Subject guides / Environmental Policy

Environmental Policy

Also appears in programme titles as: Environmental Governance · Environment and Development

71 programmes mapped across 22 countriesScholarship compatibility checkedVerified Jul 2026 against official sources

What an environmental policy degree actually is

Air-quality rules, biodiversity law, water rights, the permitting fights that decide whether anything gets built — environmental policy is the broad field of governing how societies use nature, of which climate is only the loudest chapter. A master's here trains you to draft, evaluate and litigate the rules: it is law and economics applied to ecosystems.

The programme names never quite say this. LSE splits the field across Environmental Policy and Regulation and Environment and Development; Oxford calls it Environmental Change and Policy; Cambridge hides a nine-month MPhil inside its Department of Land Economy. King's approaches from the science side. If climate governance specifically is your goal, that guide covers the narrower field — this one is the broader toolbox.

What you study — and the quantitative bar

Expect environmental economics, environmental law and regulation, and policy analysis as the recurring cores — Cambridge makes law, economics and methods compulsory before its options in energy, urban planning and land policy. The development-flavoured routes (LSE's Environment and Development) add Global South political economy; the science-flavoured ones add earth-systems courses.

The quantitative bar sits between the policy and economics fields: microeconomics and statistics are assumed, econometrics is taught rather than required. Lawyers and natural scientists both enter successfully; each finds the other half of the curriculum to be the work.

Where it leads

Environment ministries and regulators, multilateral environment programmes (UNEP, World Bank environment teams), environmental consultancies doing impact assessment and permitting, and the sustainability and compliance functions that every large developer and manufacturer now staffs. The regulatory skill set — reading law, pricing externalities, writing enforceable rules — is the durable core; it transfers into climate, water, waste and biodiversity work as political attention rotates.

Climate Policy Analyst

Who it suits — and who it does not

A good fit if you are…

Public-sector and NGO professionals in environment, land, water or energy agencies formalising their toolkit
Lawyers and economists specialising into environmental regulation
Applicants wanting the broad environmental toolbox rather than the climate-specific track

Probably not the right degree if…

Applicants whose focus is squarely emissions and carbon markets — the Climate Governance guide covers that narrower, faster-growing track
Natural scientists who want to keep doing science: this field is rules and institutions, not research
Anyone allergic to legal texts — half the curriculum is regulation

Where to study it: the programme map

Five programmes, five different framings — regulation, development, change-and-policy, science-and-policy, and land economy. The Cambridge row is the one applicants most often miss; its department name hides one of the field's strongest nine-month degrees.

