Curriculum Guide

Students are required to complete a total of 90 continuous credits of graduate coursework, based on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), and receive the commensurate number of credit hours from JMU. The program has three primary focus areas: Analytical Tools, Policy and Legal Framework and Theme-based Case Studies.

Analytical Tools

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This focus area provides students with skills in the use of modern analytical tools and techniques focused on data visualization (Geographic Information System, Data Mining), data acquisition (Data Measurement) and data analysis (Modeling and Simulation), all within a Systems Thinking context.

Policy and Legal Framework

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This focus area provides students with the fundamental concepts in the legal and policy areas and compares different systems of policy and regulation. Students also compare and contrast the different approaches taken around the Mediterranean.

Case Studies

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In each case study in this focus area, students consider a particular environmental/technology area and identify and define the key technical issues, the important policy/legal issues and the long-term sustainability of solutions and how these solutions affect humans and the environment. These case studies – in Water, Marine and Coastal Resources, Energy, Air and Waste, and Agriculture and Food Security – allow students to integrate knowledge from the other study units focusing on analytical tools and policy issues.

Dissertation

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Students finish the program by completing a dissertation that serves as the capstone experience and allows them to integrate the different focus areas to pursue an in-depth study of a problem from one of the theme-based case study areas. By using both the analytical tools and the policy/legal framework, students develop and test solutions that are technically viable, politically acceptable and sustainable.