Program Overview

Water Resources Policy and Management Graduate Major (MS)

The Water Resources Policy and Management Graduate Major (MS) is offered with specialization in the human dimensions of water resources policy and management. Seminars, readings, and conferences in water resources policy and management are offered by the Water Resources Graduate Program and several affiliated departments.

Graduate Areas of Concentration

The graduate degree options are structured around courses designed to broaden the student's education in water resources policy and management. University departments that offer courses related to water resources policy and management include:

• Applied Economics
• Anthropology
• Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
• Geosciences
• Animal and Rangeland Sciences
• Statistics
• Zoology
• The School of Public Policy
• The School of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management
• The School of Biological and Population Health Sciences
• The College of Business
• The College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

Program Requirements

The program requires students to:

• Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material
• Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner

Course List

The following courses are required:

Core Courses

• WRP 507: SEMINAR (1 credit)
• or WRS 507: SEMINAR (1 credit)
• WRP 505: READING AND CONFERENCE (1 credit)
• or WRE 505: READING AND CONFERENCE (1 credit)
• or WRS 505: READING AND CONFERENCE (1 credit)
• WRP 524: SOCIOTECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF WATER RESOURCES (3 credits)

Methods and Numerical Skills

Select 9 credits from the following courses:

• CS 540: DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
• GEOG 560: GISCIENCE I: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE
• GEOG 565: SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN ECOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCE
• ST 511: METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS
• ST 512: METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS
• ST 513: METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS
• ST 531: SAMPLING METHODS

Basic Water Science

Select 6 credits from the following courses:

• ATS 520: CLIMATE PHYSICS
• BEE 512: PHYSICAL HYDROLOGY
• CE 514: GROUNDWATER HYDRAULICS
• FE 530: WATERSHED PROCESSES
• GEO 530: GEOCHEMISTRY
• GEO 531: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
• GEO 532: APPLIED GEOMORPHOLOGY
• GEOG 596: FIELD RESEARCH IN GEOMORPHOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
• SOIL 535: SOIL PHYSICS

Policy and Management

Select 15 credits from the following courses:

• AEC 505: READING AND CONFERENCE (Resource Economics)
• or AEC 507: SEMINAR
• AEC 512: MICROECONOMIC THEORY I
• AEC 525: APPLIED ECONOMETRICS
• AEC 534: ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS
• AEC 543: INTERNATIONAL TRADE
• AEC 550: ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS
• AEC 551: APPLICATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS
• ANTH 576: ADVANCED ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY SEMINAR
• ANTH 577: ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
• ANTH 585: USES OF ANTHROPOLOGY
• ANTH 591: ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS
• COMM 540: THEORIES OF CONFLICT AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
• COMM 546: COMMUNICATION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT AND DISPUTES
• FOR 562: NATURAL RESOURCE POLICY AND LAW
• FOR 563: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND LAW INTERACTIONS
• GEO 532: APPLIED GEOMORPHOLOGY
• GEOG 530: RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
• GEOG 540: CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US
• GEOG 541: THE WORLD'S WATER
• PS 575: ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
• PS 576: SCIENCE AND POLITICS
• PS 577: INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
• SOC 556: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIAL CONTEXT
• SOC 581: SOCIETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
• WRP 521: WATER CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND TRANSFORMATION
• WRP 523: ENVIRONMENTAL WATER TRANSACTIONS
• WRP 544: MANAGING NATURAL RESOURCES FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION
• WRP 548: CONDUCTING COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
• WRP 554: BUSINESS OF WATER
• WRP 599: SPECIAL TOPICS

Total Credits

The total credits required for the MS degree is 45.

Major Code

The major code for this program is 0990.