University	Official programme title	Length	Tuition (intl)	Experience
Aarhus UniversityDenmark	MSc in Agro-Environmental Management	24 mo	EUR 17,300/yr	—
American University of SharjahUnited Arab Emirates	Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability and Management	—	—	—
Australian National UniversityAustralia	Master of Environmental Management and Development	24 mo	AUD 56,120/yr	—
Australian National UniversityAustralia	Master of Climate Change	18 mo	AUD 56,120/yr	—
Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong	MSc in Environmental Information, Health and Public Management	12 mo	HKD 201,600	—
Columbia UniversityUnited States	MPA in Environmental Science and Policy	12 mo	—	—
Cornell UniversityUnited States	Master of Public Administration	24 mo	USD 46,658/yr	—
Duke UniversityUnited States	Master of Environmental Management	24 mo	USD 96,176/yr	—
Duke UniversityUnited States	Master of Public Policy	24 mo	USD 61,610/yr	—
EPFLSwitzerland	Master in Environmental Sciences and Engineering	24 mo	CHF 4,380/yr	—
ETH ZurichSwitzerland	Master in Environmental Sciences	24 mo	CHF 4,380/yr	—
George Washington UniversityUnited States	MA in Environmental and Sustainability Policy	24 mo	USD 75,276	—
Ghent UniversityBelgium	Master of Science in Environmental Science and Technology	24 mo	—	—
Hamad Bin Khalifa UniversityQatar	Master of Science in Sustainable Environment	24 mo	QAR 132,000	—
Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong	Master of Science in Environmental Health and Safety	12 mo	HKD 145,000	—
Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong	MSc in Environmental Science, Management and Sustainability	—	HKD 180,000	—
Keio UniversityJapan	Master of Media and Governance (Graduate School of Media and Governance, SFC)	24 mo	JPY 1,520,000/yr	—
King's College LondonUnited Kingdom	Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy MSc	12 mo	GBP 33,850/yr	—
Kyoto UniversityJapan	Master's Program in Environmental Management (International Environmental Management Program)	24 mo	JPY 535,800/yr	—
LMU MunichGermany	Environment and Society (M.A.)	24 mo	—	—
Linkoping UniversitySweden	Science for Sustainable Development, Master's Programme	24 mo	SEK 320,400	—
London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom	MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation	12 mo	GBP 34,700	—
London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom	MSc Environment and Development	12 mo	GBP 34,700	—
Lund UniversitySweden	Environmental Management and Policy - Master's Programme	24 mo	SEK 360,000	—
Masaryk UniversityCzechia	Energy Policy Studies	24 mo	EUR 3,500/yr	—
Massey UniversityNew Zealand	Master of Environmental Management	18 mo	NZD 51,180/yr	—
Monash UniversityAustralia	Master of Environment and Sustainability	—	—	—
Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore	Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability Science	12 mo	SGD 60,000/yr	—
National University of SingaporeSingapore	Master of Science (Environmental Management)	—	SGD 51,500	—
Norwegian University of Life SciencesNorway	MSc in International Environmental Studies	24 mo	NOK 80,000/yr	—
Peking UniversityChina	Peking University-LSE Double Degree in Environmental Policy, Technology and Health	24 mo	CNY 80,000/yr	—
Roskilde UniversityDenmark	MSc in Environmental Science	24 mo	EUR 16,000/yr	—
Sciences PoFrance	Master in Environmental Policy	24 mo	EUR 20,640/yr	—
Stockholm UniversitySweden	International Master's Programme in Environmental Social Science	24 mo	SEK 90,000/yr	—
Stockholm UniversitySweden	Master's Programme in Globalization, Environment and Social Change	24 mo	SEK 90,000/yr	—
Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesSweden	Environmental Economics and Management - Master's Programme	24 mo	SEK 284,000	—
UCLouvainBelgium	Interdisciplinary Advanced Master in Science and Management of the Environment and Sustainable Development	24 mo	—	—
UNSW SydneyAustralia	Master of Environmental Management	—	AUD 51,500/yr	—
University College LondonUnited Kingdom	Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment MSc	12 mo	GBP 39,200	—
University of AdelaideAustralia	Master of Environmental Policy and Management	24 mo	AUD 47,800/yr	—
University of AucklandNew Zealand	Master of Environmental Management	18 mo	NZD 55,484/yr	—
University of BaselSwitzerland	Master of Science in Sustainable Development	—	—	—
University of BernSwitzerland	Master in Sustainability Transformations	24 mo	CHF 5,100/yr	—
University of California, BerkeleyUnited States	Global Health and Environment MPH	24 mo	—	—
University of California, BerkeleyUnited States	Master's in Energy and Resources (MA/MS)	24 mo	—	—
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States	Master of Urban and Regional Planning	24 mo	—	—
University of California, San DiegoUnited States	Master of Public Policy	24 mo	USD 45,523	—
University of California, San DiegoUnited States	Master of International Affairs	24 mo	USD 45,523	—
University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom	MPhil in Environmental Policy	9 mo	—	—
University of CopenhagenDenmark	MSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics	24 mo	—	—
University of CopenhagenDenmark	MSc in Environment and Development	24 mo	—	—
University of Eastern FinlandFinland	Master's Degree Programme in Environmental Policy and Law	24 mo	EUR 10,000/yr	—
University of GenevaSwitzerland	Master of Science in Environmental Sciences (MUSE)	24 mo	CHF 1,000/yr	—
University of GenevaSwitzerland	Master in Standardization, Social Regulation and Sustainable Development	—	CHF 1,000/yr	—
University of GrazAustria	Global Studies - Specialisation Economics and Environment, Master's Programme	24 mo	EUR 1,453/yr	—
University of JyvaskylaFinland	Master's Degree Programme in Corporate Environmental Management	24 mo	EUR 12,000	—
University of LausanneSwitzerland	Master of Science in Environmental Sciences	24 mo	CHF 1,160/yr	—
University of MelbourneAustralia	Master of Environment	—	—	—
University of MichiganUnited States	Master of Science (Environment and Sustainability)	24 mo	—	—
University of OxfordUnited Kingdom	MSc in Environmental Change and Policy	12 mo	GBP 36,170/yr	—
University of PaduaItaly	Environmental Sustainability and Education	24 mo	—	—
University of QueenslandAustralia	Master of Environmental Management	—	AUD 56,800/yr	—
University of SydneyAustralia	Master of Sustainability	—	—	—
University of TokyoJapan	Graduate Program in Sustainability Science - Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), Master of Sustainability Science	24 mo	JPY 535,800/yr	—
University of TrentoItaly	European and International Studies	24 mo	—	—
Université de MontréalCanada	Maîtrise en environnement et développement durable	—	—	—
Uppsala UniversitySweden	Master's Programme in Sustainable Development	24 mo	SEK 330,000	—
Victoria University of WellingtonNew Zealand	Master of Environmental Studies	—	—	—
WU Vienna University of Economics and BusinessAustria	Master's Programme in Socio-Ecological Economics and Policy	24 mo	EUR 1,453/yr	—
Yale UniversityUnited States	Master of Environmental Management	24 mo	USD 53,550/yr	—
École PolytechniqueFrance	MSc&T Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Management	24 mo	EUR 15,400/yr	—

Every row verified against the official programme page; oldest verification 16 Jul 2026. Nothing here is a paid placement.

Application strategy and funding routes

Cambridge's MPhil is the quiet standout for scholarship applicants: nine months, law-and-economics core, and the Land Economy address keeps it off most applicants' radar — a genuinely lower-competition route into Cambridge. LSE's pair splits by audience (regulation for developed-market careers, environment-and-development for Global South careers); Oxford's programme leans research.

Every UK programme in the map fits Chevening's length rule — this field has no LSE-MPA-style trap. DAAD's EPOS list is dense with environmental-management courses for developing-country applicants, and Commonwealth's climate-resilience theme reads environmental policy applications generously. Cambridge applicants are automatically considered for Gates Cambridge and Cambridge Trust by applying before the course funding deadline.

Which scholarship funds which programme

Computed from each scheme's published rules (destination, level, course length) — not a guarantee; list-based schemes still require checking the official list.

Chevening ScholarshipCommonly chosen by applicants

Aarhus University — study destination outside the scheme
American University of Sharjah — study destination outside the scheme
Australian National University — study destination outside the scheme
Australian National University — study destination outside the scheme
Chinese University of Hong Kong — study destination outside the scheme
Columbia University — study destination outside the scheme
Cornell University — study destination outside the scheme
Duke University — study destination outside the scheme
Duke University — study destination outside the scheme
EPFL — study destination outside the scheme
ETH Zurich — study destination outside the scheme
George Washington University — study destination outside the scheme
Ghent University — study destination outside the scheme
Hamad Bin Khalifa University — study destination outside the scheme
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — study destination outside the scheme
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — study destination outside the scheme
Keio University — study destination outside the scheme
King's College London
Kyoto University — study destination outside the scheme
LMU Munich — study destination outside the scheme
Linkoping University — study destination outside the scheme
London School of Economics and Political Science
London School of Economics and Political Science
Lund University — study destination outside the scheme
Masaryk University — study destination outside the scheme
Massey University — study destination outside the scheme
Monash University — study destination outside the scheme
Nanyang Technological University — study destination outside the scheme
National University of Singapore — study destination outside the scheme
Norwegian University of Life Sciences — study destination outside the scheme
Peking University — study destination outside the scheme
Roskilde University — study destination outside the scheme
Sciences Po — study destination outside the scheme
Stockholm University — study destination outside the scheme
Stockholm University — study destination outside the scheme
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences — study destination outside the scheme
UCLouvain — study destination outside the scheme
UNSW Sydney — study destination outside the scheme
University College London
University of Adelaide — study destination outside the scheme
University of Auckland — study destination outside the scheme
University of Basel — study destination outside the scheme
University of Bern — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, Berkeley — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, Berkeley — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, Los Angeles — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, San Diego — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, San Diego — study destination outside the scheme
University of Cambridge
University of Copenhagen — study destination outside the scheme
University of Copenhagen — study destination outside the scheme
University of Eastern Finland — study destination outside the scheme
University of Geneva — study destination outside the scheme
University of Geneva — study destination outside the scheme
University of Graz — study destination outside the scheme
University of Jyvaskyla — study destination outside the scheme
University of Lausanne — study destination outside the scheme
University of Melbourne — study destination outside the scheme
University of Michigan — study destination outside the scheme
University of Oxford
University of Padua — study destination outside the scheme
University of Queensland — study destination outside the scheme
University of Sydney — study destination outside the scheme
University of Tokyo — study destination outside the scheme
University of Trento — study destination outside the scheme
Université de Montréal — study destination outside the scheme
Uppsala University — study destination outside the scheme
Victoria University of Wellington — study destination outside the scheme
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business — study destination outside the scheme
Yale University — study destination outside the scheme
École Polytechnique — study destination outside the scheme

See if you qualify Deadlines

DAAD EPOS (Development-Related Postgraduate Courses)Names this field a priority

Aarhus University — study destination outside the scheme
American University of Sharjah — study destination outside the scheme
Australian National University — study destination outside the scheme
Australian National University — study destination outside the scheme
Chinese University of Hong Kong — study destination outside the scheme
Columbia University — study destination outside the scheme
Cornell University — study destination outside the scheme
Duke University — study destination outside the scheme
Duke University — study destination outside the scheme
EPFL — study destination outside the scheme
ETH Zurich — study destination outside the scheme
George Washington University — study destination outside the scheme
Ghent University — study destination outside the scheme
Hamad Bin Khalifa University — study destination outside the scheme
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — study destination outside the scheme
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — study destination outside the scheme
Keio University — study destination outside the scheme
King's College London — study destination outside the scheme
Kyoto University — study destination outside the scheme
LMU Munich — depends on the official participating list
Linkoping University — study destination outside the scheme
London School of Economics and Political Science — study destination outside the scheme
London School of Economics and Political Science — study destination outside the scheme
Lund University — study destination outside the scheme
Masaryk University — study destination outside the scheme
Massey University — study destination outside the scheme
Monash University — study destination outside the scheme
Nanyang Technological University — study destination outside the scheme
National University of Singapore — study destination outside the scheme
Norwegian University of Life Sciences — study destination outside the scheme
Peking University — study destination outside the scheme
Roskilde University — study destination outside the scheme
Sciences Po — study destination outside the scheme
Stockholm University — study destination outside the scheme
Stockholm University — study destination outside the scheme
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences — study destination outside the scheme
UCLouvain — study destination outside the scheme
UNSW Sydney — study destination outside the scheme
University College London — study destination outside the scheme
University of Adelaide — study destination outside the scheme
University of Auckland — study destination outside the scheme
University of Basel — study destination outside the scheme
University of Bern — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, Berkeley — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, Berkeley — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, Los Angeles — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, San Diego — study destination outside the scheme
University of California, San Diego — study destination outside the scheme
University of Cambridge — study destination outside the scheme
University of Copenhagen — study destination outside the scheme
University of Copenhagen — study destination outside the scheme
University of Eastern Finland — study destination outside the scheme
University of Geneva — study destination outside the scheme
University of Geneva — study destination outside the scheme
University of Graz — study destination outside the scheme
University of Jyvaskyla — study destination outside the scheme
University of Lausanne — study destination outside the scheme
University of Melbourne — study destination outside the scheme
University of Michigan — study destination outside the scheme
University of Oxford — study destination outside the scheme
University of Padua — study destination outside the scheme
University of Queensland — study destination outside the scheme
University of Sydney — study destination outside the scheme
University of Tokyo — study destination outside the scheme
University of Trento — study destination outside the scheme
Université de Montréal — study destination outside the scheme
Uppsala University — study destination outside the scheme
Victoria University of Wellington — study destination outside the scheme
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business — study destination outside the scheme
Yale University — study destination outside the scheme
École Polytechnique — study destination outside the scheme

Deadlines

Gates Cambridge ScholarshipCommonly chosen by applicants

Aarhus University — only at cambridge
American University of Sharjah — only at cambridge
Australian National University — only at cambridge
Australian National University — only at cambridge
Chinese University of Hong Kong — only at cambridge
Columbia University — only at cambridge
Cornell University — only at cambridge
Duke University — only at cambridge
Duke University — only at cambridge
EPFL — only at cambridge
ETH Zurich — only at cambridge
George Washington University — only at cambridge
Ghent University — only at cambridge
Hamad Bin Khalifa University — only at cambridge
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — only at cambridge
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — only at cambridge
Keio University — only at cambridge
King's College London — only at cambridge
Kyoto University — only at cambridge
LMU Munich — only at cambridge
Linkoping University — only at cambridge
London School of Economics and Political Science — only at cambridge
London School of Economics and Political Science — only at cambridge
Lund University — only at cambridge
Masaryk University — only at cambridge
Massey University — only at cambridge
Monash University — only at cambridge
Nanyang Technological University — only at cambridge
National University of Singapore — only at cambridge
Norwegian University of Life Sciences — only at cambridge
Peking University — only at cambridge
Roskilde University — only at cambridge
Sciences Po — only at cambridge
Stockholm University — only at cambridge
Stockholm University — only at cambridge
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences — only at cambridge
UCLouvain — only at cambridge
UNSW Sydney — only at cambridge
University College London — only at cambridge
University of Adelaide — only at cambridge
University of Auckland — only at cambridge
University of Basel — only at cambridge
University of Bern — only at cambridge
University of California, Berkeley — only at cambridge
University of California, Berkeley — only at cambridge
University of California, Los Angeles — only at cambridge
University of California, San Diego — only at cambridge
University of California, San Diego — only at cambridge
University of Cambridge
University of Copenhagen — only at cambridge
University of Copenhagen — only at cambridge
University of Eastern Finland — only at cambridge
University of Geneva — only at cambridge
University of Geneva — only at cambridge
University of Graz — only at cambridge
University of Jyvaskyla — only at cambridge
University of Lausanne — only at cambridge
University of Melbourne — only at cambridge
University of Michigan — only at cambridge
University of Oxford — only at cambridge
University of Padua — only at cambridge
University of Queensland — only at cambridge
University of Sydney — only at cambridge
University of Tokyo — only at cambridge
University of Trento — only at cambridge
Université de Montréal — only at cambridge
Uppsala University — only at cambridge
Victoria University of Wellington — only at cambridge
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business — only at cambridge
Yale University — only at cambridge
École Polytechnique — only at cambridge

Deadlines

Frequently asked questions

Environmental policy vs climate governance — which guide am I in?

This is the broader field: biodiversity, water, land, pollution and climate together. Climate governance is the emissions-and-carbon-markets subfield with its own guide. If your target roles say "climate" in the title, start there; if they say "environment", start here.

Do I need a science background?

No — the core disciplines are economics and law. Science graduates are welcome and common, but they spend the year learning regulation and economics rather than more science.

Does Chevening fund these degrees?

Yes — unusually, every UK programme in our map runs 9–12 months, so all of them sit inside Chevening's length rule, including Cambridge's nine-month MPhil.

Is the Cambridge MPhil really easier to get into?

"Easier" overstates it — but sitting inside the Department of Land Economy keeps it off standard search paths, and applicant pools are smaller than for identically-ranked programmes with obvious names. Discovery friction is real admissions arbitrage; that is much of what our programme maps are for.

Sources

Official programme pages (linked per row above) · official scholarship rules and participating-programme lists · university admission regulations. Every data row records its source URL and verification date; stale rows are re-checked or removed.

Global Study Prep is independent and not affiliated with any university or scholarship programme. Programme details change — always confirm on the official page before applying.