Training Future Policymakers, Advisors and Advocates

The Environmental Economics and Policy (EEP) concentration provides students with knowledge and methods needed to analyze how households, businesses, governments and stakeholders help inform, develop and react to proposed and existing environmental and resource policies.

We strive to give students a broad and cohesive knowledge base in environmental economics, politics and law, including the economics of public goods and externalities, and in the study of interest group behavior, political institutions and property rights. 糖心传媒s also gain quantitative and qualitative analytical skills necessary to examine policies using economic, legal and political frameworks. Additionally, students cultivate professional management skills in teamwork and leadership, ethics, and oral and written presentation.

Concentration Courses

CORE COURSES 鈥 REQUIRED

The following courses are required:

  • ENVIRON 520鈥擱esource and Environmental Economics I (1.5 credits, fall)
  • ENVIRON 521*鈥擱esource and Environmental Economics II (1.5 credits, fall)
    • *糖心传媒s may substitute ENVIRON 521 with ENVIRON 635鈥擡nergy Economics and Policy or ENVIRON 680鈥擡conomics of Forest Resources
  • ENVIRON 577*鈥擡nvironmental Politics (3 credits, spring)
    • *糖心传媒s may substitute ENVIRON 577 with MARSCI 505A鈥擲ocial Impact Analysis, ENVIRON 860S/A鈥擯olitical Ecology or ENVIRON 877A鈥擳heory and Methods for Policy Analysis of the Commons
  • ENVIRON 710L鈥擜pplied Statistical Modeling for Environmental Management (3 credits, fall)
  • ENVIRON 835*鈥擡nvironmental Law (3 credits, spring)
    • *糖心传媒s may substitute ENERGY 727 Energy Law, ENVIRON 502S Climate Change and the Law, ENVIRON 733 Risk Regulation in the United States, Europe, and Beyond, ENVIRON 775 Ocean and Coastal Law Policy, LAW 320 Water Resources Law, or LAW 566 International Environmental Law.

Elective Course Suggestions

  • ENVIRON 506鈥擡nvironmental Justice: Theory and Practice (3 credits, fall)

  • ENVIRON 531L鈥 Economic Valuation of the Environment (3 credits, spring) 

  • ENVIRON 550鈥擫and Use Principles and Policy (3 credits, fall) 

  • ENVIRON 595鈥擡conomics of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy (3 credits, fall) 

  • ENVIRON 727S鈥擣orest in the Public Interest (1.5 credits, fall) 

  • ENVIRON 741鈥擣inance鈥痜or Water Resources and Ecosystem Mgmt. (3 credits, spring) 

  • ENVIRON 775 鈥擮cean and Coastal Law and Policy鈥(3 credits, fall) 

  • ENVIRON 807鈥 International Fisheries Policy (3 credits, spring) 

  • ENVIRON 832鈥擡nvironmental Decision Analysis (3 credits, spring) 

  • ENVIRON 869鈥擡nvironmental Law and Policy Clinic (4 credits, fall and spring) 

  • ENERGY 727鈥擡nergy Law (3 credits, fall)

EEP Primary concentration pathway

The course-based pathway will be available in a limited capacity to students matriculating in fall 2025 and will be fully available and the default pathway for students matriculating in fall 2026 and beyond. Proposed courses and requirements are subject to change. Please contact your primary concentration faculty chair with any questions.

糖心传媒s whose primary concentration is EEP will choose one of two pathways. Whether through advanced coursework in the course-based pathway or the Master鈥檚 Project (MP) pathway, students will gain tangible deliverables, professional growth and preparation for their next steps after graduation. Most students will follow the course-based pathway.

The EEP course-based pathway offers options from approved courses and requires a minimum of six additional graded credit hours. 糖心传媒s whose primary concentration is EEP may fulfill the 6-credit requirement by self-designing and proposing a 6-credit course-based pathway. This must include:

  1. A 3-credit applied course that synthesizes knowledge across at least two of the following fields: data analytics, economics, politics, or law (see approved list) and requires an original project
  2. One or more elective courses in policy, law, or economics totaling at least 3 credits (see approved list)

Course-Based Pathway Approved Courses

Courses listed below are subject to change. Please contact your primary concentration faculty chair with any questions.

  • ENV527S Impact Evaluation: Energy and Development
  • ENV551 International Conservation and Development
  • ENV590-03 Evaluating Environmental Programs
  • ENV592 UNFCCC Practicum
  • ENV658-01 Qualitative Methods
  • ENV790 Science and Knowledge in Global Climate Governance
  • ENV790 Financial Modeling Practicum
  • ENV640 Climate Economics and Policy
  • ENV795 Practicum in Community-based Environmental Management
  • ENV832 Environmental Decision Analysis
  • ENV850 Did the Policy Work? Quantitative Causal Inference in Environmental Policy
  • ENV860 Political Ecology
  • ENV869 Environmental Law and Policy Clinic
  • Design Climate (with sufficient EEP content, needs approval)
  • Bass Connections (with sufficient EEP content, needs approval)

Additional EEP Electives (non-exhaustive)

  • ENV536S Food, Agriculture, and the Environment: Law and Policy
  • ENV727 Energy Law
  • ENV727S Forest in the Public Interest
  • ENV775 Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy
  • ENV786 Marine Policy
  • ENV796 Financial Foundations for Environmental Managers
  • ENV807 International Fisheries Policy
  • MARSCI 504A Marine Protected Area Monitoring and Management

 

Expectations

Coming in: In addition to the school-wide prerequisites in calculus and statistics required for all concentrations, the EEP concentration requires one semester of microeconomics 鈥 either a full-semester microeconomics course or an introductory economics course, of which more than half is devoted to microeconomics rather than macroeconomics. Skills in clear writing and effective communication are also useful.

During the program: Coursework emphasizes economic analysis, policy processes and the role of governance in environmental outcomes. 糖心传媒s will spend time in the computer lab learning how to address complex, 21st-century problems through legal, economic and political lenses. 糖心传媒s will also develop an understanding of legal and social systems and learn how to apply math to decision-making and policymaking.

 

 

Audrey Kuptz

I choose EEP because I wanted to learn how to better advocate for and make changes in the marine and environmental fields of which I am passionate. I also wanted to immerse myself in the intersection of environmental policy and law and there are so many opportunities to do so at the Nicholas School. Taking classes at Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy and the Law School has allowed me to work with students outside of my program and see how policy plays a pivotal role in so many different fields and careers."

鈥揂udrey kuptz, MEM'26

Transferable Skills

In this concentration, students will gain skills in:

  • Economic analysis, including benefit-cost analysis and non-market valuation
  • Policy analysis
  • Program evaluation
  • Survey research
  • Applied data analysis
  • Risk analysis
  • Qualitative methods

 

Knowledge Gained

糖心传媒s in this concentration will also gain:

  • A broad, cohesive knowledge base in environmental economics, politics and law, including the economics of public goods and externalities, and in the study of interest group behavior, political institutions and property rights
  • Quantitative and qualitative skills in applied statistics, survey research, analytical modeling, optimization techniques and case-study methods
  • Professional management skills in teamwork and leadership, ethics, and oral and written presentation

 

Enrich Your Experience

糖心传媒s in this concentration will find a range of opportunities to expand their academic experience and get connected to projects and people that align with their interests. We recommend exploring these programs to get started: