Master of Science in Environmental Management and Studies

This course is about the interaction between and among human and natural systems. It describes the interrelationships in the natural world and traces human impact in terms of cultural evolution. It focuses on the Philippine environment and the imperative of sustainable development.

This course explains the nature of man-culture-environment interaction from the perspective of worldviews shaped by history and socio-cultural systems. It also includes paradigm shifts in      environmental values, attitudes, perceptions, and behavior. It discusses the impact of 21st     -century culture on the environment. The course will include concepts in social acceptability and skills in rapid social impact assessment.

The course is designed to help students understand the patterns and processes by which nature sustains life. The course includes discussions on factors that influence the distribution and abundance of organisms. It also consists of discussions on population, community, and ecosystems. The course hopes to advocate building and nurturing sustainable communities that are compatible with and supportive of nature’s processes for sustaining life.

The course presents an aquatic ecosystem as a complex of living organisms and non-living components interacting dynamically in the ocean and freshwater environment. The course discusses the biotic and abiotic factors in aquatic ecosystems, including coastal resource management. From ridge to reef, the aquatic ecosystems are discussed as they apply to Philippine ecosystems. The various environmental challenges of aquatic pollution and loss of biodiversity will be discussed.

The course discusses the consequences of natural and human-induced perturbations on the Earth’s      atmosphere. Areas covered include, but are not limited to, weather and climatic controls, air pollution, air quality and its effects, global warming, ozone depletion, and climate change. The course also discusses climatic and atmospheric events that severely impact human populations, especially with climate change.

The course discusses the various concepts, principles,      the elements of technology and the environment, and the interactive roles they play in the context of environmental management. The course also tackles the implications of technology on the different ecosystems and various sectoral concerns within the environment, in the purview of sustainable development.

The course introduces the students to planning and design principles for residential, commercial, industrial, and even tourism development. Students learn the different models of settlement systems      and the ways      they evolved and developed. They acquire knowledge on how settlement systems influence land uses and how they affect land sustainability.

The course discusses the methods, data gathering, and analysis techniques in conducting environmental research. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are explained. The student presents an individual research proposal at the end of the semester, which      could also become an initial paper towards developing a thesis.

The course discusses the environmental impact assessment conceptual framework and its application in the Philippines. It focuses on methods for      determining and quantifying the impacts of projects and programs on the environment in its physical, biological, cultural, and other aspects. It is expected that students will develop the skills to prepare an EIA.

This course is designed for students with limited knowledge of management concepts and principles. It focuses on the challenges faced by companies in changing their practices and strategies for competition as they respond to the pressures placed on them by environmental issues. After taking the course, students will have the tools and skills to be able to promote a favorable policy environment that will encourage the participation of companies in improving environmental performance.