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Home > Academics > Non-Degree Programs > Credential Programs > Environmental Economics and Policy Lab > Program Details

Program Details

  • Curriculum & Faculty
  • Schedule & Format
  • Admissions & Fees
  • Events
Start your application

Curriculum & Faculty

 

Curriculum

This course studies the application of economic analysis to the management of the environmental and natural resources. We will consider the role of economic theory in understanding and solving environmental and energy problems and discuss empirical examinations of the theory. Policy implications will be addressed with particular attention paid to data analyzing and environmental quality valuation. Topics are introduced in the context of real-world environmental and energy policy questions, then translated into the microeconomic theory to highlight the salient constraints and fundamental trade-offs faced by policymakers. You will conduct a policy analysis in groups with feedback from faculty as the program capstone project. In addition, you will visit related organizations to expand your network and career exploration.

Who Will Benefit

This program is a fit if you:

  • Are interested in analyzing environmental issues using the framework of economics.
  • Are considering a graduate degree or professional path in the field of economics, environmental science, data analytics, or public policy.
  • Are professionals in adjacent areas, such as environmental engineering, environmental biology, or architecture who would like to seek career advancement or pivot.
What You Will Learn
  • Property rights
  • Externalities
  • Pigouvian taxes
  • Command-and-control regulation
  • Cap-and-trade
  • Valuation of environmental quality
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Policymaking under uncertainty
  • Inter-regional competition
After completing the program, you will be able to
  • Apply economic analysis to the management of the environment and natural resources.
  • Analyze theoretical and empirical research in environmental economics and energy policy area.
  • Prepare an analytical policy report that develops knowledge and practical implementation of relevant economic theory in understanding and addressing an environmental or energy issue.
  • Demonstrate good inter-personal and communication skills through writing a policy report, giving a group presentation and contributing to critical discussion.

 

Credential Award

Participants will receive a Certification of Completion, issued electronically, upon successful completion of the credential program. The Certification of Completion will include the grade earned. The certification can be shared in future job applications, graduate school applications, or share on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. 

Faculty

Shaoda Wang

Shaoda Wang is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He also serves as the Deputy Faculty Director at the Energy Policy Institute at UChicago, China center (EPIC-China).

Shaoda is an applied economist with research interests in development economics, environmental economics, and political economy. His main research agenda aims at understanding the political economy of public policy, with a regional focus on China.

Shaoda holds a BA from Peking University, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining Harris, he was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Economics and Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago.

Watch the May 2023 Mini-Class with Shaoda Wang (UChicago), 32-minutes

 

Check Shaoda's Curriculum Vitae and part of his publications: 

"Watering Down Environmental Regulation in China" (with Guojun He and Bing Zhang) 

"Does the Squeaky Wheel Get More Grease? The Direct and Indirect Effects of Citizen Participation on Environmental Governance in China" (with Mark Buntaine, Michael Greenstone, Guojun He, Mengdi Liu, and Bing Zhang)

​"The Environmental and Economic Consequences of Internalizing Border Spillovers" (with Zenan Wang)

Schedule and Format

 

Schedule

Program Dates
  • August 7 - August 25, 2023 (three weeks)

Time Commitment

You can anticipate a commitment of approximately 15-20 hours per week. Please see a sample schedule below.

EEPL Schedule

Office Hours

All courses have office hours with faculty and graduate teaching assistants, conducted in-person or virtually in Zoom. You will also leverage a virtual discussion board for quick communication with peers and teaching assistants.

Field Visits

Field visits provide an opportunity for you to bridge the gap between theory and practice, explore diverse career options, expand your professional network, and gain experiences that contribute to your personal and professional growth. Here are some exciting potential organizations/experts you'll have the chance to visit:

  • Shougang Environmental Industry Co., Ltd. - Lujiashan Circular Economy Education Center
  • Giovanni Ruta, Lead Environmental Economist at The World Bank

 

In-person Format

The program will be delivered fully in-person at the Peking University campus in Beijing, China, which allows you to have face-to-face interactions with faculty and peers. Possible site visits to selective energy and environmental organizations based in Beijing, China are open to program participants.

Accommodation

Admitted PKU-UChicago Summer School participants can apply for on-campus accommodation at the PKU Global Village (opposite PKU east gate) for the duration of the program. Please note that vacancy is limited and on first-apply first served basis.

The dormitories are consisted of two or three bedrooms (one student occupies one room) with a shared living room and shared bathroom. Air-conditioning, and cable Internet are available. Please check the detail information as below.

