The PSM degree in Environmental Sciences is offered as a non-thesis program only. Students have a major professor and graduate committee to review their program of study, provide career and internship advice, and evaluate a final report based on the internship project experience.

Master's Degree Flowchart
Masters Degree Flowchart

The PSM in Environmental Sciences includes coursework in environmental sciences and business, as well as courses from other academic units on campus. Students will also complete a minimum 3-month internship arranged with private industry, consulting, NGO's, academia, or agencies in the public sector and write and defend a final internship report.

If you are interested in the online PSM degree, please see the Ecampus website for curriculum information.

International students who need to improve their English may be interested in first taking the Pathway to Environmental Sciences program.

Curriculum

1. Environmental Sciences Core (6 credits) forms the foundation of this program by providing students with basic skills in environmental research methods and analysis as well as ethical training.

  • ENSC 515 Environmental Perspectives and Methods (3 credits)
  • ENSC 520 Environmental Analysis (3 credits)

2. Numerical Skills (6-8 credits) expose students to research design, statistical analysis, modeling, survey design, or other quantitative and qualitative techniques.

Students have an opportunity to select courses based on their internship needs and objectives.

Example courses:

  • BEE 511 Global and Environmental Change, Using Spacial Data to Inform Decisions (3 credits)
  • BEE 512 Physical Hydrology (3 credits)
  • FES 522 Research Methods in Social Science (4 credits)
  • FES 523 Quantitative Analysis in Social Science (4 credits)
  • GEOG 580 Remote Sensing (4 credits)
  • GEOG 560, 561, 562 Geographic Information Systems I, II, III (4 credits)
  • ST 511, 512, 513 Methods of Data Analysis I, II, III (3 credits each)
  • ST 516 Foundations of Data Analytics (4 credits)

3. Environmental Sciences Track Electives (11-15 credits)

An area of concentration, or track, gives focus and identity to each student’s curriculum and allows for flexibility in response to changing employment demands. Students choose courses listed within these areas of concentration-there are many to choose from. Eight areas of concentration are currently available. For online PSM track curricula, contact the program director.

  1. Biogeochemistry
  2. Ecology
  3. Environmental Education
  4. Natural Resources
  5. Quantitative Analysis
  6. Social Science
  7. Water Resources
  8. Climate Change

4. Business Core (6 credits) provides students the ability to serve as liaisons between the scientific and business communities in industry, consulting, NGOs, and government.

  • BA 515 Managerial Decision Tools (3 credits)
  • BA 516 Creating Value in Exchange (3 credits)

5. Business/Professional Electives (6-8 credits) allow students to expand their business training aligned with a particular area of interest.

Example courses:

  • AEC 534 Environmental and Resource Economics (3 credits)
  • COMM 542 Bargaining and Negotiation (3 credits)
  • FW 620 Ecological Policy (3 credits)
  • PHL 543 World Views and Environmental Values (3 credits)
  • PS 575 Environmental Politics and Policy (4 credits)
  • WRP 523 Environmental Water Transactions (3 credits)

6. Internship (6 credits)

Internships can take place in a variety of venues, including but not limited to: industry, environmental consulting or engineering firms, businesses involved in land use planning, NGOs, global organizations, or governmental agencies in the public sector such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land Management, and local and state agencies. Each of these governmental agencies have extensive laboratories and facilities in the Corvallis area.

During their internships, students will become aware of the costs of protecting resources, career opportunities in the field of environmental sciences, management, and policy, and the breadth of the environmental industry in today’s business world. The major professor and the student’s graduate committee will help define specific objectives for the proposal and help identify potential internship opportunities. However, it is the responsibility of the graduate student to formally initiate the internship with an industry supervisor.

  • ENSC 510 Internship or project equivalent to 3 months full-time work (6 credits)

Program of study planning templates

Use the follow templates to help track progress through the program.

Course substitutions must be approved by the major professor. Many of our courses are offered through Ecampus, in addition to Corvallis, OSU-Cascades and Hatfield Marine Science Center locations. Please check course offerings through the online catalog.