Dual Degree: Masters of Science and MBA

The ENVS Masters of Science program provides advanced training in a setting that prioritizes cross-disciplinary perspectives and problem-oriented scholarship. Our goal is to deliver the knowledge and skills needed to confront 21st century environmental challenges, this includes skills in business management and entrepreneurship. For these reasons, the Leeds School of Business and the Environment Studies department collaborate to offer a dual MS/MBA degree program.

MS/MBA Program Overview

Students are required to fulfill all requirements for a MBA as outlined by the Leeds School of Business, and all requirements for an MS degree as outlined by the Environmental Studies department. Most students complete this degree in three years.

A student enrolled in the dual degree program may begin coursework in either ENVS or Leeds. However, in the first year of the dual degree program, courses are taken in one of the two units exclusively, and in the second year, courses are taken in the other unit exclusively. We recommend that dual degree students begin the MBA curriculum program first. In the second year, students will enroll in a combination of ENVS and MBA courses.

To complete the MS portion of the degree, students must complete 30Ìýhours of course credit and complete either an original master’s thesis or a graduate internship. The major milestones for the MS portion of the degree are as follows. Students should also review the requirements to complete a MBA degree as outlined by the Leeds School of Business.

  1. Guidance Committee Meeting - During the first six weeks of a student’s first semester taking ENVS courses, a guidance committee of at least three faculty members will examine a student’s past academic and professional record and recommend a program of coursework for that student.
  2. Complete required coursework – In addition to the courses recommended by their guidance committee, students will complete the following required courses.
    • ENVS 5000 - Science Policy and Values
    • ENVS 5003 - Theory and Methods in Environmental Studies
  3. Complete a thesis or internship
    1. Thesis option – Students will complete an original master’s research project that counts towards 6 hours of course credit. In their first or second year of the program, students will assemble a thesis committee of three faculty members and present to this committee a proposal that summarizes their planned research and expected outcomes. After completing the work, the student will defend the thesis in front of their committee. Students must pass this defense in order to complete their MS degree.
    2. Internship option– Students must complete a graduate internship with a faculty sponsor that counts towards 2 hours of course credit. Graduate internships are part- or full-time positions with a public, private, or non-profit organization in a substantive area related to the student’s degree program.

Recommended Prerequisites

In preparation for the quantitative nature of the MBA program, students are strongly advised to have completed a college Algebra course, which includes topics up to and including logarithms. At CU Boulder MATH 1150, ECON 1078, or ECON 1088 would satisfy this prerequisite. For preparation in statistics, an introductory course in Statistics, which includes descriptive statistics, statistical inference, correlation, and regression analysis. At CU Boulder, the following courses would satisfy this prerequisite: BCOR 2010 or ECON 3818.

Admissions Requirements

To enroll in a dual degree program, you must apply separately to the ENVS graduate program and the Leeds School of Business, and you must be admitted separately into both programs.