Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Water Resources Science PhD

Water Resources Center
Graduate School
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Water Resources Science, 193 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Avenue, St. Paul MN 55108 (612-624-7456)
Email: wrs@umn.edu
Website: http://wrs.umn.edu
  • Program Type: Doctorate
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2019
  • Length of program in credits: 48
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • The Water Resources Science PhD is an All-University program delivered on the Twin Cities and Duluth Campuses. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is the degree granting authority for the Water Resources Science PhD program in Duluth.
  • Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
This cross-campus interdisciplinary program provides comprehensive training in water resources science, with integration across scientific disciplines. A structured interdisciplinary graduate curriculum is offered. The program includes a set of core courses plus electives in the following areas: aquatic biology, environmental chemistry, hydrologic science, limnology, water management technology, water policy, water quality, and watershed science and management. A limnology and oceanography track is also available. Approximately 80 courses offered within 15 other graduate programs are available to students majoring in water resources science. The goal of the program is to produce scientists with strong technical skills in disciplines relevant to water resources and a broad understanding of 1) the hydrologic cycle and associated ecosystems, 2) the interconnectedness of the sciences involved in managing aquatic resources, and 3) the interplay between the biophysical sciences and social sciences in developing and implementing public policies related to water. Students in the program develop the breadth of scientific knowledge appropriate to understand the complicated aquatic ecosystems and watersheds on which they will work, as well as social dimensions of the topic, including the public policy and legal frameworks in which water resources are protected and managed. The program involves faculty from the following departments on the Twin Cities campus: Applied Economics; Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering; Civil Engineering; Earth Sciences; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; Entomology; Environmental and Occupational Health; Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Forest Resources; Geography; Horticultural Science; Plant Biology; and Soil, Water, and Climate. It also involves faculty from the following departments on the Duluth campus: Biology; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil Engineering Geography; Geological Sciences; Physics; as well as the Large Lakes Observatory and the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
The program is flexible enough to accommodate students from a variety of backgrounds. Normally students have a master's degree in physical, biological, or environmental science or engineering.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
Recommended academic preparation includes one year (or two semesters) each of calculus, physics, and chemistry, and one biology course at the undergraduate level. Availability of funding and willingness of a member of the graduate faculty to serve as an advisor are important criteria for admission to the PhD program.
Special Application Requirements:
Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation via the University of Minnesota's online application system. These letters should be from professors qualified to estimate applicant's class rank and evaluate their ability to complete a program of graduate study, or from persons who can assess their professional or research potential. Applicants must also submit a résumé of their academic history and professional experience and a statement of purpose, including the proposed area of emphasis. Applicants should submit results of the GRE General Test. Students may be admitted any semester but are strongly encouraged to submit their application by December 1 for fall semester admission. More specific application instructions can be found on the program website: https://wrs.umn.edu/prospective-students/admissions-info.
Applicants must submit their test score(s) from the following:
  • GRE
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 79
    • Paper Based - Total Score: 550
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 6.5
  • MELAB
    • Final score: 80
The preferred English language test is Test of English as Foreign Language.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
24 credits are required in the major.
24 thesis credits are required.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for students to remain in good standing.
At least 2 semesters must be completed before filing a Degree Program Form.
Water Resources Seminar
Students must take WRS 8100 for 0.5 credits.
WRS 8100 - Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources (0.5 cr)
Water Resources Ethics
WRS 8581 - Research and Professional Ethics in Water Resources and Environmental Science (0.5 cr)
Hydrology Core
Take at least 3 credits from the following:
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds (3.0 cr)
or CEGE 4501 - Hydrologic Design (4.0 cr)
or ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology (4.0 cr)
or FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
or FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
Environmental/Water Chemistry Core
Take at least 3 credits from the following:
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry (3.0 cr)
or ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3.0 cr)
or LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3.0 cr)
or PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry (3.0 cr)
Limnology Core
EEB 5601 - Limnology (3.0 cr)
Water Resources Policy Core
WRS 5101 - Water Policy (3.0 cr)
WRS Electives
Select electives from the following list to complete the 24 course credits required:
APEC 5651 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
BBE 5523 - Ecological Engineering Design (3.0 cr)
BBE 5513 - Watershed Engineering (3.0 cr)
BBE 5535 - Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters (3.0 cr)
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds (3.0 cr)
PMB 4121 - Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4351 - Groundwater Mechanics (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4352 - Groundwater Modeling (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4501 - Hydrologic Design (4.0 cr)
CEGE 4502 - Water and Wastewater Treatment (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4511 - Hydraulic Structures (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4512 - Open Channel Hydraulics (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4562 - Environmental Remediation Technologies (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5542 - Experimental Methods in Environmental Engineering (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5551 - Environmental Microbiology (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8504 - Theory of Unit Operations (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8505 - Biological Processes (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8506 - Stochastic Hydrology (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8507 - Advanced Methods in Hydrology (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport (3.0 cr)
ESCI 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8542 - Chemistry of Organic Pollutants in Environmental Systems (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8572 - Computational Environmental Fluid Dynamics (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration (3.0 cr)
EEB 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration (3.0 cr)
ESCI 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice (2.0 cr)
EEB 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice (2.0 cr)
ESCI 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice (2.0 cr)
CONS 8004 - Economic and Social Aspects of Conservation Biology (3.0 cr)
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes (3.0 cr)
EEB 5601 - Limnology (3.0 cr)
ENT 5081 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
ENT 4361 - Aquatic Insects (3.0 cr)
ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3.0 cr)
ESCI 4402 - Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean (3.0 cr)
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology (4.0 cr)
ESCI 5705 - Limnogeology and Paleoenvironment (3.0 cr)
ESCI 5971 - Field Hydrogeology (2.0 cr)
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5061 - Water Quality and Natural Resources (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5111 - Hydrology and Water Quality Field Methods (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5256 - Natural Resource Law and the Management of Public Lands and Waters (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5402 - Biometeorology (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5575 - Wetlands (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5601 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
FW 4136 - Ichthyology (4.0 cr)
FW 5604W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
FW 8459 - Stream and River Ecology (3.0 cr)
FW 8465 - Fish Habitats and Restoration (3.0 cr)
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations (3.0 cr)
HORT 5071 - Ecological Restoration (4.0 cr)
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry (3.0 cr)
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5295 - GIS in Environmental Science and Management (4.0 cr)
FNRM 5131 - Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for Natural Resources (4.0 cr)
FW 5459 - Stream and River Ecology (3.0 cr)
FNRM 5262 - Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Natural Resources and Environment (3.0 cr)
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis (4.0 cr)
WRS 5150 - Watershed Specialist Training (2.0 cr)
Thesis Credits
Take at least 24 doctoral thesis credits.
