60 days prior to the examination, the advisor will inform the student of the areas to be examined and the format of the written and oral parts of the examination.
Ph.D. students must write and defend a dissertation. The student’s advisory committee serves as the examining board. The written dissertation is provided to the members of the committee in advance. Once approved, an oral defense is scheduled. The candidate then defends the dissertation before the committee. The dissertation defense is open to the public. Invitations are sent to all CEOE faculty and students at least two weeks prior to the defense date. In the defense, the student presents the proposed research and responds to questions from the committee. The defense is 60 to 120 minutes long and is organized and led by the student’s advisor. Immediately following the defense, the dissertation committee meets to decide whether the dissertation is accepted, rejected, or accepted with conditions.
Fall Semester I
ECON 811 Microeconomic Theory I (3 cr.)
ECON 822 Econometric Theory I (3 cr.)
MAST 675 Nat Res Economics (3 cr.)
Spring Semester I
ECON 813 Microeconomic Theory II (3 cr.)
ECON 823 Econometric Theory II (3 cr.)
MAST 676 Env Economics (3 cr.)
Fall Semester II
UAPP 701 Public Policy (3 cr.)
MAST 688 Climate Change Economics (3 cr.)
MAST 610 Coupling Natural & Human Systems or other Natural Systems Elective (3 cr.)
Spring Semester II
Electives (9 cr.)
Fall Semester III
Electives (9 cr.)
Spring Semester III
Pre-Candidacy credits
Approve advisory committee
Complete qualifying exams
Defend dissertation proposal
Fall/Spring IV and Fall V
Candidacy credits
Spring V
MAST 969 Dissertation Research
Defend dissertation
All full-time graduate students are required to attend departmental or college seminars in their fields of study. Students will also make presentations at departmental or college seminars. Students are encouraged to attend other University seminars that may be pertinent to their research.
For more information on degree requirements, visit the UD Course Catalog and review the current SMSP graduate policies.
Our program offers a unique blend of economics, policy, and natural science that is advantageous to analysts working in interdisciplinary teams on environmental policy issues. Examples of job placement are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Research Triangle Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, and DuPont.
Admission is competitive. It is based on grades, letters of recommendation, and an application essay. A GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale is expected. The SMSP Graduate Committee evaluates each applicant for admission. The Committee reserves the right to interview applicants, but it is not required for admission. A four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) in any academic field from an accredited college or university is required.
International students must have a TOEFL score of 90 or higher. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may be taken in lieu of the TOEFL exam. The University of Delaware requires an overall band score of 6.5 or higher on the IELTS, with no individual speaking score being less than 6. This requirement is waived for international student applicants graduating from degree programs in countries where English is the primary language. TOEFL or IELTS scores must be within the last two years.
All students in the M.S. program are required to complete a minimum of 33 graduate credits. Students graduating with the MS in Environmental Economics degree are prepared to conduct economic and policy analysis at all levels of government and in the private sector (consulting, interest groups, think tanks, industry, etc.). They are trained in the essential principles of environmental and resource management, quantitative analytical methods--including data handling, model estimation, and interpretation--policy analysis tools, and effective communication skills.
- ECON 811 Microeconomic Theory I
- MAST 675/ECON 675 Natural Resource Economics
- MAST 676/ECON 676 Environmental Economics
- MAST 688 Climate Change Economics
- SPPA 704 Advanced Quantitative Methods
- UAPP 701 Public Policy or UAPP 707 Public Policy Analysis
- MAST 610 Coupling Natural & Human Systems (substitution of another science course is allowed with approval by the program)
- 6 elective credit hours approved by the program
- MAST 663 Decision Tools for Policy Analysis
- MAST 664 Environmental Issue Capstone
A student may write an analytical paper in lieu of the capstone experience, with the approval of an SMSP or SMSP-affiliated faculty member. The analytical paper is an article-length paper targeting publication in an environmental economics or policy journal.
Fall Semester I
ECON 811 Microeconomic Theory I (3 cr.)
MAST 675 Nat Res Economics (3 cr.)
MAST 610 Coupling Natural & Human Systems or other Natural Systems Elective (3 cr.)
Spring Semester I
MAST 676 Env Economics (3 cr.)
SPPA 704 Advanced Quantitative Methods (3 cr.)
Elective (3 cr.)
Fall Semester II
UAPP 701 Policy Analysis (3 cr.)
MAST 663 Decision Tools for Policy Analysis (3 cr.)
MAST 688 Climate Change Economics (3 cr.)
Spring Semester II
MAST 664 Environmental Issue Capstone (3 cr.)
Elective (3 cr.)
The capstone is a central part of the student experience and includes a setup course taken in the preceding semester. The capstone is developed with input from faculty across SMSP, is designed to address a specific real-world policy problem, and is sponsored by an outside client. Students work in small groups on the assigned project using skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom. The outside sponsor can be at the local, national, or international level and might, for example, include agencies such as Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the World Bank, or the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The sponsors change from year to year. The SMSP faculty work with sponsors to design each year’s capstone projects.
For more information on degree requirements, visit the UD Course Catalog and review the current SMSP graduate policies.
Steps to apply
Step 1
Reach out to CEOE faculty with research interests matching your own to discuss opportunities.
Step 2
Visit the official UD Graduate Admissions homepage.
Step 3
Click the Submit Application link to create an online account. You will receive a temporary account PIN that you can use to create a new password.
Step 4
Start a new application. Fill out your biographical information, select your program of study and follow the on-screen prompts.
Step 5
Once your application is submitted, notify the department graduate program director.