Master of Social Science - Society and the Environment

Society and the Environment is an interdisciplinary track for completing the Master of Humanities or the Master of Social Science. It emphasizes the human side of environmental issues, while also emphasizing that human issues are never separate from issues of ecology. It challenges students to apply knowledge from the social and biological sciences to environmental problems across a broad spectrum of institutional sectors and geographic locations. Applications include environmental hazards and disasters, environmental impact assessment, protected area management and interpretation, collaborative conservation, ecoregion conservation, conservation policy, and international development. This track provides students with courses in critical social theory, participatory qualitative methods, quantitative methods, human ecology, and topical issues. It also provides training in important technologies, especially geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and digital film.

Applicants must hold a baccalaureate or master’s degree from an accredited college or university or demonstrate completion of work equivalent to the baccalaureate or master’s degree given at CU Denver. Students must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or better (“A” is equal to 4.0) or a 3.00 or better GPA in twelve (12) credit hours or more of a partially completed graduate level master’s degree program. 3 Letters of Recommendation. At least two of these letters must be academic - that is, from former professors of yours. To ensure the complete objectivity of evaluation, students should not have had access to these letters. Letters should be sent by your recommender.Statement of Purpose or Letter of IntentWriting sampleTranscripts from every institution of higher learning attended including those foreign. Mailed copies must be in a sealed envelope. E-transcripts are also accepted and can be sentOn your Statement of Purpose (Letter of Intent) you should include your name, address, email address, your home phone number and the telephone number where you can be reached during the day.Writing Sample