IIT Stuart | M.S. in Environmental Management

EM 501 Environmental Law and Regulation

This course will introduce students to the major federal and state statutes and regulatory programs that govern pollution from industrial, commercial, and public sources. The course will emphasize the organization of the government regulatory agencies, the techniques of environmental regulation, the interplay of federal and state environmental regulation, environmental enforcement, and environmental litigation. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Endangered Species Act will be the main statutes used to illustrate the workings of the pollution control statutes. The role of environmental law in the international arena will also be discussed.

EM 502 Environmental Law and Compliance

This course begins with an analysis of The Solid Waste Disposal Act (and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). It will then familiarize students with an environmental manager’s duties in permitting, reporting, record keeping and sampling. It emphasizes a systematic approach to identifying obligations with respect to regulated media and developing appropriate responses. Obligations under United States environmental laws, their relationship to state and local laws, and state and local obligations are considered as a model for analysis and response. Practical applications of permitting, monitoring, record keeping and reporting will also be included.

Prerequisite: EM 501

EM 507 Industrial Ecology

This course introduces the students the philosophy of Industrial Ecology, and how this systems-based approach can move society toward a more sustainable future. Industrial Ecology is an interdisciplinary field involving technology (science and engineering), public policy and regulatory issues, and business administration. The major goal of this course is to promote creative and comprehensive problem solving as it might be applied to product, business and systems models. The course introduces tools such as Industrial Metabolism, Input-Output Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment, and Design for the Environment. Individual and team projects are a significant part of the learning experience in this course.

EM 508 Pollution Control and Remediation

This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the pollution prevention and cleaner production processes. Waste minimization, recycling, and reuse options are examined and applicable control technologies to industrial waste minimization and treatment are discussed. Relevant remediation options including effective use of technologies for clean up of contaminated sites are reviewed through extensive use of case studies.

Prerequisite: College level Chemistry and Calculus.

EM 517 Environmental and Occupational Risk Assessments and Management

The course provides an overview of the tools and techniques used to 1) assess environmental (human health), ecological, and occupational risks associated with exposure to environmental pollutants resulting from natural phenomena, economic development and industrial growth, 2) examine current risk management and mitigation methods and strategies, and 3) design visionary risk management strategies grounded on a framework of operations in line with the principles of sustainable development.

EM 520 Issues in Global Sustainability

The increasing complexity of environmental problems warrants an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to developing management strategies for local, regional, and global sustainability. This course provides an overview and analysis of some of the most significant environmental issues facing communities across the planet including water availability, air pollution, ecosystem degradation and climate change. The objectives of the course are to: (1) identify and evaluate the severity of current and emerging environmental challenges impacting societies around the world; (2) understand the linkages among scientific, economic and social dimensions of these issues; (3) gain a real-world perspective on developing viable technical, policy and business solutions to these problems; and (4) practice effective research and communication skills by collaborating on a group project.

EM 530 Energy, Environment, and Economics

This course deals with the linkage of energy, environmental and economic issues. The impact of energy supply and end-use on human well-being and the ecosystem is covered. It also includes a comprehensive approach to the resolution of resource, technical, economic, strategic, environmental, socio- and geopolitical problems of the energy industries. In addition, pathways to a sustainable global energy system are presented.

EM 554 Environmental Economics and Climate Change

An overview of the modeling market process is provided focusing on externalities, environmental problems and environmental quality. Economic solutions to environmental problems are discussed using a market approach which includes modeling emission charges, modeling a product charge, modeling per unit subsidy on pollution reduction and modeling pollution permit trading systems and practice. The course examines intuition economic solutions to address environmental problems such as climate change, global warming and water scarcity.

EM 590 Business Strategy: The Sustainable Enterprise

This course integrates environmental management issues with use of strategic planning tools for assessing and responding to the driving forces of the “next” economy: globalization, technology, demographics and the environment. The course looks at the challenge of corporations competing in the global economy of the new millennium in such a way that will allow the planet to support them indefinitely. Emphasis is on the company's ability to build and sustain a competitive advantage utilizing traditional management concepts as well as new sustainability practices. Topics include: The Natural Step, the "Base of the Pyramid" strategy, the "servicizing" concept, and biomimicry; and various case studies showing how an enterprise can meet the “triple bottom line” while guest speakers present real world examples.

Prerequisite: Capstone course requires enrollment in the last semester of program or approval of program director.

EM 597 Independent Study (1.5 or 3 hours)

This full semester or half-semester course allows a student to conduct research on a project proposed by the student, an outside organization or by the supervising professor. The student is required to submit a proposal that includes the research plan and expected outcomes. Regular meetings with the professor are required as well as a final report at the end of the eight- or 16-week period, depending on the scope of the project.

Course Descriptions