WRS 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral (1.0-24.0 cr)
Program Sub-plans
A sub-plan is not required for this program.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Limnology and Oceanography
The science of inland waters, or "limnology," includes the study of streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. While Lake Superior falls into this category, the style of research, particularly the nature of sampling and the scale of the processes investigated, makes study of Lake Superior and other Great Lakes more akin to oceanography than to classical limnology. A program that focuses on the study of both limnology and oceanography strengthens understanding of both systems, through comparative studies and by fostering interaction between groups that focus more strongly on one or the other system. Limnology and oceanography are by necessity interdisciplinary fields, with major components contributed by biological, geological, physical, and chemical sciences. This track within the cross-campus interdisciplinary WRS program provides comprehensive training in limnology and oceanography. As is the case for the WRS graduate program as a whole, the L&O program includes a set of core courses plus electives in the subfield of limnology and oceanography. The goal of the program is to produce scientists with strong technical skills in aquatic science and a broad understanding of limnology and oceanography. Faculty on both Twin Cities and Duluth campuses participate in the limnology and oceanography track.
PhD students pursuing the limnology and oceanography track must have at least two members of the limnology and oceanography faculty on their committee, including the advisor.
Water Resources Seminar
Students must take WRS 8100 for 0.5 credits.
WRS 8100 - Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources (0.5 cr)
Water Resources Ethics
WRS 8581 - Research and Professional Ethics in Water Resources and Environmental Science (0.5 cr)
Hydrology Core for Limnology/Oceanography Students
Take 3 or more credit(s) from the following:
· BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds (3.0 cr)
· FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
Environmental/Water Chemistry Core for Limnology/Oceanography Students
Take at least 3 credits from the following:
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry (3.0 cr)
or ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3.0 cr)
or LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3.0 cr)
or PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry (3.0 cr)
or EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes (3.0 cr)
Limnology Core
EEB 5601 - Limnology (3.0 cr)
Water Resources Policy Core
WRS 5101 - Water Policy (3.0 cr)
WRS Electives
Select electives from the following list, in consultation with the L&O committee, to complete the 24 course credits required:
APEC 5651 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
BBE 5523 - Ecological Engineering Design (3.0 cr)
BBE 5513 - Watershed Engineering (3.0 cr)
BBE 5535 - Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters (3.0 cr)
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds (3.0 cr)
PMB 4121 - Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4351 - Groundwater Mechanics (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4352 - Groundwater Modeling (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4501 - Hydrologic Design (4.0 cr)
CEGE 4502 - Water and Wastewater Treatment (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4511 - Hydraulic Structures (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4512 - Open Channel Hydraulics (3.0 cr)
CEGE 4562 - Environmental Remediation Technologies (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5542 - Experimental Methods in Environmental Engineering (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5551 - Environmental Microbiology (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8504 - Theory of Unit Operations (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8505 - Biological Processes (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8506 - Stochastic Hydrology (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8507 - Advanced Methods in Hydrology (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport (3.0 cr)
ESCI 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8542 - Chemistry of Organic Pollutants in Environmental Systems (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8572 - Computational Environmental Fluid Dynamics (4.0 cr)
CEGE 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration (3.0 cr)
EEB 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration (3.0 cr)
ESCI 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration (3.0 cr)
CEGE 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice (2.0 cr)
EEB 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice (2.0 cr)
ESCI 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice (2.0 cr)
CONS 8004 - Economic and Social Aspects of Conservation Biology (3.0 cr)
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes (3.0 cr)
EEB 5601 - Limnology (3.0 cr)
ENT 5081 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
ENT 4361 - Aquatic Insects (3.0 cr)
ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3.0 cr)
ESCI 4402 - Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean (3.0 cr)
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology (4.0 cr)
ESCI 5705 - Limnogeology and Paleoenvironment (3.0 cr)
ESCI 5971 - Field Hydrogeology (2.0 cr)
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5061 - Water Quality and Natural Resources (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5111 - Hydrology and Water Quality Field Methods (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5256 - Natural Resource Law and the Management of Public Lands and Waters (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5402 - Biometeorology (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5575 - Wetlands (3.0 cr)
ESPM 5601 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
FW 4136 - Ichthyology (4.0 cr)
FW 5604W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
FW 8459 - Stream and River Ecology (3.0 cr)
FW 8465 - Fish Habitats and Restoration (3.0 cr)
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations (3.0 cr)
HORT 5071 - Ecological Restoration (4.0 cr)
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry (3.0 cr)
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology (3.0 cr)
WRS 5150 - Watershed Specialist Training (2.0 cr)
ESPM 5295 - GIS in Environmental Science and Management (4.0 cr)
FNRM 5131 - Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for Natural Resources (4.0 cr)
FNRM 5262 - Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Natural Resources and Environment (3.0 cr)
FW 5459 - Stream and River Ecology (3.0 cr)
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis (4.0 cr)
Thesis Credits
Take at least 24 doctoral thesis credits.
WRS 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral (1.0-24.0 cr)
 
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WRS 8100 - Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources
Credits: 0.5 [max 9.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources
WRS 8581 - Research and Professional Ethics in Water Resources and Environmental Science
Credits: 0.5 [max 0.5]
Course Equivalencies: CE 8581/WRS 8581
Grading Basis: S-N or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Ethics of water resources science and environmental engineering research/practice. Societal responsibility, plagiarism, recording-keeping, authorship, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, professional relationships, fraud, reporting misconduct. Meets during first eight weeks of spring semester. prereq: [Environmental engineering or water resources science] grad student or instr consent
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Study/representation of hydrologic processes by mathematical models. Stochastic meteorological variables, infiltration, overland flow, return flow, evapotranspiration, channel flows. Approaches for model calibration/evaluation. prereq: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
CEGE 4501 - Hydrologic Design
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Hydrologic cycle: precipitation, evaporation, infiltration runoff. Flood routing through rivers and reservoirs. Statistical analysis of hydrologic data and estimation of design flows. Open channel flow, flow through conduits. Detention basin design, hydraulic structure sizing, estimation of risk of flooding. prereq: CEGE 3502
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theory of groundwater geology, hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, Darcy's law, governing equations of groundwater motion, flow net analysis, analog models, groundwater resource evaluation/development. Applied analysis of steady and transient equations of groundwater motion and chemical transport. Chemistry of natural waters. prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1062, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1066, MATH 1271, PHYS 1201] or instr consent
FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems.
FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Spring Odd Year
This rigorous course examines hydrology and biogeochemical cycling in forested watersheds. Topics include role of forests in hydrologic processes (precipitation, runoff generation, and streamflow) and exports (sediment, carbon, and nitrogen). Readings from primary literature, active discussion participation, research/review paper. prereq: [Basic hydrology course, one course in ecology, and one course in chemistry [upper div or grad student]] or instr consent
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to water chemistry. Physical chemical principles, geochemical processes controlling chemical composition of waters, behavior of contaminants that affect the suitability of water for beneficial uses. prereq: CEGE 3501, Chem 1061, Chem 1062, upper division CSE or grad student or instructor consent
ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4401/ESci 8401
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
General principles of solution chemistry applied to geology. Solution-mineral equilibria. Redox processes in natural waters. Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids. Environmental geochemistry.
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Structural chemistry, origin/identification of crystalline soil clay minerals. Structure of soil organic matter. Chemical processes in soil: solubility, adsorption/desorption, ion exchange, oxidation/reduction, acidity, alkalinity. Solution of problems related to environmental degradation, plant nutrition, and soil genesis. prereq: [[Chem 1022 or equiv], Phys 1102, grad] or instr consent
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview air, water, and soil chemistry. Pertinent environmental problems. Human/ecological multimedia exposures to chemicals in the environment. prereq: One course each in [gen chem, org chem] or instr consent
EEB 5601 - Limnology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Advanced introduction to description/analysis of interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors that control functioning of life in lakes and other freshwater aquatic environments. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
WRS 5101 - Water Policy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: PA 5723/WRS 5101
Typically offered: Every Spring
Socio-cultural, legal, and economic forces that affect water resource use. Water quality, Clean Water Act contrasted with international laws, roles of State and Local agencies. Water supply, drought, flooding, drainage, irrigation, storage. Sulfide mining, Line 3, hypoxia, wildfire, climate, snowpack, extreme events, China south-to-north transfer, CEC?s, AIS, Aral Sea, CAFOs, and more.
BBE 5523 - Ecological Engineering Design
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: BBE 4523/BBE 5523
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Application of ecological engineering to design of remediation systems. Artificial ecosystems, ecosystem/wetland restoration, constructed wetlands, biological engineering for slope stability, waste treatments. Restoring ecological service of watersheds. prereq: Graduate student or instr consent
BBE 5513 - Watershed Engineering
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Application of engineering principles to managing surface runoff from agricultural, range, and urban watersheds. Design of facilities and selection of land use practices for controlling surface runoff to mitigate problems of flooding and degradation of surface-water quality. prereq: 3023, upper div CSE or grad student
BBE 5535 - Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: BBE 4535/BBE 5533/BBE 5535
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
Assessing impaired waters and developing TMDL for conventional pollutants. Preparing/communicating legal, social and policy aspects. TMDL analysis of real-world impaired waters problem. Field trip to impaired waters site. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Study/representation of hydrologic processes by mathematical models. Stochastic meteorological variables, infiltration, overland flow, return flow, evapotranspiration, channel flows. Approaches for model calibration/evaluation. prereq: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
PMB 4121 - Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Evolution/structure of microbial communities. Population interaction within ecosystems. Quantitative/habitat ecology. Biogeochemical cycling. Molecular microbial ecology, gene transfer in the environment. Molecular phylogeny of microorganisms. Application of microbes in agriculture. Production of commodity chemicals, drugs, and other high-value products. prereq: 3301
CEGE 4351 - Groundwater Mechanics
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 4351/GeoE 4351
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Shallow confined, unconfined, and sem-confined flows. Flow in two coupled aquifers separated by leaky layers. Transient flow. Flow toward wells. Streamlines/pathlines in two/three dimensions. Contaminant transport. Elementary computer modeling. prereq: CEGE 3101or BBE 2003, CEGE 3502 or BBE 3012, upper division
CEGE 4352 - Groundwater Modeling
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 4352/GeoE 4352
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Analytic element method. Mathematical/computer modeling of single/multiple aquifer systems. Groundwater recovery. Field problems. Theory/application of simple contaminant transport models, including capture zone analysis. prereq: 4351, upper div CSE or grad student or instr consent
CEGE 4501 - Hydrologic Design
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Hydrologic cycle: precipitation, evaporation, infiltration runoff. Flood routing through rivers and reservoirs. Statistical analysis of hydrologic data and estimation of design flows. Open channel flow, flow through conduits. Detention basin design, hydraulic structure sizing, estimation of risk of flooding. prereq: CEGE 3502
CEGE 4502 - Water and Wastewater Treatment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Theory and design of physical, chemical, and biological processes for the treatment of water and wastewater. prereq: CEGE 3501 or ChEn 2001 or BBE 3033
CEGE 4511 - Hydraulic Structures
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Hydraulic design procedures for culverts, dams, spillways, outlet works, and river control works. Drop structures, water intakes, bridge crossings. prereq: CEGE 4501, upper division CSE student, Grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 4512 - Open Channel Hydraulics
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Theories of flow in open channels, including gradually varied and rapidly varied flows, steady and unsteady flows. Computational methods for unsteady open channel flows, applications to flood routing. Introduction to moveable bed mechanics.
CEGE 4562 - Environmental Remediation Technologies
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Theory and application of current and emerging technologies used to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater. preq: CEGE 3501, Upper division CSE or graduate student or instructor consent
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to water chemistry. Physical chemical principles, geochemical processes controlling chemical composition of waters, behavior of contaminants that affect the suitability of water for beneficial uses. prereq: CEGE 3501, Chem 1061, Chem 1062, upper division CSE or grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 5542 - Experimental Methods in Environmental Engineering
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Tools necessary to conduct research in environmental engineering and chemistry. Theory of operation of analytical equipment. Sampling and data handling methods, statistical analyses, experimental design, laboratory safety. Lecture, laboratory. prereq: CEGE 3501, (CEGE 5541 recommended) Chem 1022, upper division CSE or grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 5551 - Environmental Microbiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Role of microorganisms in environmental bioremediation, pollution control, water/wastewater treatment, biogeochemistry, and human health. prereq: Upper div or grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 8504 - Theory of Unit Operations
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: 5541
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Theoretical basis, design, operation of chemical/physical processes used in treating/controlling water quality. Adsorption, ion exchange, sedimentation, thickening, filtration, gas transfer, coagulation, flocculation, membrane processes, disinfection. prereq: 5541
CEGE 8505 - Biological Processes
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: 4502, 4501 or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theoretical principles underlying chemical and biological wastewater treatment processes, including aerobic and anaerobic treatment for organic carbon and nutrient removal. Mathematical models of microbial growth kinetics and mass transport in suspended growth and attached film applications are developed. prereq: 4502, 4501 or instr consent
CEGE 8506 - Stochastic Hydrology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: Stat 3021 or equiv or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Analysis and synthesis of hydrologic series and systems; derived distributions; uncertainty and risk analysis; flood frequency analysis; multivariate time series analysis; correlation and spectral analysis; series of long-range dependence; linear estimation; geostatistics; sampling networks; hydrologic forecasting. prereq: Stat 3021 or equiv or instr consent
CEGE 8507 - Advanced Methods in Hydrology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: 8506
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Notions of scale-invariance, scaling, and multiscaling in geophysical processes; methods of multiscale analysis; wavelet transforms; time-frequency-scale analysis and fractal analysis. Applications in atmospheric, hydrologic, and geomorphologic processes. prereq: 8506
CEGE 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CE 8511/ESci 8511
Prerequisites: 3502 and 4501 or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Particle motion in fluids. Criteria for incipient motion. Formulations for bedload and suspended load. Bedform mechanics and hydraulic resistance relations. Channel stability, aggradation and degradation, alluvial stream morphology. prereq: 3502 and 4501 or instr consent
ESCI 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CE 8511/ESci 8511
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Particle motion in fluids. Criteria for incipient motion. Formulations for bedload and suspended load. Bedform mechanics, hydraulic resistance relations. Channel stability, aggradation/degradation, alluvial stream morphology.
