MA in Anthropology and Environmental Policy in Orono United States | University of Maine

Numerous environmental challenges endanger communities worldwide. Emissions of greenhouse gases are altering planetary systems, ecosystems, species habitats, disease transmission, and land utilization. Marine fisheries and forested areas across the globe, including those in Maine, are experiencing rapid deterioration. The combination of shrinking farmland, poor governance, and rising populations could lead to extensive food shortages in coming years. Additional concerns include excessive nutrient runoff, declining wildlife populations and biodiversity, topsoil loss, exhaustion of finite resources, and ecological damage. While these issues impact humanity, human activities also drive them. Furthermore, many problems originate globally but manifest locally. International demand strains forests and fisheries, yet the environmental fallout appears in specific regions through deforested landscapes and collapsed fish stocks. Global human activities influence climate patterns, but the resulting climatic shifts will vary dramatically by geographic location. As a resource-dependent state, Maine's residents, culture, and social structures are especially vulnerable to these globally-rooted threats.

This program equips graduates to comprehend the complexities and consequences of human-environment relationships across various scales, enabling them to contribute to policy-making at local, national, and global levels. Alumni typically pursue careers in governmental and private organizations, including institutions at state, federal, and international levels that address policy matters concerning environmental change, ecosystem management, and resource preservation. Some graduates continue their education through doctoral programs in Anthropology and Environmental Policy or similar fields.