Accommodation Fees:

Location

Global Village

Deposit

500 RMB

Room Rate (per person per night)

120-160 RMB

※ Payment for housing will be at the reception desk upon check-in.

※ Participants' lodging, meal, travel and health insurance, transportation, visa application fee, etc. are not covered in the program fee.

PKU Global Village:

Check-in: Reception Desk of Building No. 4.

Room type: 2 or 3 single bedrooms with shared living room and bathroom

Address: No. 126 North Zhongguancun Street, Haidian, Beijing (10 mins walking to PKU main campus)

Phone: +86-10-62752288

Website: http://pkugv.pku.edu.cn/ (in Chinese) 

GV1room

Off-Campus Accommodation : 

International students not living in on-campus housing or a hotel must, according to Chinese law, register at their local police station within 24 hours of arriving in the country. When registering, students must provide their exact address as well as a telephone number.

Admissions & Fees

 

Eligibility

All applicants are required to complete an online application and will be notified electronically. We encourage you to apply as early as possible. This program is available for undergraduate and graduate students, and working professionals. To enroll in the program, you must have finished at least one year of full-time study at an undergraduate institution by the time you attend the program. There are no prerequisites as this program is available for all academic backgrounds.

 

How to Apply 

Start Your Online Application

Start your online application today. You can start, save, close, and return to the application prior to submission. 

  • Select "2023" and "2023 Cred" and "Non-Degree" type 
  • Select the "Environmental Economics and Policy Lab" program name
Submit Required Application Materials
  • Motivation statement in English (word limit: 300)
  • Resume (one or two pages is recommended)
  • Academic transcripts
    • Transcripts must clearly state your full name and name of university or academic institution. If your transcripts show your student ID number instead of your name, then please provide supplemental documentation with both your full name and student ID number. 
    • Transcripts detail the course names, dates (term and year), grades and grading scales for each year of postsecondary (college or university) education.
    • Provide a transcript for each degree conferred (undergraduate and graduate).
    • Unofficial transcripts are accepted. You may upload a PDF copy. 
    • An English translation must be submitted for all foreign language transcripts. 
  • English language proficiency 
    • Applicants whose native language is not English are required to meet the English language requirement.

 

Application Deadlines

 
Application Deadline
Notification
Reply Deadline
Early Action April 18, 2023 April 30, 2023 May 9, 2023
Round 1 May 23, 2023 June 2, 2023 June 10, 2023
Round 2* June 18, 2023 June 26, 2023 June 30, 2023

Admissions notifications are issued approximately two weeks after the deadline. Notifications are issued by email. Reply deadline is the date for admitted students to confirm their intent to enroll by submitting the Admission Reply Form and non-refundable Enrollment Deposit. Details are noted in the letter of admission. 

We encourage you to apply early to take advantage of the early action discount and longer timeline to confirm acceptance. For participants who need to apply for a visa to go to China, please reserve enough time for visa application.

*Please note the Round 2 has a short timeline for admitted students to confirm acceptance and submit the enrollment deposit. The application may close before this date if space is no longer available. 

 

Program Fee and Payment

The program fee for the 2023 program is $3,000.

The program fee only includes program materials and organized required group activities. Participants' lodging, meal, travel and health insurance, transportation, visa application fee, etc. are not covered in the program fee.

Discount

The program offers some discounted program fees. See below for the eligibility and discounted fees: 

  • Applicants who apply by the Early Action Deadline:  $2,700 
  • PKU and UChicago current students and alumni: $2,500
Scholarships

There is no scholarship available for the program. 

Deposit & Payment

Admitted students are required to submit a non-refundable $700 USD enrollment deposit to confirm their seat in the program by the deadline listed in their admission letter. The enrollment deposit is applied to the total program fee. Students who fail to submit the deposit by the deadline listed in their admission letter will be viewed as voluntarily giving up the seat to attend the program.

The remaining balance is due August 3, 2023 - before the program begins. Payment for the deposit and remaining balance is submitted by credit card in the application portal. Admitted students will receive details on the payment process.

Tips for Financial Planning

We encourage you to expand and diversify your funding sources. For example, past students received support from their current academic institution or employer. Other students found external scholarships based on their academic study, career goal, citizenship or other affiliations. 

Read our blog post with Tips on Financial Planning.

Questions?

Email us at harriscredential@uchicago.edu.

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