CEGE 8542 - Chemistry of Organic Pollutants in Environmental Systems
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Structural characteristics and physico-chemical properties of organic contaminants in aquatic systems. Emphasizes PCBs, PAHs, dioxins, insecticides, herbicides, and chlorinated solvents. Factors affecting their transport/transformation. Structure- and property-activity relationships, their use in predicting organic chemical behavior. prereq: CEGE 5541 or instr consent
CEGE 8572 - Computational Environmental Fluid Dynamics
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: grad student in CSE or COAFES or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Finite difference methods, their application to solution of one-/two-dimensional problems in environmental fluid dynamics. Stability, convergence, consistency, and accuracy of numerical schemes. Navier-Stokes equations, their physical meaning, and their numerical solution. Turbulence modeling: RANS and LES. prereq: grad student in CSE or COAFES or instr consent
CEGE 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8601/EEB 8601/ESci 8601
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Background material required to participate in a stream restoration project. How to assimilate geologic, hydrologic, and ecological data at watershed and reach scales to plan a restoration project and evaluate/critique existing stream restoration projects.
EEB 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8601/EEB 8601/ESci 8601
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Science/policy behind stream restoration. How to evaluating/critiquing a stream restoration project. Assimilate geomorphic, hydrologic, and ecological data at watershed and reach scales to plan a restoration project. Developing a monitoring/assessment program for an existing or future restoration project. prereq: Grad student in [CE or GEO or EEB or WRS or FW or BAE or FR or HORT or ENR or LA or SRSE] or instr consent
ESCI 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8601/EEB 8601/ESci 8601
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Background material essential for participating in a stream restoration project. How to assimilate geologic, hydrologic, and ecological data at the watershed and reach scales to plan a restoration project and evaluate/critique existing stream restoration projects. prereq: Grad student in CE or ESCI or EEB or WRS or FW or BAE or FR or HORT or ENR or LA or SRSE or instr consent
CEGE 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8602/EEB 8602/ESci 8602
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Field experience, group design project. Students provide a stream restoration context for each other's elective coursework, complete critical assessments of stream restoration projects, and design a stream restoration site. prereq: CEGE 8601, or EEB 8601, or ESCI 8601
EEB 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8602/EEB 8602/ESci 8602
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
Field experience, group design project. Students provide a stream restoration context for each other's elective coursework, complete critical assessments of stream restoration projects, and design a stream restoration site. prereq: CE 8601 or GEO 8601
ESCI 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8602/EEB 8602/ESci 8602
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Summer
Field experience, group design project. Students provide a stream restoration context for each other?s elective coursework, complete critical assessments of stream restoration projects, and design a stream restoration site. prereq: 8601 or CE 8601
CONS 8004 - Economic and Social Aspects of Conservation Biology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Economic/social aspects of conservation biology. Ecological economics, human dimension of conservation biology, values of conserving species/ecosystems. prereq: CBio student or instr consent
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: EEB 4611/EEB 5611
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Application of biochemistry, ecology, chemistry, and physics to environmental issues. Issues in biogeochemistry. Impact of humans on biogeochemical processes in soils, lakes, oceans, estuaries, forests, urban/managed ecosystems, and extreme environments (e.g., early Earth, deep sea vents, thermal springs). prereq: [BIOL 1009 or 2003] AND [CHEM 1081 or 1061 or 1071H] or instr consent
EEB 5601 - Limnology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Advanced introduction to description/analysis of interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors that control functioning of life in lakes and other freshwater aquatic environments. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
ENT 4361 - Aquatic Insects
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall, Spring & Summer
Introduction to the classification, ecology, and identification of insects that are dependent on aquatic habitats during portions of their life cycle. The goal of the course is to provide the student with essential technical skills to perform research, using field and laboratory methods, on insect communities in aquatic ecosystems. Students will develop skills to identify insects to family without reference to taxonomic keys as a way to successfully pass the Family-Level Proficiency Certification administered by the Society for Freshwater Sciences. prereq: ENT 1005 or BIOL 1009 or Instructor consent
ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4401/ESci 8401
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
General principles of solution chemistry applied to geology. Solution-mineral equilibria. Redox processes in natural waters. Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids. Environmental geochemistry.
ESCI 4402 - Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4402/ESci 8402
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Marine biogeochemistry and chemical oceanography. Processes controlling chemical composition of oceans past/present. Cycles of major/minor constituents, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, and oxygen and their isotopes. Role of these cycles in climate system. prereq: [CHEM 1021, CHEM 1022] or instr consent
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theory of groundwater geology, hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, Darcy's law, governing equations of groundwater motion, flow net analysis, analog models, groundwater resource evaluation/development. Applied analysis of steady and transient equations of groundwater motion and chemical transport. Chemistry of natural waters. prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1062, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1066, MATH 1271, PHYS 1201] or instr consent
ESCI 5705 - Limnogeology and Paleoenvironment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Within-lake, hydrogeologic, and landscape (geological/biological) processes that lead to formation of various proxy records of paleoenvironment. Systems approach to physical, geochemical, biogeochemical, and biotic proxies. Basic principles, case studies. Emphasizes how proxy records relate to paleoclimate. prereq: instr consent
ESCI 5971 - Field Hydrogeology
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4971W/ESci 5971
Typically offered: Every Summer
Aquifer, vadoze zone, and surface water hydrology field techniques. Shallow soil boring and sampling. Well installation. Single/multiple well aquifer testing. Ground water sampling for chemical analysis. Weather data collection, hydrogeologic mapping, water balance calculation. prereq: instr consent
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles of contaminant transport in percolate solution and in overland flow. Hydrologic cycle, percolation/runoff processes, contaminant transport, leachate sampling methods, remediation technologies, scale effects on runoff water quality, tillage technologies, control of sediment/chemical losses. Discussions mostly descriptive, but involve some computations.
ESPM 5061 - Water Quality and Natural Resources
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Recent literature in field. Complements 4061. Ecology of aquatic ecosystems, how they are valuable to society and changed by landscape management. Case studies, impaired waters, TMDL process, student engagement in simulating water quality decision making.
