M.S. in Environmental Metrology & Policy

Having a healthy and safe environment to live is a right of every living human being and an increasingly pressing issue of social justice. Therefore, if you were, are or will be inspired by Rachel Carson's once world-saving book Silent Spring and aspired to follow her footsteps in contributing to making the environment in which we live healthier and safer, then the Environmental Metrology (metrology is measurements science, not meteorology or metallurgy) and Policy (EMAP) Program at Georgetown University is a perfect fit for your graduate education and professional training.

The EMAP is a unique joint program between Georgetown University, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

This program offers rigorous learning in environmental measurements science (metrology) & policy making on how to reliably identify and quantify toxic and hazardous chemicals, assess their impact to human health and ecological risks, and apply the best available scientific data so obtained to environmental policymaking. It focuses on the education and professional training of future generations of leaders and practitioners in the environmental world using measurements science to provide reliable data for developing best environmental policy or laws.

The Environmental Metrology & Policy (EMAP) Program at Georgetown University is a pioneering graduate program developed jointly by Georgetown University, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It currently offers only the degree of Master of Science in EMAP. However, it is planned that an integrated Ph.D. program in EMAP will be offered in future at a due time.

The EMAP Program aims to offer the enrolled students the best education and most rigorous professional training in an emerging interdisciplinary field of great societal importance that integrates organically environmental metrology (measurements science) with developing and implementing appropriate environmental policies. It will lay a solid intellectual and technical foundation for students to become a new type of leaders and practitioners who will possess strong competencies and deep understanding of the intricacies in both environmental metrology and its critical role of using the best available science in developing and implementing sound data-driven environmental policies, both here in the U.S. and abroad.

The EMAP Program leverages uniquely the complementary strengths of NIST, which is the Nation’s ultimate scientific authority in validating and upholding state-of-the-art measurements science and data–metrology; EPA, which is the Nation’s top environmental policy-making body; and Georgetown University, which is one of the Nation’s premier research universities, to offer a world-class interdisciplinary graduate education in environmental metrology and policy.

The EMAP Program is a 2-year, 40-credit program with six environmental metrology and five environmental policy focused core courses; a program-funded summer research internship; a summative capstone course with thesis; a seminar course; and four elective courses in environmental (social) science, economics, government, and ethics.

Practicing staff from NIST and EPA will join forces in teaching the EMAP Program’s core courses and bring their real-world knowledge into the classrooms. By drawing the complementary world-class academic and practical strengths from Georgetown, NIST and EPA, and leveraging the state-of-the-art instruments for metrology offered by a partnership with Agilent Technologies, which is the Nation’s largest provider of analytical instruments, the EMAP Program is a game changer in educating a new type of leaders and practitioners who will possess cross-the-field knowledge and competencies in both environmental metrology and scientific-fact-based/data-driven environmental policymaking. One of its signature features is the program-funded 10-week summer research internships available at NIST and EPA.

The EMAP Program is designed for ambitious and aspiring U.S. and international students who have undergraduate degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. Those students interested in career paths in interdisciplinary fields where a deep understanding of the ramifications of data/evidence obtained from reproducible scientific measurements is crucial to developing and implementing the most appropriate environmental policies will find that this degree program is ideally suited for their needs. The program is also suitable for traditionally trained scientists who seek alternative career paths and for governmental staff and private sector employees who need a higher degree to advance their careers in either environmental metrology or an environmental policymaking or their combination.

With its premier location in the U.S. capital and its close geographic proximity to both NIST and EPA headquarters; other governmental policymaking agencies; and numerous non-profit organizations, which altogether comprise the very center of the environmental policymaking world, the EMAP Program at Georgetown University offers the best combination of experiential learning, training, and practice of the highest quality with abundant career opportunities to enrolled students who aspire to become a new type of interdisciplinary leader and practitioner in the field of environmental metrology and policy.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Master of Science in Environmental Metrology and Policy (EMAP) Program students must successfully complete 40 credits with an average of accumulative GPA no less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

The EMAP Program is a two-year, 40-credit, full-time program that consists of 7 courses of 3 credits each; 8 courses of 2-credits each; a one capstone project of 3 credits that requires a comprehensive report and an oral presentation; and a seminar series.

