The Accelerated Professional Science Masters degree is designed for qualified students enrolled in the KU Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of General Studies in Environmental Studies degree track. The program allows students to complete the Professional Science Masters (PSM) in Applied Science graduate degree with a concentration in Environmental Assessment in a single year (five years total for both degrees). Key foci in the science curriculum of this program are environmental impact assessment; soil, air, water, and ecosystems science; environmental health and policy; community and climate resilience; and an understanding of environmental law and policy and the regulatory environment.
The Professional Science Master’s (PSM) is an interdisciplinary graduate degree that combines advanced coursework in science with a set of professional skills courses (project management, technical writing/communications, environmental policy), and a capstone/internship experience. The environmental assessment graduate program combines physical and natural science, resilience, and sustainability principles with project management and communications training to develop science professionals with the skills to accurately collect, synthesize, and clearly communicate data, develop and implement solutions, and successfully lead teams. The PSM is designed for graduates who will be employed in private firms, public agencies, and not-for-profit organizations that address a range of environmental issues.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Application Deadlines for FAST-TRACK:
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Early Conditional Admission to the Accelerated Fast Track:
Students apply to the Accelerated Applied Science PSM Program with a concentration in Environmental Assessment (PSM-EA) in the spring of their junior year for permission to start the Accelerated track. However, acceptance to the track does not guarantee acceptance to the Applied Science PSM graduate program the following year.
Requirements for Early Conditional Admission (second semester, Junior Year):
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All requirements for a B.S., B.A., or B.G.S. degree in Environmental Studies from KU in progress with a 3.2 GPA or above;
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Two letters of recommendation from faculty qualified to judge the student’s preparation for, and potential to successfully complete, the accelerated track; at least one of the letters must be from an EVRN faculty member;
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Statement of interest: This 1-2 page narrative should succinctly summarize your education, employment history (if applicable), your long‐term career goals, and how the accelerated degree program will help you achieve these goals.
Upon acceptance by the Program to the accelerated track, the student will meet with the PSM-EA Program Director, the PSM Graduate Advisor, and the Undergraduate Advisor for Environmental Studies to plan the final year of undergraduate courses, graduate courses to be taken for elective undergraduate credit, and outline the schedule of courses.
In the final semester of their senior year, a student on the accelerated track must contact the PSM-EA Graduate Advisor to finalize the application process to the Applied Science PSM-EA graduate program. In the final semester of undergraduate study (Year 4), the student will meet with the PSM-EA Program Director, the PSM Graduate Advisor, and the Undergraduate Advisor for Environmental Studies together to review the student’s performance in the PSM-EA graduate courses taken for elective undergraduate credit. To continue in the track, students must earn a combined minimum GPA of 3.0 in the 9 credit hours of undergraduate courses, with a grade of "B" or better attained in each course.
Following completion and award of the undergraduate degree (end of Year 4), the admitted student will again meet with the PSM-EA Program Director and the PSM Graduate Advisor to review the courses taken in the final year of undergraduate studies and review/update the course plan for the fifth year of study.
If the baccalaureate degree is not completed at the end of Year 4, the student will not be permitted to enroll in courses for graduate credit toward the PSM-EA degree until the baccalaureate degree has been conferred.
All PSMs must include a core of communication, project management, and business or data science skills.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| EVRN 721 | Environmental Regulation and Policy | 3 |
| PFS 804 | Project Management for Professionals | 3 |
| PFS 730 | Writing and Speaking for Decision Makers | 3 |
| or PFS 801 | Interpersonal and Persuasive Communication Skills for Managers |
| or PFS 810 | Organizational Communication Strategies |
| 3 |
| Managing Teams and Leading People | |
| Financial Management for Professional Success | |
| Advanced Environmental Applications in Geospatial Techniques | |
| Contaminant Transport | |
| Applied Groundwater Modeling | |
| Nonprofit Management and Policy | |
| Managing Public Money | |
| Innovation and Organizational Change | |
| |
| EVRN 770 | Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| 6 |
| Water Quality, Land Use, and Watershed Ecosystems | |
| Soil Science for Environmental Assessment | |
| Soil Ecology & Restoration |
| Environmental Air Quality Assessment | |
| 1 | |
| Advanced Environmental Applications in Geospatial Techniques | |
| Global Environmental Justice | |
| Climate Change, Ecological Change and Social Change | |
| Environmental Toxicology | |
| Environmental Remote Sensing | |
| Water Resource Sustainability | |
| Natural Hazards and Environmental Risks | |
| Fluvial Geomorphology | |
| Wetland Delineation | |
| Community Resilience | |
| Energy and Environment | |
| Soil Ecology & Restoration | |
| Environmental Site Operations, Management, and Safety: HAZWOPER Health and Safety Standards | |
| Site Assessment | |
| EVRN 814 | Professional Science Masters Environmental Assessment Capstone I | 1 |
| EVRN 815 | Professional Science Masters Environmental Assessment Capstone II | 2 |
| Total Hours | 33 |
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Apply disciplinary and/or thematic training to practical situations through quantitative analysis, critical thinking assignments, or case studies.
- Synthesize and evaluate disciplinary concepts and ideas to assess environmental conditions and make responsible decisions in the best interest of populations impacted by environmental issues as displayed in discussions, projects, homework problems and essays.
- Identify and develop new or original interpretation or analysis of a relevant environmental topic through the application of program curriculum in course projects and the Capstone Experience course proposal and report.
- Communicate effectively in a professional environment through technical reports, graphical illustrations, or presentations.
- Demonstrate effective management and collaboration skills through project development and group work.