ESPM 5111 - Hydrology and Water Quality Field Methods
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 3111/ESPM 5111
Prerequisites: Grad student or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Integrates water quality, surface/groundwater hydrology. Case studies, hands-on field data collection, calculations of hydrological/water quality parameters. Meteorological data, snow hydrology, stream gauging, well monitoring, automatic water samplers. Designing water quality sampling program. Geomorphology, interception, infiltration. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
ESPM 5256 - Natural Resource Law and the Management of Public Lands and Waters
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 4256/ESPM 5256
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course is intended to provide non-law students with an understanding of the role of the judiciary in the management of public lands and public waters. The course will examine Constitutional provisions affecting the management of public resources, the concept of property rights, major principles of water law, the role of the legal system in environmental review, the scope of legal authority granted to administrative agencies, and limitations of private property rights to protect public lands and public waters. The class will introduce students to the concepts of legal reasoning including case synthesis and analysis. The class will be taught using a combination of lecture, guest lectures, written exercises and class participation. prereq: grad student
ESPM 5402 - Biometeorology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
This course examines the interactions between the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface. We will discuss the principles of the surface energy and radiation balance, air motion in the atmospheric boundary layer, land surface parameterization for climate models, boundary layer budgets, and field research methods. The course aims to achieve exemplary learning through hands-on activities and examining recent field studies conducted in natural and managed ecosystems. prereq: MATH 1271, PHYS 1201, STAT 3011, [instr consent]
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
ESPM 5575 - Wetlands
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 3575/ESPM 5575
Typically offered: Every Spring
Freshwater wetland classification, wetland biota, current/historic status of wetlands, value of wetlands. National, regional, Minnesota wetlands conservation strategies. Ecological principles used in wetland management. prereq: 3575, [sr or grad student or instr consent]
FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems.
FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Spring Odd Year
This rigorous course examines hydrology and biogeochemical cycling in forested watersheds. Topics include role of forests in hydrologic processes (precipitation, runoff generation, and streamflow) and exports (sediment, carbon, and nitrogen). Readings from primary literature, active discussion participation, research/review paper. prereq: [Basic hydrology course, one course in ecology, and one course in chemistry [upper div or grad student]] or instr consent
FW 4136 - Ichthyology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Fish biology, adaptations to different environments and modes of living, and environmental relationships. Lab emphasizes anatomy and identification of Minnesota fishes. prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012
FW 8459 - Stream and River Ecology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Structure/dynamics of running waters from ecosystem perspective. Historical perspective, basic hydrology/fluvial geomorphology, terrestrial-aquatic interactions, detrital dynamics, metabolism, drift, trophic relations, biotic/abiotic interactions, ecosystem experiments and natural alterations, stability/succession, ecosystem dynamics in a watershed. prereq: Limnology course or instr consent
FW 8465 - Fish Habitats and Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
Mechanisms underlying physiology/behavior that shape fish community structure in specific north temperate habitats. Techniques and planning procedures for restoring lakes/streams. prereq: Intro ecology course or instr consent
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Theories of climatic fluctuations and change at decadal to centuries time scales; analysis of temporal and spatial fluctuations especially during the period of instrumental record. prereq: 1425 or 3401 or instr consent
HORT 5071 - Ecological Restoration
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5071/Hort 5071
Typically offered: Every Fall
Each ecosystem restoration is the product of a myriad of decisions made in response to existing site conditions (biotic and abiotic), anticipated effects from the surrounding landscape, predictions about future events, logistical realities, and, of course, desired conditions. During this course, you will learn about the ecological and social factors that affect ecosystem recovery and how people intervene to reverse ecosystem degradation. The course includes examples from ecosystems around the world, with emphasis on those found in the Midwestern US. Field trips. PREREQUISITES: This course presumes previous courses in basic ecology and plant science.
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Structural chemistry, origin/identification of crystalline soil clay minerals. Structure of soil organic matter. Chemical processes in soil: solubility, adsorption/desorption, ion exchange, oxidation/reduction, acidity, alkalinity. Solution of problems related to environmental degradation, plant nutrition, and soil genesis. prereq: [[Chem 1022 or equiv], Phys 1102, grad] or instr consent
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview air, water, and soil chemistry. Pertinent environmental problems. Human/ecological multimedia exposures to chemicals in the environment. prereq: One course each in [gen chem, org chem] or instr consent
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic soil physical properties/processes governing transport of mass/energy in soils. Emphasizes water/solute transport through unsaturated root/vadose zones, their impact on subsurface hydrology and on water quality. Lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises, discussion of real world problems, problem solving. prereq: [Math 1271 or equiv], [Phys 1042 or equiv]
ESPM 5295 - GIS in Environmental Science and Management
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Application of geographic information science and technologies (GIS) in complex environmental problems. Students gain experience in spatial data collection, database development, and spatial analysis, including GNSS and field attribute collection, image interpretation, and existing data fusion, raster/vector data integration and analysis, information extraction from LiDAR data, DEM conditioning and hydrologic analysis, neighborhood analysis, bulk processing and automation, and scripting. Problems vary depending on topics, often with extra-University partners. *Please note that students should have completed a semester-long, introductory lab/lecture GIS course at the graduate or undergraduate level before enrolling in this course, e.g., FNRM 5131. We do not require any given course because students come from varied universities and backgrounds. That said, we assume a knowledge commensurate with a comprehensive introductory course. Students seeking a first course are directed to FNRM 5131. If you have questions regarding your capabilities, please contact the instructor prior to enrolling.
FNRM 5131 - Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for Natural Resources
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3131/FNRM 5131/FR 3131/
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Geographic information systems (GIS), focusing on spatial data development and analysis in the science and management of natural resources. Basic data structures, sources, collection, and quality; geodesy and map projections; spatial and tabular data analyses; digital elevation data and terrain analyses; cartographic modeling and layout. Lab exercises provide practical experiences complementing theory covered in lecture. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
FW 5459 - Stream and River Ecology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Structure/dynamics of running waters from ecosystem perspective. Historical perspective, basic hydrology/fluvial geomorphology, terrestrial-aquatic interactions, detrital dynamics, metabolism, drift, trophic relations, biotic/abiotic interactions, ecosystem experiments and natural alterations, stability/succession, ecosystem dynamics in a watershed. prereq: Limnology course or instr consent
FNRM 5262 - Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Natural Resources and Environment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3262/FNRM 5262
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Introductory principles and techniques of remote sensing and geospatial analysis applied to mapping and monitoring land and water resources from local to global scales. Examples of applications include: Land cover mapping and change detection, forest and natural resource inventory, water quality monitoring, and global change analysis. The lab provides hands-on experience working with satellite, aircraft, and drone imagery, and image processing methods and software. Prior coursework in Geographic Information Systems and introductory Statistics is recommended. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Intensive introduction to statistical methods for graduate students needing statistics as a research technique. prereq: college algebra or instr consent; credit will not be granted if credit has been received for STAT 3011
WRS 5150 - Watershed Specialist Training
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Practical topics for water resource management professionals. Current policies and institutions, watershed science, civic engagement, assessment, communication, implementation practices, and administration. Requires working with a mentor in local water resource management. Online only.
WRS 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral
Credits: 1.0 -24.0 [max 96.0]
Grading Basis: No Grade
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Thesis credit: doctoral. 24 cr required
WRS 8100 - Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources
Credits: 0.5 [max 9.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources
WRS 8581 - Research and Professional Ethics in Water Resources and Environmental Science
Credits: 0.5 [max 0.5]
Course Equivalencies: CE 8581/WRS 8581
Grading Basis: S-N or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Ethics of water resources science and environmental engineering research/practice. Societal responsibility, plagiarism, recording-keeping, authorship, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, professional relationships, fraud, reporting misconduct. Meets during first eight weeks of spring semester. prereq: [Environmental engineering or water resources science] grad student or instr consent
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Study/representation of hydrologic processes by mathematical models. Stochastic meteorological variables, infiltration, overland flow, return flow, evapotranspiration, channel flows. Approaches for model calibration/evaluation. prereq: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems.