All graduate students must maintain an average accumulative GPA of no less than 3.0 (4.0 scale) to be in good standing.

A field experience is required during the first summer semester. During the ten-week field research assignment, students will engage in actual field research with a research mentor. Proposed locations: primarily students will complete their research experiences at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Other governmental agencies or NGOs in the area will also serve as potential locations: USGS, NIOSH, NIH, FDA, OSHA and other locations as appropriate.

SAMPLE COURSE SCHEDULE

A typical two-year courses sequence that will lead to Master of Science in Environmental Metrology and Policy is shown below.

Year-1 Fall Semester

• EMAP-501 Chemistry of Environmental Exposures (core, 3 credits)
• EMAP-502 Statistical Methods in Metrology (core, 3 credits)
• EMAP-503 Introduction to Environmental Policy Science (core, 2 credits)
• EMAP-504 Introduction to the US and International Environmental Laws and Regulations (core, 2 credits)
• EMAP-500 Bi-weekly Seminars / Discussion Forums (0 credits)

Year-1 Spring Semester

• EMAP-511 Introduction to Chemical & Biochemical Metrology (core, 3 credits)
• EMAP-512 Chem & Biochem Metrology Lab I: Instrumental Principles and Measurements (core, 3 credits)
• EMAP-514 Introduction to Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (core, 2 credits)
• EMAP-515 Advanced Environmental Policy Making Science I: A Study of Practical Cases (core, 2 credits)
• EMAP-500 Bi-weekly Seminars / Discussion Forums (0 credits)

In-between Summer

• 10-week program-funded research internship at NIST or EPA.

Year-2 Fall Semester

• EMAP-517/HSCI-501 Occupational Toxicology (core, 3 credits)
• EMAP-513: Chemical & Biochemical Metrology Lab II: Student-Selected Metrology Labs / Capstone Preparation (core, 2 credits)
• EMAP-516: Advanced Environmental Policy Making Science II: A Study of Practical Cases (core, 2 credits)
• One Elective in Government (3 credits)
• EMAP-500 Bi-weekly Seminars / Discussion Forums (0 credits)

Year-2 Spring Semester

• EMAP-518: Capstone Project (core, 3 credits)
• One Elective in Economics (3 credits)
• One Elective in Ethics (2 credits)
• One Elective in Environmental (Social) Science (2 credits)
• EMAP-500 Bi-weekly Seminars / Discussion Forums (0 credits)

Internships

One of the unique features of the MS-EMAP program is the program-funded 10-week internships at either the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is the Nation’s ultimate scientific authority in validating and upholding state-of-the-art measurements science and data–metrology; or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is the Nation’s top environmental policy-making body. Students will have the opportunities to work with and learn from world-leading practitioners in the fields of environmental measurements science and policymaking. The 10-week internships are part of an integrated four-semester experiential sequence, EMAP-512 Metrology Lab I/EMAP-515 Advanced Environmental Policy Making Science I, Internships, EMAP-513 Metrology Lab II/Advanced Environmental Policy Making Science, and EMAP-518 Capstone Project, during which students will be rigorously trained in combining environmental measurements with policymaking. Additionally, students will have regular opportunities through the program to observe or even participate in the deliberation processes of relevant US legislatures. Moreover, other government agencies, such as U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Institute of Health (NIH) etc., can also be the place for internships if right opportunities present.

Career Prospects for EMAP Students

Environmental issues tend to be local with initial impacts but rapidly become international in perspective. Pollution and environmental impacts are not restricted by political boundaries. For future endeavors, it is important that responses to environmental issues of concern be based on best available science and a clear understanding of what data measurements mean regardless of where or when the data are generated or measured. This EMAP program is ideally designed to provide future leaders and practitioners in the environmental world with the necessary knowledge, competencies, and skills to support future policy endeavors.

Students graduating from this program will be well equipped with both fundamental and practical knowledge, technical skills and competencies in EMAP that are widely applicable for positions in both the public and private sectors – government (at all levels) agencies and NGOs, research and academic institutions and corporate entities. Research and policy development related to the environment will be prime areas for the graduates of the MS-EMAP program.

