Home Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) Degree Requirements

​​​​Credit requirements below are for students starting the degree in Fall 2023 and beyond.*

Students who started prior to Fall 2023 should refer to the Academic Regulations for their catalog year.

*Required courses are subject to change. For more​ information, please view the latest Academic Regulations or contact the Office of the Registrar: [email protected]​.


An overview of this degree, including other details, can be found here.

​​​34 cred​its​

REQUIRED COURSES
All of the following courses:
Course CodeCourse TitleCredits
ENG5226Energy Law and Policy3
ENG5228Energy Regulation, Markets, and the Environment3
ENG5220Environmental Economics and Markets3​
​REQ7186Legislation and Regulation Survey3
POL5520Quantitative Analysis2


REQUIRED NON-CREDIT MODULES
Course CodeCourse TitleCredits
EJU5100Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 
POL5100Public Participation 
POL5200Professional Identity Formation 
POL5300Negotiation and Consensus-Building 
PROJECT/WRITING REQUIREMENT
Students choose one ​​of the following courses:
Course CodeCourse TitleCredits
 MERL Externship 
 Independent Research Project (on an energy topic) 
POL5700; POL5701Thesis Seminar I & II 
CLI9302Environmental Advocacy Clinic  (JD students only) (on an energy topic) 
CLI9318Environmental Justice Clinic (on an energy topic) 
CLI9321Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic (on an energy topic) 
CLI9427Energy Clinic 
CLI9428​Food and Agriculture Clinic (on an energy topic) 
ENV5535Transnational Environmental Practicum (on an energy topic) 
WRI7301Advanced Writing Seminar (on an energy topic) 
 Participation in the Institute for Energy and the Environment research associate program 
ENERGY ELECTIVES
At least six (6) credits from the following energy elective courses:
Course CodeCourse TitleCredits
ENG5230Global Energy Law and Policy2
ENG5238Global Sustainability Field Study1
ENG5344​Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy​3
ENG5375​Global Energy Justice​2
ENG5425Clean Transportation Law and Policy2
ENG5468Oil and Gas Production and the Environment2
ENG5469​Oil and Gas Development and the Environment​3​
ENG5497End Use Energy Efficiency2
ENG5550Renewable Energy Project Finance and Development​2
ENG5510Essentials of the Electric Grid – Engineering1
ENG5511Essentials of the Electric Grid – Business1
ENG5512Essentials of the Electric Grid – Legal1
ENG5547Energy Efficiency Law and Policy​3


​Remaining electives may be chosen from the courses and experiential options listed above and from the following list of approved courses.

​​ ​

​ELECTIVE COURSES​​
Course CodeCourse TitleCredits
ADR6405Arbitration​​2
ADR6410Alternative Dispute Resolution​​3
ADR6412Mediation​​2
ADR6415Environmental Dispute Resolution​​3
ADR6420Negotiation​​2
ADR6450Advanced Dispute Resolution Writing Seminar​​2
​BUS6262Social Enterprise Law​​2
BUS6305Non-Profit Organizations​​3
BUS6350Non-Profit Management​​2
CLI9302Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM students only)6
CLI9326Advanced Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM only)6
CLI9405Dispute Resolution Clinic I​​4
CLI9427Energy Clinic4
CLI9428Food and Agriculture Clinic4
CLI9437Advanced Energy Clinic4
CLI9450Land Use Clinic (JD or LLM students only)6
DIV7620Native Americans and the Law​​3
DIV7628Indian Tribes as Government Stewards of the Environment​​2
ENV5105Administrative Law​​3
ENV5108Introduction to Agriculture and Food Law and Policy3
ENV5112Science for Environmental Law​​3
ENV5115Environmental Law​​3
ENV5125Land Use Regulation​​3
ENV5205Air Pollution​​ Law and Policy3
ENV5209The Law of Toxics and Hazardous Substances3
ENV5210CERCLA Liability and Cleanup3
ENV5212Climate Change and the Law​​3
ENV5220Environmental Economics and Markets​​3
ENV5223Environmental Governance in the Developing World2
ENV5226Energy Law and Policy in a Carbon-Constrained World​​3
ENV5228Energy Regulation, Markets and the Environment3
ENV5229Environmental Issues in Business3
ENV5230Global Energy Law and Policy2
ENV5235Natural Resources Law​​3
ENV5239Land Transactions and Finance​​3
ENV5245Water Resources Management3
ENV5246Water Quality​​3
ENV5250Watershed Management​​ and Protection3
ENV5303Advanced Energy Writing Seminar​​2
ENV5305Environmental Ethics​​2
ENV5306Comparative Environmental Law Research​​2
ENV5310Environmental Health Law​​2
ENV5335Extinction and Climate Change​​2
ENV5336Climate Change, Extinction and Adaptation2
ENV5342Legal Adaptations to Global Warming2
ENV5343Climate Change Adaptation in Human Systems2
ENV5344Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy2
ENV5346New Frontiers in Environmental Policies2
ENV5349Regulating the Marine Environment​​2
ENV5350Risk Assessment2
ENV5356Scientific Controversies​​2
ENV5365Climate Change: the Power of Taxes​​2
ENV5375Global Energy Justice2
ENV5380Food Regulation and Policy​​3
ENV5381Local Farm and Food Law in Practice3
ENV5383Food Justice & Sustainability3
ENV5401Agriculture and the Environment3
ENV5405Ecosystem Conservation Strategies​​2
ENV5406Animal Rights Jurisprudence​​2
ENV5408The Law of Animals in Agriculture2
ENV5410The Farm Bill2
ENV5411Federal Regulation of Food and Agriculture2
ENVRepresenting Farmers and Food Producers 
ENV5423Ocean and Coastal Law​​3
ENV5430Ecology​​3
ENV5446Environmental Justice​​2
ENV5449Environmental Litigation Workshop2
ENV5462Public Lands Management: Montana Field Study​​3
ENV5468Oil and Gas Production and the Environment​​2
ENV5474Land Conservation Law​​2
ENV5478Global Food Security and Social Justice​2
ENV5479Law and Policy of Local Food Systems​2
ENV5500Environmental Aspects of Business Transactions​​2
ENV5510Essentials of the Electric Grid​​: Engineering1
ENV5521Earth Law​​2
ENV5540Public Health and Food and Agriculture Policy2
ENV5561​Environmental Enforcement and Compliance​2
ENV5564​Peace, War and the Environment​2
ENV5561Environmental Enforcement and Compliance​​2
ENVAnimal Welfare Law 
GPP7819Environmental Issues in Business Transactions (JD students only)2
INT7412Law of the European Union2
INT7414European Union Law Trento2
INT7421International Environmental Law​​ and Policy3
INT7440Comparative U.S.-China Environmental Law​​2
INT7445European Community Environmental Law2
INT7446International Trade and the Environment​​2
INT7450International Investment Arbitration and the Environment2
JUR7307Culture and the Environment​​2
JUR7330Moral Philosophy for Professionals2
JUR7333Animal Law and Ethics3
PUB7510Legislation​​3
PUB7525Legislative Clinic​​6
WRI7380Advanced Environmental Legal Research​​​1


Note: This page is offered as a quick, simplified glance of a complex topic. Please consult the Academic Regulations for full and official degree requirements.​
 ​​