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to water chemistry. Physical chemical principles, geochemical processes controlling chemical composition of waters, behavior of contaminants that affect the suitability of water for beneficial uses. prereq: CEGE 3501, Chem 1061, Chem 1062, upper division CSE or grad student or instructor consent
ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4401/ESci 8401
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
General principles of solution chemistry applied to geology. Solution-mineral equilibria. Redox processes in natural waters. Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids. Environmental geochemistry.
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Structural chemistry, origin/identification of crystalline soil clay minerals. Structure of soil organic matter. Chemical processes in soil: solubility, adsorption/desorption, ion exchange, oxidation/reduction, acidity, alkalinity. Solution of problems related to environmental degradation, plant nutrition, and soil genesis. prereq: [[Chem 1022 or equiv], Phys 1102, grad] or instr consent
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview air, water, and soil chemistry. Pertinent environmental problems. Human/ecological multimedia exposures to chemicals in the environment. prereq: One course each in [gen chem, org chem] or instr consent
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: EEB 4611/EEB 5611
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Application of biochemistry, ecology, chemistry, and physics to environmental issues. Issues in biogeochemistry. Impact of humans on biogeochemical processes in soils, lakes, oceans, estuaries, forests, urban/managed ecosystems, and extreme environments (e.g., early Earth, deep sea vents, thermal springs). prereq: [BIOL 1009 or 2003] AND [CHEM 1081 or 1061 or 1071H] or instr consent
EEB 5601 - Limnology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Advanced introduction to description/analysis of interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors that control functioning of life in lakes and other freshwater aquatic environments. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
WRS 5101 - Water Policy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: PA 5723/WRS 5101
Typically offered: Every Spring
Socio-cultural, legal, and economic forces that affect water resource use. Water quality, Clean Water Act contrasted with international laws, roles of State and Local agencies. Water supply, drought, flooding, drainage, irrigation, storage. Sulfide mining, Line 3, hypoxia, wildfire, climate, snowpack, extreme events, China south-to-north transfer, CEC?s, AIS, Aral Sea, CAFOs, and more.
BBE 5523 - Ecological Engineering Design
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: BBE 4523/BBE 5523
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Application of ecological engineering to design of remediation systems. Artificial ecosystems, ecosystem/wetland restoration, constructed wetlands, biological engineering for slope stability, waste treatments. Restoring ecological service of watersheds. prereq: Graduate student or instr consent
BBE 5513 - Watershed Engineering
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Application of engineering principles to managing surface runoff from agricultural, range, and urban watersheds. Design of facilities and selection of land use practices for controlling surface runoff to mitigate problems of flooding and degradation of surface-water quality. prereq: 3023, upper div CSE or grad student
BBE 5535 - Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: BBE 4535/BBE 5533/BBE 5535
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
Assessing impaired waters and developing TMDL for conventional pollutants. Preparing/communicating legal, social and policy aspects. TMDL analysis of real-world impaired waters problem. Field trip to impaired waters site. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
BBE 8513 - Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Study/representation of hydrologic processes by mathematical models. Stochastic meteorological variables, infiltration, overland flow, return flow, evapotranspiration, channel flows. Approaches for model calibration/evaluation. prereq: [3012 or CEGE 3502], hydrology course
PMB 4121 - Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Evolution/structure of microbial communities. Population interaction within ecosystems. Quantitative/habitat ecology. Biogeochemical cycling. Molecular microbial ecology, gene transfer in the environment. Molecular phylogeny of microorganisms. Application of microbes in agriculture. Production of commodity chemicals, drugs, and other high-value products. prereq: 3301
CEGE 4351 - Groundwater Mechanics
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 4351/GeoE 4351
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Shallow confined, unconfined, and sem-confined flows. Flow in two coupled aquifers separated by leaky layers. Transient flow. Flow toward wells. Streamlines/pathlines in two/three dimensions. Contaminant transport. Elementary computer modeling. prereq: CEGE 3101or BBE 2003, CEGE 3502 or BBE 3012, upper division
CEGE 4352 - Groundwater Modeling
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 4352/GeoE 4352
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Analytic element method. Mathematical/computer modeling of single/multiple aquifer systems. Groundwater recovery. Field problems. Theory/application of simple contaminant transport models, including capture zone analysis. prereq: 4351, upper div CSE or grad student or instr consent
CEGE 4501 - Hydrologic Design
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Hydrologic cycle: precipitation, evaporation, infiltration runoff. Flood routing through rivers and reservoirs. Statistical analysis of hydrologic data and estimation of design flows. Open channel flow, flow through conduits. Detention basin design, hydraulic structure sizing, estimation of risk of flooding. prereq: CEGE 3502
CEGE 4502 - Water and Wastewater Treatment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Theory and design of physical, chemical, and biological processes for the treatment of water and wastewater. prereq: CEGE 3501 or ChEn 2001 or BBE 3033
CEGE 4511 - Hydraulic Structures
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Hydraulic design procedures for culverts, dams, spillways, outlet works, and river control works. Drop structures, water intakes, bridge crossings. prereq: CEGE 4501, upper division CSE student, Grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 4512 - Open Channel Hydraulics
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Theories of flow in open channels, including gradually varied and rapidly varied flows, steady and unsteady flows. Computational methods for unsteady open channel flows, applications to flood routing. Introduction to moveable bed mechanics.