Moreover, a significant percentage of the EPA workforce will become eligible for retirement in the next several years as the baby boomers reach their retirement age. The same is true for many other governmental agencies (both state and national). Collaborators from both NIST and EPA believe that there is a strong need for such an educational program based on their own needs within their respective governmental agencies.

Every business sector has the need for environment, health and safety assessment, management and compliance requirements that are critical to successful business operations and provide employment opportunities for graduates. There will be additional opportunities in services that rely critically on chemical and biochemical measurements, such as forensic services, food, and nutrition quality control and assessment services, measurement labs in medical tests, chemical and biological companies, just to name a few.

A currently, relevant example of where this degree will provide a strong advantage in terms of future job opportunities for Georgetown EMAP graduates is the enactment of the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), also called Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (LCSA), in 2016. The law was ushered through and approved almost unanimously by both republican and democratic lawmakers in both chambers (403 to 12 in the House and 98 to 1 in the Senate), has a strong support from chemical industries and other stakeholders, and therefore will continue to be the law of land under the current and future U.S. administrations. In brief, the new TSCA emphasizes:

1. scientific testing and risk-based evaluation of all chemicals (old and new),
2. promoting the development and implementation of alternative scientific test methods, including “big data” based methods,
3. EPA science requirements & new science standards.

The enactment of the new TSCA will create a huge employment space in industries, advocacy groups/NGOs, and federal/state regulatory agencies. Graduates from the Georgetown EMAP program who will be rigorously educated and trained in both metrology (for scientific measurements) and policy (for developing policy based on the best available science) will be ideally suited for employment opportunities created by this new legislation.

More broadly, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2016-17 Edition) of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-socialscience/environmental-scientists-and-specialists.htm, employment of environmental scientists and specialists is projected to grow 11 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. Heightened public interest in the hazards facing the environment, as well as the increasing demands placed on the environment by population growth, are expected to spur demand for environmental scientists and specialists, therefore the graduates of this EMAP program. The above predictions also apply to the international job market.

In summary, the Georgetown EMAP program pioneers an advanced and integrated graduate education and professional training of highest quality in an emerging interdisciplinary field of great societal importance for future environmental sciences and policy leaders and practitioners, particularly in the fields of toxic substances measurement, management, and policymaking. They are expected to compete well in an ever-increasing employment space that addresses directly the very long-term well being of human society and the planet earth.

CORE CURRICULUM

Core Courses in Environmental (Chemical & Biochemical) Metrology

• EMAP-501: Chemistry of Environmental Exposures (Year 1-Fall)
• EMAP-502: Statistical Methods in Metrology (Year 1-Fall)
• EMAP-511: Introduction to Chemical & Biochemical Metrology (Year 1-Spring)
• EMAP-512: Chemical & Biochemical Metrology Lab I: Instrumental Principles and Measurements (Year 1-Spring)
• EMAP-513: Chemical & Biochemical Metrology Lab II: Student-Selected Metrology Labs / Capstone Preparation (Year 2-Fall)

Core Courses in Environmental Policy:

• EMAP-503: Introduction to Environmental Policy Science (Year 1-Fall)
• EMAP-514: Introduction to Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (Year 1-Spring)
• EMAP-504: Introduction to the US and International Environmental Laws and Regulations (Year 1-Fall)
• EMAP-515: Advanced Environmental Policy Making Science I: A Study of Practical Cases (Year 1-Spring)
• EMAP-516: Advanced Environmental Policy Making Science II: A Study of Practical Cases (Year 2-Fall)

All students are also required to conduct a 10-week research internship during the in-between summer. The research project of the summer internship will be continued by the Metrology Lab II and the capstone course in Year-2.

An elective in ethics course will also be required of each student, in addition to three electives selected from an approved list of classes similar to the following:

• One course in Government (recommended: GOVT 629: Executive Branch Politics and Policy Making, Year 2-Fall) or equivalent.
• One course in Economics (recommended: ECON-551: Microeconomics, Year 2-Spring) or equivalent.
• One course in Environmental (Social) Science (recommended: Environmental Anthropology)

Although not earning any course credits, students are also required to attend a bi-weekly interdisciplinary EMAP Seminar Series each semester where leading scholars (NIST, EPA, academia) in environmental metrology and environmental policymaking present works in progress.