Vermont Law and Graduate School Logo

MASTER OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE LAW AND POLICY (MFALP)

Vermont Law & Graduate School's Center for Agriculture and Food Systems is training the next generation of food law and policy leaders. Earn your degree while engaging in innovative work that spans the food system: from research on national food policy and safety, to projects promoting farmland conservation, farmworkers' rights, equitable access to healthy food, and more.

  • The only master's program in the U.S. focused on food law and policy

  • Set within a top-ranked environmental law program

  • Courses include Food Justice and Sustainability, Food Regulation and Policy, The Farm Bill, International Law of Food, Food Impact Litigation, Land Conservation Law, Animal Welfare Law, Conservation Agriculture Policy, and more

  • At one of the nation's only food and agriculture clinics, students practice legal skills, engage in policymaking, and work directly with food system stakeholders

  • Complete your master's degree program in as few as 12 months or up to 5 years

  • Earn your degree online, on campus, or a hybrid of both

  • Scholarships available

31

Full time environmental faculty

4

Environmental law clinics

55+

Courses related to the environment and environmental law

Climate change. Land use. Water justice. International trade. Sustainable food and energy systems. Our Master of Climate and Environmental Policy (MCEP) students deliver solutions to some of the most critical challenges facing our world today.

  • Focus on the policy, scientific, and communications aspects of environmental law with an added emphasis on economics and advocacy.
  • Innovative curriculum with traditional law offerings and MCEP-specific courses in writing and advocacy.
  • Experiential learning opportunities with state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and advocacy groups.
  • Graduates get jobs as policy analysts and leaders.
  • Courses include Environmental Law, Legislation and Regulation Survey, Natural Resource Law, Ecology, Climate Change Law, Earth Law, Environmental Justice, Animal Rights Jurisprudence, and more.
  • Complete the program in as little as 12 months on campus or 18 months online.
  • Earn your degree online, on campus, or a hybrid of both.

Fossil fuel dependency. A warming planet. Smart-grid technology. The rise of alternative energy markets and infrastructures. Our Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) students receive intensive training at the intersection of energy and law, regulation, policy, and economic analysis.

  • Program focused on law and policy governing energy use, production, and transmission.
  • Students receive practical training in public advocacy and writing for a legal and policy audience.
  • Faculty include former high-level government officials and environmental litigators.
  • Graduates get jobs in energy regulation, clean-energy startups, and more.
  • Courses include Energy Law and Policy in a Carbon-Constrained World, Energy Regulation, Markets, and the Environment, Environmental Economics and Markets, Global Energy Justice, Alternative Fuels and Renewables, and more.
  • Complete the program in as little as 12 months on campus or 18 months online.
  • Earn your degree online, on campus, or a hybrid of both.

The food movement grows here. Our Master of Food and Agricultural Law and Policy (MFALP) students become leaders in food law and policy, equipped with real-world experience working on projects to build a better food system.

  • Comprehensive law and policy program with a unique focus on sustainable food systems set within a top-ranked environmental law program.
  • Offers students a powerful marriage of agriculture policy, food safety, and environmental law.
  • Clinical training in one of the nation's only food and agriculture clinics to gain practical skills, expertise, and networking opportunities.
  • Courses include Food Justice and Sustainability, Food Regulation and Policy, The Farm Bill, International Law of Food, Food Impact Litigation, Land Conservation Law, Animal Welfare Law, Conservation Agriculture Policy, and more.
  • Complete the program in as little as 12 months on campus or 18 months online.
  • Earn your degree online, on campus, or a hybrid of both.

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks VLS as one of the top environmental law programs.

Vermont Law School is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738.

Accreditation

Vermont Law School's master's program is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).