Graduate Courses

Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs ranks among the country’s top professional public policy and planning schools. It’s widely recognized for its success in advancing the common good through a comprehensive, world-class program. The School works to match students’ passion with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to solve real-world challenges.

Please visit the schedule builder for more information about specific course offerings and to add a course to your schedule.

PA 5711: Science, Technology and Environmental Policy
This course focuses on the Interplay of science, technology, the environment and society. Approaches from across the social sciences will cover how science and technology can create new environmental pressures, as well as policy challenges in a range of spheres from climate change to systems of intellectual property and international development.

PA 5771: Change Leadership for Environmental, Social and Governance Action
This course aims to give you a hands-on experience with a project investigating, designing, advocating for and implementing an environmental, social and governance (ESG) improvement in an existing or new organization. Non-degree-seeking students possessing a bachelor’s degree are encouraged to contact the instructor for permission to register. This is a core introductory course in Sustainability Leadership for professionals and graduate students, being developed by a collaboration among the Institute on the Environment, Humphrey School and Carlson School.

PA 5772: Fundamentals of Sustainability Science
Build a foundation in key sustainability topics – including greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon cycle, climate change, water and waste systems, biodiversity, electrification and public health risks – and learn how to apply this knowledge to real world challenges in business, nonprofits or government. This course is taught by IonE’s Executive Director, Jessica Hellmann.

PA 5724: Climate Change Policy
As policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change continue to take shape, what do decision makers, advocates and analysts need to know to take effective action? This course will investigate climate change policy from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, emphasizing economic logic, ethical principles and institutional feasibility.

PA 5920: Tribal-State Relations Workshop
Minnesota is home to 11 sovereign Indian nations and about 120,000 American Indian people. Tribes are among the top 20 employers in the state and tribal jurisdiction impacts thousands of acres of land in Minnesota both within and beyond reservation boundaries. This workshop will focus on public policy and planning skills, with an emphasis on tribal relations.

Please visit the schedule builder for more information about specific course offerings and to add a course to your schedule.

BIOL 5701: Science Communication; A Primer for Scientists
Are you interested in honing your skills as a communicator? This class will help you improve your skills and gain confidence through practice and feedback. At the end of the course, you will have two finished pieces that you can use for fellowship applications or to publish

CEGE 5524: A Circularity Revolution: Working to Close the Loop on Global Issues
This course is designed to develop and critique sustainable solutions for water, energy and materials use, re-use and upcycling from technological, policy and cultural viewpoints. Class designed to be taken prior to the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship: Circularity Impact Program.

CSCI 5715: From GPS, Google Maps and Uber to Spatial Data Science
This course introduces the fundamental ideas underlying the geo-spatial services (e.g., Uber, Google Maps, Doordash), systems (e.g., GPS, Spatial Database Management System) and sciences (e.g., Spatial Data Science).

FDSY 4101: Holistic Approaches to Improving Food Systems Sustainability
Students in this capstone course address food system sustainability challenges both in the classroom and via service-learning, where they spend 45 hours engaged with a food justice-based community organization. Requires off-campus work at the community partner site.

HSCI 5244: Nature’s History: Science, Humans and the Environment
Students will examine environmental ideas, sustainability, conservation history; critique of the human impact on nature; empire and power in the Anthropocene; how the science of ecology has developed; and modern environmental movements around the globe. Case studies include repatriation of endangered species; ecology and evolutionary theory; ecology of disease; and climate change

HORT 5131: Student Organic Farm Planning, Growing and Marketing
Organic fruit and vegetable production has been one of the fastest growing segments of the US economy for almost two decades, stimulating an overwhelming number of biological and ecological innovations to produce food using organic approaches. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge of ecological concepts as applied to managing organic systems, with an emphasis on soil nutrient cycles and plant-soil-microbe interactions that serve as the cornerstone of organic systems.

LAW 6649: Corporate Sustainability: Law and Limits of Market Solutions
Can markets "solve" climate change, restore and protect other complex natural systems and advance the values of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)? What basis, tools and limits does the law provide for corporate leadership and market delivery of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance? After reviewing normative perspectives, this course will take an empirical approach to evaluate corporate incentives, strategies and impacts in applied practice. Grounded in case studies and the latest developments in legislation, litigation and executive action, we will critically assess implications for corporate leadership, law and policy.

MDP 5001: Ways of Knowing for Sustainable Development
Students will explore complexities of interdisciplinary study of development and a range of ways of knowing the field of development studies and sustainability. Including approaches practiced by physical, biological, social science and humanities scholars.

SSM 5612: Systems Approach to Building Science and Construction
This course will focus on the dynamic/interrelated issues of energy, moisture control and indoor air quality in residential buildings. It will also focus on design, construction and operational aspects for energy efficient, durable structured/healthy living environment.

VMED 5180: Ecology of Infectious Disease
How host, agent, environmental interactions influence transmission of infectious agents. Environmental dissemination, eradication/control, evolution of virulence. Use of analytical/molecular tools.

Please visit the schedule builder for more information about specific course offerings and to add a course to your schedule.

EEB 5407: Ecology at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve – May Session 3 Week Course
The goals of the course are to improve your ability to understand, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate: biological population dynamics, community diversity and ecosystem processes; theoretical, experimental and observational approaches used in ecology; and many ways in which people influence and depend on biodiversity and ecosystems. Learn more about the Isbell Biodiversity Lab.

GHSR 6713: Global Health in Local Contexts: A Transnational Experiential Course on the Social Determinants, Health Equity and Leading Change
Students will be immersed in a relational, place-based study of the global social forces that impact health. This course will explore what creating conditions for healing, health and safety means in students’ own lived communities through exposure to community organizing, mutual aid and community-based care, environmental practices, the arts and storytelling. The course takes place at a different Twin Cities site each week, including Frogtown Farm, Bdote (Fort Snelling) and Rondo Neighborhood Memorial.

PMB 5802: Field Microbiology at Itasca Biological Station and Labs 
Field Microbiology will be a three-week intensive course where students will be taught methods of environmental microbiology in both lecture and laboratory format. The goal is to not only quantify who is in a given sample but also to understand something about the conditions they live in (temperature, nutrient availability, etc.).

The following experiences are offered in partnership with the Learning Abroad Center and must be applied for.

Sustainable Food Systems of Italy
Get a true taste of Italy by studying its sustainable food systems and the ethical and environmental considerations for food production and consumption.

Exploring the New Nordic: Food Seasonality & Sustainability in Denmark & Sweden
Study the culinary movement known as the New Nordic Cuisine in Denmark and Sweden. Learn about the Nordic approach to traditional foods, which has a strong focus on health and an ethical production.

Germany: Leading the Renewables Revolution
Meet leaders from Germany and Minnesota who are involved in solving the social, technical and political challenges of transforming industrial economies in the era of climate change.