CEGE 4562 - Environmental Remediation Technologies
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Theory and application of current and emerging technologies used to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater. preq: CEGE 3501, Upper division CSE or graduate student or instructor consent
CEGE 5541 - Environmental Water Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to water chemistry. Physical chemical principles, geochemical processes controlling chemical composition of waters, behavior of contaminants that affect the suitability of water for beneficial uses. prereq: CEGE 3501, Chem 1061, Chem 1062, upper division CSE or grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 5542 - Experimental Methods in Environmental Engineering
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Tools necessary to conduct research in environmental engineering and chemistry. Theory of operation of analytical equipment. Sampling and data handling methods, statistical analyses, experimental design, laboratory safety. Lecture, laboratory. prereq: CEGE 3501, (CEGE 5541 recommended) Chem 1022, upper division CSE or grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 5551 - Environmental Microbiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Role of microorganisms in environmental bioremediation, pollution control, water/wastewater treatment, biogeochemistry, and human health. prereq: Upper div or grad student or instructor consent
CEGE 8504 - Theory of Unit Operations
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: 5541
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Theoretical basis, design, operation of chemical/physical processes used in treating/controlling water quality. Adsorption, ion exchange, sedimentation, thickening, filtration, gas transfer, coagulation, flocculation, membrane processes, disinfection. prereq: 5541
CEGE 8505 - Biological Processes
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: 4502, 4501 or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theoretical principles underlying chemical and biological wastewater treatment processes, including aerobic and anaerobic treatment for organic carbon and nutrient removal. Mathematical models of microbial growth kinetics and mass transport in suspended growth and attached film applications are developed. prereq: 4502, 4501 or instr consent
CEGE 8506 - Stochastic Hydrology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: Stat 3021 or equiv or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Analysis and synthesis of hydrologic series and systems; derived distributions; uncertainty and risk analysis; flood frequency analysis; multivariate time series analysis; correlation and spectral analysis; series of long-range dependence; linear estimation; geostatistics; sampling networks; hydrologic forecasting. prereq: Stat 3021 or equiv or instr consent
CEGE 8507 - Advanced Methods in Hydrology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: 8506
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Notions of scale-invariance, scaling, and multiscaling in geophysical processes; methods of multiscale analysis; wavelet transforms; time-frequency-scale analysis and fractal analysis. Applications in atmospheric, hydrologic, and geomorphologic processes. prereq: 8506
CEGE 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CE 8511/ESci 8511
Prerequisites: 3502 and 4501 or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Particle motion in fluids. Criteria for incipient motion. Formulations for bedload and suspended load. Bedform mechanics and hydraulic resistance relations. Channel stability, aggradation and degradation, alluvial stream morphology. prereq: 3502 and 4501 or instr consent
ESCI 8511 - Mechanics of Sediment Transport
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CE 8511/ESci 8511
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Particle motion in fluids. Criteria for incipient motion. Formulations for bedload and suspended load. Bedform mechanics, hydraulic resistance relations. Channel stability, aggradation/degradation, alluvial stream morphology.
CEGE 8542 - Chemistry of Organic Pollutants in Environmental Systems
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Structural characteristics and physico-chemical properties of organic contaminants in aquatic systems. Emphasizes PCBs, PAHs, dioxins, insecticides, herbicides, and chlorinated solvents. Factors affecting their transport/transformation. Structure- and property-activity relationships, their use in predicting organic chemical behavior. prereq: CEGE 5541 or instr consent
CEGE 8572 - Computational Environmental Fluid Dynamics
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Prerequisites: grad student in CSE or COAFES or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Finite difference methods, their application to solution of one-/two-dimensional problems in environmental fluid dynamics. Stability, convergence, consistency, and accuracy of numerical schemes. Navier-Stokes equations, their physical meaning, and their numerical solution. Turbulence modeling: RANS and LES. prereq: grad student in CSE or COAFES or instr consent
CEGE 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8601/EEB 8601/ESci 8601
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Background material required to participate in a stream restoration project. How to assimilate geologic, hydrologic, and ecological data at watershed and reach scales to plan a restoration project and evaluate/critique existing stream restoration projects.
EEB 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8601/EEB 8601/ESci 8601
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Science/policy behind stream restoration. How to evaluating/critiquing a stream restoration project. Assimilate geomorphic, hydrologic, and ecological data at watershed and reach scales to plan a restoration project. Developing a monitoring/assessment program for an existing or future restoration project. prereq: Grad student in [CE or GEO or EEB or WRS or FW or BAE or FR or HORT or ENR or LA or SRSE] or instr consent
ESCI 8601 - Introduction to Stream Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8601/EEB 8601/ESci 8601
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Background material essential for participating in a stream restoration project. How to assimilate geologic, hydrologic, and ecological data at the watershed and reach scales to plan a restoration project and evaluate/critique existing stream restoration projects. prereq: Grad student in CE or ESCI or EEB or WRS or FW or BAE or FR or HORT or ENR or LA or SRSE or instr consent
CEGE 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8602/EEB 8602/ESci 8602
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Field experience, group design project. Students provide a stream restoration context for each other's elective coursework, complete critical assessments of stream restoration projects, and design a stream restoration site. prereq: CEGE 8601, or EEB 8601, or ESCI 8601
EEB 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8602/EEB 8602/ESci 8602
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
Field experience, group design project. Students provide a stream restoration context for each other's elective coursework, complete critical assessments of stream restoration projects, and design a stream restoration site. prereq: CE 8601 or GEO 8601
ESCI 8602 - Stream Restoration Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 8602/EEB 8602/ESci 8602
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Summer
Field experience, group design project. Students provide a stream restoration context for each other?s elective coursework, complete critical assessments of stream restoration projects, and design a stream restoration site. prereq: 8601 or CE 8601
CONS 8004 - Economic and Social Aspects of Conservation Biology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Economic/social aspects of conservation biology. Ecological economics, human dimension of conservation biology, values of conserving species/ecosystems. prereq: CBio student or instr consent
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: EEB 4611/EEB 5611
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Application of biochemistry, ecology, chemistry, and physics to environmental issues. Issues in biogeochemistry. Impact of humans on biogeochemical processes in soils, lakes, oceans, estuaries, forests, urban/managed ecosystems, and extreme environments (e.g., early Earth, deep sea vents, thermal springs). prereq: [BIOL 1009 or 2003] AND [CHEM 1081 or 1061 or 1071H] or instr consent
EEB 5601 - Limnology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Advanced introduction to description/analysis of interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors that control functioning of life in lakes and other freshwater aquatic environments. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
ENT 4361 - Aquatic Insects
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall, Spring & Summer
Introduction to the classification, ecology, and identification of insects that are dependent on aquatic habitats during portions of their life cycle. The goal of the course is to provide the student with essential technical skills to perform research, using field and laboratory methods, on insect communities in aquatic ecosystems. Students will develop skills to identify insects to family without reference to taxonomic keys as a way to successfully pass the Family-Level Proficiency Certification administered by the Society for Freshwater Sciences. prereq: ENT 1005 or BIOL 1009 or Instructor consent
ESCI 4401 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4401/ESci 8401
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
General principles of solution chemistry applied to geology. Solution-mineral equilibria. Redox processes in natural waters. Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids. Environmental geochemistry.
ESCI 4402 - Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4402/ESci 8402
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Marine biogeochemistry and chemical oceanography. Processes controlling chemical composition of oceans past/present. Cycles of major/minor constituents, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, and oxygen and their isotopes. Role of these cycles in climate system. prereq: [CHEM 1021, CHEM 1022] or instr consent
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theory of groundwater geology, hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, Darcy's law, governing equations of groundwater motion, flow net analysis, analog models, groundwater resource evaluation/development. Applied analysis of steady and transient equations of groundwater motion and chemical transport. Chemistry of natural waters. prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1062, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1066, MATH 1271, PHYS 1201] or instr consent
ESCI 5705 - Limnogeology and Paleoenvironment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Within-lake, hydrogeologic, and landscape (geological/biological) processes that lead to formation of various proxy records of paleoenvironment. Systems approach to physical, geochemical, biogeochemical, and biotic proxies. Basic principles, case studies. Emphasizes how proxy records relate to paleoclimate. prereq: instr consent
ESCI 5971 - Field Hydrogeology
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESci 4971W/ESci 5971
Typically offered: Every Summer
Aquifer, vadoze zone, and surface water hydrology field techniques. Shallow soil boring and sampling. Well installation. Single/multiple well aquifer testing. Ground water sampling for chemical analysis. Weather data collection, hydrogeologic mapping, water balance calculation. prereq: instr consent
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles of contaminant transport in percolate solution and in overland flow. Hydrologic cycle, percolation/runoff processes, contaminant transport, leachate sampling methods, remediation technologies, scale effects on runoff water quality, tillage technologies, control of sediment/chemical losses. Discussions mostly descriptive, but involve some computations.
