An environmental consultancy course trains students in the areas of corporate social responsibility, environmental management and sustainability. It focuses on areas such as project development and corporate sustainability strategy, and introduces contemporary environmental management techniques and solutions. The class also facilitates understanding of key environmental management concepts, such as aspect and impact identification and setting objectives and targets.
An environmental impact assessment, or EIA, stems from U.S. legislation adopted by the European Union and the United Kingdom. Coursework in this topic provides training in policies, methods and applications of EIA and strategic environmental assessment. It teaches the origin of the EIA process, its nature and its stages. Students learn impact identification and evaluation techniques, as well as how to predict environmental impacts, mitigation and compensation measures. Instructors also cover the planning process, decision making and related issues such as strategic environmental assessment and the contribution of EIA to sustainable development.
This course serves as an introduction to environmental management systems (EMS) and how the systems support environmental improvements. Students learn about basic environmental regulations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's involvement in supporting EMS efforts, to ensure that clients comply with environmental statutes such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Students studying environment audits learn to assess compliance with federal, state and local environmental requirements. The course also covers how to organize the audit process step-by-step according to the EPA regulations and prepare an effective audit report. Other course topics include the responsibilities of the auditor and the facility, and how to monitor corrective action.