Final Year: Courses

Capstone Seminar

Careers in environmental policy require good analytical skills, but also, the ability to lead policy implementation. This class focuses on values-based leadership—understanding different leadership approaches, critical skills, and pathways to engage your community in a policy vision. The course focuses on self-awareness and communication as foundations for leadership. The class works with community leaders from the Hudson Valley to test leadership theory against practice. 

Communication Strategies

Students learn how to communicate clearly and accurately about environmental problems and how to target information for different purposes and to audiences in multiple sectors. Students become familiar with various approaches to framing and conveying messages. Classes with voice and speech coaches help students hone their presentation and public speaking skills, while lectures from veteran environmental journalists and advocates offer insight into working with the press and the policy process. Additionally, students learn about fund-raising, foundations, and grant writing.