2024-2025

Environmental Economics, Undergraduate Certificate

Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting

The W. A. Franke College of Business

Students earning the Environmental Economics Certificate will embark on an interdisciplinary study that exposes them to considering trade-offs in decision-making processes and furthering their quantitative analytical skills. The Environmental Economics certificate incorporates economic thought processes into the students' major disciplines through three core economics courses (ECO 284, ECO 301, and ECO 324) and two economics elective courses.

  • To receive an undergraduate certificate (at least 15 units) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

    Please be aware that federal financial aid is not available for some certificates, if the certificate is pursued and completed as a stand-alone certificate (i.e., not completed concurrently with a degree program). See the "Details" tab for additional information.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 15
Major GPA 2.0
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114

Purpose Statement

The Environmental Economics Undergraduate Certificate (EECert) exposes non-economics majors to incorporating economic thought processes into their field of study through three core economics classes and two additional economics classes of their choosing. Environmental Economics encompasses a broad range of topics that would introduce and expand economic decision-making regarding environmental problems and natural resource usage.

Thinking in terms of "efficiency" is a central concept to economic theory. Given limited budgets or resource allocations, students will study how to best address environmental problems and sustainability issues. The EECert will expose students to the trade-offs society faces in decision and policy-making processes to come to solutions that markets will not reach on their own. EECert includes the W.A. Franke College of Business' Principles of Economics: Microeconomics (ECO 284), Quantitative Methods in Economics (ECO 301), and Environmental Economics (ECO 324). In these core classes, students will study the fundamentals of microeconomic theory, market structures, types of goods and externalities, quantitative skills of applied economics, regression analysis and modeling, risk assessment, pollution problems and policies, natural resource use, and sustainability. Through electives, students can choose to study intermediate microeconomics, econometrics, natural resources and climate change, or applied environmental economics.

Students in the EECert from outside of the W.A. Franke College of Business may embark on an interdisciplinary certificate that exposes them to considering tradeoffs in decision-making processes and may further their quantitative and analytical skills. Students wanting to pursue a master's degree or higher will have additional exposure to STEM-related studies. This certificate criterion will enhance the student's understanding of factors to be considered when making business decisions on potential projects undertaken by an employer.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Apply theoretical frameworks to examine how markets and regulation impact public goods and externalities for sustainable outcomes.
  • Apply the concept and impact of Total Economic Value to public good provision and externalities.
  • Apply non-market valuation techniques to estimate economic value for non-market goods including ecosystem services such as air and water quality.
  • Collect and analyze data to support valuation exercises including the hedonic pricing and travel cost methods.
  • Describe how natural systems contribute to individual and social well-being through direct use (e.g., commodities) and indirect use (e.g., ecosystem services such as water quality).

Certificate Requirements

  • You must have completed all of the coursework used to fulfill these requirements within the last 10 years.

  • This certificate may be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program or as a stand-alone certificate. Federal financial aid cannot be used if the certificate is completed as a stand-alone certificate.

  • Students enrolled in this certificate may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • The FCB does not accept upper-division transfer credits from programs not accredited by the AACSB (such as the University of Phoenix or the Bachelor of Business Administration program at NAU).

    You must complete 50 percent, or 9 units, of certificate coursework that are not used in your major, minor, or other certificates, and you must complete at least 60 percent of certificate coursework at Northern Arizona University.