Master of Environmental Science and Management

Overview

The Master of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) is an interdisciplinary Master’s Degree Program focused on building expertise for working professionals and preparing them to apply environmental science and technology to real-world problems.

There are nine unique specializations that are available within the MESM program. 

Specializations

Advance the work you do

You’ll deepen your understanding of the fundamental principles of environmental science across disciplines and how human activities affect environmental conditions. A Masters of Environmental Science and Management will enable you to:

Assess the current state of scientific knowledge on environmental issues within your area of specialization.

Apply data driven approaches to understand complex human-ecological systems and use evidence to inform environmental decision making..

Integrate perspectives from multiple disciplines to address complex, real-world environmental problems to develop practical, viable solutions.

Communicate scientific information and solutions effectively to audiences including community members, stakeholders, decision‐makers, and scientists.

Apply your environmental science and management expertise through hands-on practice, advance your career, and expand your professional network.

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MESM Leadership Team

Career Outcomes

The Master of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) program at the University of Rhode Island prepares graduates for careers across government, private industry, nonprofits, and academia.

Federal government: MESM alumni work as biologists and scientists at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NOAA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Sandia National Laboratories.

State and local government: Graduates hold roles at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the RI Department of Transportation, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection — as well as city positions such as Energy Manager for the City of Providence and Resilience Planner for the Town of Barrington, RI.

Private sector: Alumni work in offshore wind (Operations Manager, Ørsted), environmental consulting (Arcadis, GZA GeoEnvironmental, TRC Companies, Tighe & Bond), law (Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith), and skilled trades (Philadelphia Steamfitters).

Nonprofits: Graduates lead conservation and research work at The Nature Conservancy, the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and the Aquidneck Island Land Trust.

Academia and research: MESM alumni hold faculty and research positions at URI, MIT, The Ohio State University, the University of Waikato in New Zealand, and UConn.

International careers: Graduates have taken MESM training abroad, including fisheries work with the Government of Malawi and Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

Common job titles of MESM graduates include GIS Analyst, Wetland Scientist, Habitat Biologist, Environmental Policy Analyst, and Program Manager.