Georgia State students attend classes near many popular sports facilities and office buildings. Before State Farm Arena, Mercedes Benz Stadium, hotels and multi-use developments were built, they needed land-use approvals. Attorneys who practice in environmental and land-use law know the regulatory environment. They often say that no two days of work are the same. You will learn why in the Certificate in Environmental and Land-Use Law program.
As part of that certificate program, students must sign up for the Urban Fellows Program. Students study and discuss urban growth issues with top decision-makers.
The Certificate in Environmental and Land-Use Law will provide you with knowledge, skills and values. Students learn skills to land positions at private law firm, government agencies or corporations.
Benefits
- Preparation: Students learn about environmental and land-use issues. The certificate program exposes students to policies and laws and prepares them to practice law. Students review key concepts, laws, policies and institutions.
- Hands-on learning: Analyze and solve pressing land use and environmental law and policy issues. Certificate students build on their legal skills and knowledge as they progress through the required and elective courses.
- Transferable skills: Work on cross-functional teams.
- Explore issues: The Urban Fellows Program allows students to discuss critical issues affecting Atlanta and the Southeast.
- Create connections: Build a network of professionals with similar interests.
Certificate Requirements
Students must take the following courses, foundational courses and select nine hours of elective courses to graduate with a Certificate in Environmental and Land-Use Law. More details on each of the components may be found below.
Required Courses (9 credit hours)
- LAW 7010 – Administrative Law (3 credit hours)
- LAW 7200 – Environmental Law (3 credit hours)
- LAW 7320 – Land-Use Law (3 credit hours)
Elective Courses (minimum of 9 credit hours)
- Taking electives in the College of Law
- Participating in externships
- Taking graduate courses in other Georgia State departments*
- Taking graduate courses at Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of City and Regional Planning*
*Students are limited to one elective course (3 hours maximum) from a nonlaw department, including Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning. Dual degree students may take two courses (6 credit hours) from a nonlaw department. Nonlaw courses are subject to the rules of the College of Law. Students must receive pre-approval from the associate dean for academic affairs before registering for non-law elective courses.
Approved Elective Courses
- LAW 7386 Advanced Local Government Law
- LAW 7437 Advanced Real Estate Transactions
- LAW 7098 Biotechnology Law
- LAW 7125 Comparative Law
- LAW 7242 Growth Management Law
- LAW 7238 Hazardous Waste
- LAW 7288 International and Foreign Legal Research
- LAW 7277 International Human Rights
- LAW 7397 International Perspectives on Urban Law & Policy
- LAW 7355 Law and Emerging Technologies
- LAW 7375 Legislation
- LAW 7385 Local Government Law
- LAW 7203 Natural Resources Law
- LAW 7244 Public Health Law
- LAW 7435 Real Estate Transactions
- LAW 7202 Selected Topics in Environmental Litigation
- LAW 7656 Sustainable Development Law
- LAW 7500 Water Rights
Externships
- City of Atlanta
- Georgia Department of Law
- U.S. Department of Interior
- GreenLaw
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Department of Interior
- Federal Highway Administration
Urban Fellows Program (2 credits)
Application
Students can apply after completing the first full year of law study (31 credit hours). Applicants must be in good academic standing with a 2.3 GPA or greater.
Students must apply to enter the certificate program no later than the end of the spring semester of their second year. That will allow for two full semesters (fall and spring) remaining in their studies to participate in the Urban Fellows Program, a mandatory component of the certification program. Applying to enter the program is not binding. You can decline to pursue the certificate at any time.
To apply for the certificate program:
- Submit a nonbinding Declaration-of-Interest form to kjohnston3@gsu.edu.
- Submit an  Urban Fellows Program application to kjohnston3@gsu.edu.
Verification
A Certificate in Environmental and Land-Use Law may be awarded to any student who fulfills all requirements before graduation.
Students must verify that they meet the certificate program’s requirements prior to graduation. They must successfully complete the:
- Required courses (Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Land-Use Law)
- Elective courses (9 credit hours of approved courses)
- Urban Fellows ProgramÂ
- Writing Requirement (LAW 7494 – Urban Fellows Class)
To receive a certificate, students must submit a Verification for Certificate in Environmental and Land-Use Law form. This form must be signed by your faculty advisor and submitted to the registrar. The deadline for submitting this form is the drop/add date of your last semester.
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