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Environmental Policy and Planning

The Environmental Policy and Planning degree prepares students for careers in policy, science, and research in the environmental sector. 

Students can choose to study either full-time or enroll in the part-time track for working professionals, attending courses during the evenings and on weekends. 

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  • Degree Offering
  • Full-Time and Part-Time Tracks
  • Faculty
  • Application Requirements
  • Contact the Department

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Contact us:

Office of Graduate Admissions
Bendetson Hall
Medford, MA 02155
(617) 627-3395
gradadmissions@tufts.edu

MS in Environmental Policy and Planning

The MS in Environmental Policy and Planning, offered through the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) at Tufts, prepares the next generation of leaders—‘practical visionaries’—who will contribute to the development and promotion of environmentally sustainable communities.

This nationally accredited urban planning degree offers students the opportunity to focus on environmental science, policy, and planning issues that are increasingly relevant in today’s world. Tufts UEP graduate students learn to confront current social and environmental challenges and gain the necessary skill set to work towards effective solutions.

Visit the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning

Related Programs:

Full-Time Track

Our accredited urban planning MS program usually takes two years of full-time study. The program requires completion of twelve or thirteen courses (36-39 credit hours) plus a thesis or capstone exam for a minimum of 42 credit hours. 

Pathways to Tufts: Part-Time Track for Working Professionals

Using a trimester format for graduate coursework, the accredited part-time program allows working professionals to work full-time while attending courses during the evening, online, and/or weekends, allowing completion of the program in two to three years. Requirements are the same as full-time study. 

Sample Part-Time Schedule*

Term Courses Offered
Fall Semester UEP0250: Foundations of Public Policy and Planning

UEP0252: Cities in Space, Place and Time		 Tuesday and Thursday, 4:30-5:45PM


Wednesday, 6-9PM
Spring Semester Elective


UEP0255: Field Projects		 Evenings

Evenings
Summer Session 1 UEP0232: Intro to GIS Evenings
Summer Session 2 UEP0191: Philanthropy and Fundraising Evenings
Fall Semester UEP0254: Quantitative Reasoning for Policy and Planning

Elective		 Alternate Saturdays 9AM-2PM


Evenings
Spring Semester UEP0251: Economics for Planning and Policy Analysis

Elective		 Alternate Saturdays 9AM-2PM

Evenings
Summer Session 1 UEP0230 Negotiations & Conflict Resolution Evenings
Fall Semester

Thesis 

Elective

  
Spring Semester Thesis  

 

*This is a sample schedule. Course offerings and schedule are subject to change. 

Faculty

Mary E. Davis
Department Chair and Associate Professor
Ph.D. , University of Florida
Environmental health and economics
Julian Agyeman
Professor
Ph.D. , University of London
Sustainability policy and planning, environmental and food justice, intercultural cities
Rachel Bratt
Professor Emerita
Ph.D. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Housing and community development
Christine Cousineau
Lecturer
MArch AS, MCP , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Urban planning and design, green urban design, retrofitting suburbs, community engagement
Laurie Goldman
Senior Lecturer
Ph.D. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Social welfare and housing policy, policy implementation, public and nonprofit management
Justin Hollander
Professor and Certificate Program Advisor
Ph.D. , Rutgers University
Land use planning, urban design, shrinking cities, big data analytics
James Jennings
Professor Emeritus
Ph.D. , Columbia University
Urban and neighborhood politics, social welfare, community development
Shan Jiang
Shan Jiang
Eileen Fox Aptman, J90, and Lowell Aptman Assistant Professor
Ph.D. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Big data analytics; spatial data science; urban mobility; urban science
Sheldon Krimsky
Lenore Stern Professor in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Ph.D. , Boston University
Environmental policy and ethics
Penn Loh
Senior Lecturer and Director of the M.P.P. Program and Community Practice
M.S. , University of California, Berkeley
Environmental justice, solidarity and new economy, community organizing
Russ Lopez
Russ Lopez
Lecturer
Environmental factors associated with learning and education, urban environmental health, and the contribution of the social and built environments to public health outcomes and social disparities
Liat Racin, Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University
Liat Racin
Lecturer
Ph.D. , King's College, London
Social geographer and urbanist with particular interests in social policy, ecology, public spaces, and justice
Ann Rappaport
Senior Lecturer
Ph.D. , Tufts University
Environmental management and policy
Rebecca Shakespeare, Lecturer, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
Rebecca Shakespeare
Lecturer
Ph.D. , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Geographic information system; urban geography; housing; critical GIS
Portrait of Shomon Shamsuddin.
Shomon Shamsuddin
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Housing policy, education, and community development
Portrait of Sumeeta Srinivasan.
Sumeeta Srinivasan
Lecturer
Ph.D. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Intersection of sustainable development and spatial inequities of access
Jon Witten
Senior Lecturer
J.D. , Suffolk University
Land use planning, local government law, natural resources policy

Application Deadline
 

Fall: January 15
Round 2 Fall Deadline: May 15

Fall Pathways Part-time Track: August 1
Spring Pathways Part-time Track: December 31

Application Requirements: 

  • Transcripts (unofficial may be uploaded to the application. If admitted, official transcripts must be sent)
  • Personal Statement
    Describe your reasons for wanting to pursue graduate study at Tufts in the program to which you are applying. Please limit your personal statement to a maximum of five pages (approximately 2,500 words).
  • Resume/CV
  • In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the availability of standardized testing, GRE scores are currently waived for students applying to this program
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores, if applicable (for exceptions, see Requirements and Policies)
  • Application Fee

For more information, visit the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@tufts.edu, (617) 627-3395. 

For questions about this program, including scholarships and assistantships, please contact Rebecca Shakespeare.

Students interested in part-time study should contact pathwaysgsas@tufts.edu.

Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
97 Talbot Avenue
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts 02155

Tel: (617) 627-3394
Fax:(617) 627-3377

uep@tufts.edu