Program Overview
Colorado State University's Watershed Science Ph.D. program focuses on water movement, quality, and management, providing students with research experience and a range of courses. It emphasizes sustainable freshwater resource management and equips graduates with knowledge and skills to address global water issues.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Ph.D. in Watershed Science program at Colorado State University focuses on the movement of water through landscapes, factors affecting water quality, and the management of water resources. The program emphasizes both basic and applied research in watershed science, providing students with hands-on experience in the field, laboratory, and data analysis. Students work closely with research scientists and have access to a wide range of water-related courses across the university. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address complex water issues in Colorado and globally.
Outline:
The Ph.D. in Watershed Science program requires 72 credits, with a significant portion dedicated to research. The program structure includes:
- Required Foundation Courses:
- GRAD 544: Ethical Conduct of Research (1 credit)
- WR 692: Seminar (1 credit)
- Discussion Courses:
- Students must select at least 3 credits from the following:
- WR 574: Advanced Snow Hydrology
- WR 616: Hillslope Hydrology and Runoff Processes
- Quantitative Courses:
- Students must select at least 3 credits from the following:
- NR 512: Spatial Statistical Modeling-Natural Resources
- NR 523/STAT 523: Quantitative Spatial Analysis
- STAR 512: Design and Data Analysis for Researchers II
- WR 674: Data Issues in Hydrology
- Skill Courses:
- Students must select at least 3 credits from the following:
- GEOL 551: Groundwater Modeling
- NR 503/GR 503: Remote Sensing and Image Analysis
- NR 505: Concepts in GIS
- WR 417: Watershed Measurements
- WR 419: Water Quality Analyses
- WR 524/CIVE 524: Modeling Watershed Hydrology
- WR 575: Snow Hydrology Field Methods
- Depth and Breadth Courses:
- Students must select at least 6 credits from the following:
- AREC 542: Applied Advanced Water Resource Economics
- CIVE 413: Environmental River Mechanics
- CIVE 520: Physical Hydrology
- CIVE 544: Water Resources Planning and Management
- CIVE 613: River Restoration Design
- CIVE 622: Risk Analysis of Water/Environmental Systems
- CIVE 625: Quantitative Eco-Hydrology
- CIVE 626: Integrated Analysis of Coupled Water Issues
- ESS 501: Principles of Ecosystem Sustainability
- ESS 543/ATS 543: Global Climate Change
- ESS 660: Biogeochemical Cycling in Ecosystems
- GEOL 452: Hydrogeology
- GEOL 552: Advanced Topics in Hydrogeology
- GEOL 652: Fluvial Geomorphology
- NR 510: Ecosystem Services--Theory and Practice
- NR 577: Wetland Ecology and Restoration
- SOC 461: Water and Social Justice
- SOC 664: Sociology of Water Resources
- SOCR 522: Micrometeorology
- SOCR 540: Soil-Plant-Nutrient Relationships
- SOCR 670: Terrestrial Ecosystems Isotope Ecology
- WR 416: Land Use Hydrology
- WR 418: Land Use and Water Quality
- WR 510: Watershed Management in Developing Countries
- WR 511: Water Resource Development
- WR 512: Water Law for Non-Lawyers
- Research and Dissertation:
- WR 798: Research (2 credits)
- WR 799: Dissertation (2 credits)
- Additional Credits: Students develop individualized programs of study with the guidance of their graduate committee. The program aims to contribute to the literature of the watershed science discipline.
