Major in Watershed Science and Sustainability, Watershed Sustainability Concentration

Program Overview

The Watershed Science and Sustainability major with a Watershed Sustainability concentration prepares students for careers related to water management. The program combines foundational science courses with social and economic sciences, equipping students with a comprehensive understanding of water resources, water economics, and sustainability. Graduates will be able to analyze watershed problems, interpret water data, and demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Watershed Science and Sustainability major with a Watershed Sustainability concentration focuses on the interaction between human systems and the physical, chemical, and biological processes within watersheds. It combines foundational science courses with sociology and economics, preparing students for upper-level courses on water resources, water economics, and sustainability.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Articulate core concepts in watershed science and sustainability, including climate processes, surface and subsurface hydrology, water quality, human uses of water, and sustainable water management.
• Describe how social, institutional, governance, and economic factors influence water resource allocation and management.
• Analyze and interpret meteorological, hydrological, water quality, water use, and management data.
• Analyze watershed problems and sustainability challenges using geospatial data, field observations, sensor data, and watershed models.
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking, writing, and oral communication skills.

Outline:

• Semester 2: Select 4 credits from BZ 110 & BZ 111 (Principles of Animal Biology) or BZ 120 (Principles of Plant Biology).
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Historical Perspectives.

Sophomore Year:

• Semester 3: ATS 150 (Science of Global Climate Change), AREC 202 (Agricultural and Resource Economics) or ECON 202 (Principles of Microeconomics), PH 110 (Physics of Everyday Phenomena).
Electives.
• Semester 4: AREC 342 (Water Law, Policy, and Institutions), LIFE 320 (Ecology), SOC 100 (Introduction to Sociology) or SOC 105 (Social Problems), STAT 158 (Introduction to R Programming), STAT 301 (Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods) or STAT 315 (Intro to Theory and Practice of Statistics), Arts and Humanities.
WR 204/GR 204 must be completed by the end of this semester.

Junior Year:

• Semester 5: NR 220 (Natural Resource Ecology and Measurements)
• Semester 6: NR 320 (Natural Resources History and Policy) or NR 310 (Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being), NR 319 (Introduction to Geospatial Science), WR 416 (Land Use Hydrology), WR 486 (Watershed Field Practicum), Watershed Science Department List (see list on Concentration Requirements tab).
• Semester 7: ESS 312 (Sustainability Science), WR 418 (Land Use and Water Quality).
Select one course from CO 301B (Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences), JTC 300 (Strategic Writing and Communication), or LB 300 (Specialized Professional Writing). Arts and Humanities, Electives.

Senior Year:

• Semester 8: Sustainability Elective List (see list on Concentration Requirements tab), Watershed Science Department List (see list on Concentration Requirements tab), Electives.

Other:

The program requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 42 credits being upper-division (300- to 400-level). The program assumes students will either test out of or take prerequisite Mathematics courses (MATH 117, MATH 118, MATH 124, MATH 125, MATH 126) prior to the courses listed in the plan.

Sustainability Elective List:

Students must select a minimum of 9 credits from courses not taken elsewhere in the program. Additional coursework may be required due to prerequisites.

Watershed Science Elective List:

Students must select a minimum of 6 credits from courses not taken elsewhere in the program. Additional coursework may be required due to prerequisites.

Course Lists:

The context provides detailed lists of courses for both the Sustainability Elective List and the Watershed Science Elective List, including course codes, titles, and credit hours.