Capstone Workshop in Applied Earth Syste

This capstone workshop serves as the culminating experience for students in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy. Working in teams, students conduct applied policy analysis on real-world environmental and sustainability challenges for public and nonprofit sector clients. Project topics are selected to reflect current global and domestic policy needs, with recent clients including The Nature Conservancy, the World Bank, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and philanthropic initiatives supporting sustainable workforce housing.

Under faculty supervision, students develop project control plans, conduct fieldwork and stakeholder interviews, analyze data, and prepare professional-quality final reports and briefings for clients. The workshop emphasizes practical experience with multidisciplinary policy design and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative project management. Students sharpen their research, writing, and communication skills while contributing to actionable policy solutions.