Environmental & Land Use Law Certificate

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As the world’s population continues to congregate in massive urban networks, demand will rise for services such as water, sewer, electricity, waste disposal, transportation, and social services - while pollution, conservation, and climate change remain pressing challenges. The Environmental & Land Use Law certificate develops students’ knowledge and skills to work on the cross-functional teams necessary to address these complex challenges that cities will face, which cannot be solved by one type of professional working in isolation.

Certificate Requirements

Required Courses (11 Credit Hours)

LAW 7010 - Administrative Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7200 - Environmental Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7320 - Land Use Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7494 - Urban Fellows Program. 2 Credit Hours

Elective Courses (9 Credit Hours)

Additional courses in Environmental and Land Use Law may also qualify as certificate elective credits. Students signed up for the Environmental and Land Use Law Certificate are encouraged to discuss such courses with their faculty advisors.

LAW 7203 - Natural Resources and Water Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7204 - Urban Environmental Law Seminar. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7238 - Hazardous Waste. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7242 - Advanced Land Use Law Seminar. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7244 - Public Health Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7273 - International Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7277 - International Human Rights. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7355 - Law and Emerging Technologies. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7363 - History of the Common Law in England and America. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7375 - Legislation. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7385 - State and Local Government Law. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7397 - International Perspective on Urban Law and Policy. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7435 - Real Estate Transactions. 2 to 3 Credit Hours
LAW 7500 - Water Rights. 2 to 3 Credit Hours

Externships

EPA
Federal Highway Administration
Office of the Attorney General, State of GA
Southern Environmental Law Center
The Coca-Cola Company, Legal Division
U.S. Department of the Interior - Office of the Regional Solicitor
Atlanta Legal Aid Society
Georgia Legal Service Program, Dalton Office - Rural Externship Program
Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
Landlord Tenant
Lawyers for Equal Justice
City of Atlanta
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Regional Counsel
Forward Air Corporation
The Home Depot, Legal Department
Georgia Heirs Property Law Center

The externship list here is not comprehensive. Students may also propose an externship site. For a current listing of all approved externship sites see the GSU Law Externships webpage.

Graduate Electives in Other Colleges and Departments

Because the practice of environmental and land use law is interdisciplinary and cross-professional, students pursuing this certificate program may enroll in up to 6 credits of appropriate graduate courses offered by other departments at GSU or by Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning. Approval from course instructors may be required.

Appropriate Graduate Courses Regularly Offered within GSU

Advanced Seminar in Inclusive Urbanism (URB 9010)
Global Urban Trajectories (URB 8020)
Housing Markets and Housing Policy (PMAP 8361)
The Interdisciplinary City (URB 8097)
Urban Economic Resilience (URB 8097)
Urban Environments (URB 8660)
Urban Environmental Sustainability (URB 8097)
Urban Theory and Praxis (URB 8010)

Appropriate Graduate Courses Regularly Offered by Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning

Economic Analysis for Planning (CP 6031)
Environmental Planning Impact Assessment (CP 6214)
Government and Housing Markets (CP 6630)
Introduction to Land Use Planning (CP 6112)
Introduction to Transportation Planning (CP 6311)
Negotiation, Facilitation and Conflict Resolution (CP 6760)
Policy Tools for Environmental Management (CP 6223)
Urban Development Policy (CP 6452)
Water Resources Planning (CP 6241)

Writing Requirement

Urban Fellows Program - Students must participate in the Urban Fellows seminar series. A paper must be written on an urban, environmental, or land use law topic, and presented to other Urban Fellows. The paper must satisfy the COL’s writing requirement.

Pro Bono Hours

Students must complete ten hours of pro bono work/community service to receive the certificate.

Grades

In order to enroll in the certificate program, a student must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.3 or better. There is no minimum grade point average required in the environmental and land use classes (both required and electives) to graduate with the certificate.