ESPM 5061 - Water Quality and Natural Resources
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Recent literature in field. Complements 4061. Ecology of aquatic ecosystems, how they are valuable to society and changed by landscape management. Case studies, impaired waters, TMDL process, student engagement in simulating water quality decision making.
ESPM 5111 - Hydrology and Water Quality Field Methods
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 3111/ESPM 5111
Prerequisites: Grad student or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Integrates water quality, surface/groundwater hydrology. Case studies, hands-on field data collection, calculations of hydrological/water quality parameters. Meteorological data, snow hydrology, stream gauging, well monitoring, automatic water samplers. Designing water quality sampling program. Geomorphology, interception, infiltration. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
ESPM 5256 - Natural Resource Law and the Management of Public Lands and Waters
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 4256/ESPM 5256
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course is intended to provide non-law students with an understanding of the role of the judiciary in the management of public lands and public waters. The course will examine Constitutional provisions affecting the management of public resources, the concept of property rights, major principles of water law, the role of the legal system in environmental review, the scope of legal authority granted to administrative agencies, and limitations of private property rights to protect public lands and public waters. The class will introduce students to the concepts of legal reasoning including case synthesis and analysis. The class will be taught using a combination of lecture, guest lectures, written exercises and class participation. prereq: grad student
ESPM 5402 - Biometeorology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
This course examines the interactions between the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface. We will discuss the principles of the surface energy and radiation balance, air motion in the atmospheric boundary layer, land surface parameterization for climate models, boundary layer budgets, and field research methods. The course aims to achieve exemplary learning through hands-on activities and examining recent field studies conducted in natural and managed ecosystems. prereq: MATH 1271, PHYS 1201, STAT 3011, [instr consent]
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
ESPM 5575 - Wetlands
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 3575/ESPM 5575
Typically offered: Every Spring
Freshwater wetland classification, wetland biota, current/historic status of wetlands, value of wetlands. National, regional, Minnesota wetlands conservation strategies. Ecological principles used in wetland management. prereq: 3575, [sr or grad student or instr consent]
FNRM 5114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems.
FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Spring Odd Year
This rigorous course examines hydrology and biogeochemical cycling in forested watersheds. Topics include role of forests in hydrologic processes (precipitation, runoff generation, and streamflow) and exports (sediment, carbon, and nitrogen). Readings from primary literature, active discussion participation, research/review paper. prereq: [Basic hydrology course, one course in ecology, and one course in chemistry [upper div or grad student]] or instr consent
FW 4136 - Ichthyology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Fish biology, adaptations to different environments and modes of living, and environmental relationships. Lab emphasizes anatomy and identification of Minnesota fishes. prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012
FW 8459 - Stream and River Ecology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Structure/dynamics of running waters from ecosystem perspective. Historical perspective, basic hydrology/fluvial geomorphology, terrestrial-aquatic interactions, detrital dynamics, metabolism, drift, trophic relations, biotic/abiotic interactions, ecosystem experiments and natural alterations, stability/succession, ecosystem dynamics in a watershed. prereq: Limnology course or instr consent
FW 8465 - Fish Habitats and Restoration
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
Mechanisms underlying physiology/behavior that shape fish community structure in specific north temperate habitats. Techniques and planning procedures for restoring lakes/streams. prereq: Intro ecology course or instr consent
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Theories of climatic fluctuations and change at decadal to centuries time scales; analysis of temporal and spatial fluctuations especially during the period of instrumental record. prereq: 1425 or 3401 or instr consent
HORT 5071 - Ecological Restoration
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5071/Hort 5071
Typically offered: Every Fall
Each ecosystem restoration is the product of a myriad of decisions made in response to existing site conditions (biotic and abiotic), anticipated effects from the surrounding landscape, predictions about future events, logistical realities, and, of course, desired conditions. During this course, you will learn about the ecological and social factors that affect ecosystem recovery and how people intervene to reverse ecosystem degradation. The course includes examples from ecosystems around the world, with emphasis on those found in the Midwestern US. Field trips. PREREQUISITES: This course presumes previous courses in basic ecology and plant science.
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Structural chemistry, origin/identification of crystalline soil clay minerals. Structure of soil organic matter. Chemical processes in soil: solubility, adsorption/desorption, ion exchange, oxidation/reduction, acidity, alkalinity. Solution of problems related to environmental degradation, plant nutrition, and soil genesis. prereq: [[Chem 1022 or equiv], Phys 1102, grad] or instr consent
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview air, water, and soil chemistry. Pertinent environmental problems. Human/ecological multimedia exposures to chemicals in the environment. prereq: One course each in [gen chem, org chem] or instr consent
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic soil physical properties/processes governing transport of mass/energy in soils. Emphasizes water/solute transport through unsaturated root/vadose zones, their impact on subsurface hydrology and on water quality. Lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises, discussion of real world problems, problem solving. prereq: [Math 1271 or equiv], [Phys 1042 or equiv]
WRS 5150 - Watershed Specialist Training
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Practical topics for water resource management professionals. Current policies and institutions, watershed science, civic engagement, assessment, communication, implementation practices, and administration. Requires working with a mentor in local water resource management. Online only.
ESPM 5295 - GIS in Environmental Science and Management
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Application of geographic information science and technologies (GIS) in complex environmental problems. Students gain experience in spatial data collection, database development, and spatial analysis, including GNSS and field attribute collection, image interpretation, and existing data fusion, raster/vector data integration and analysis, information extraction from LiDAR data, DEM conditioning and hydrologic analysis, neighborhood analysis, bulk processing and automation, and scripting. Problems vary depending on topics, often with extra-University partners. *Please note that students should have completed a semester-long, introductory lab/lecture GIS course at the graduate or undergraduate level before enrolling in this course, e.g., FNRM 5131. We do not require any given course because students come from varied universities and backgrounds. That said, we assume a knowledge commensurate with a comprehensive introductory course. Students seeking a first course are directed to FNRM 5131. If you have questions regarding your capabilities, please contact the instructor prior to enrolling.
FNRM 5131 - Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for Natural Resources
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3131/FNRM 5131/FR 3131/
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Geographic information systems (GIS), focusing on spatial data development and analysis in the science and management of natural resources. Basic data structures, sources, collection, and quality; geodesy and map projections; spatial and tabular data analyses; digital elevation data and terrain analyses; cartographic modeling and layout. Lab exercises provide practical experiences complementing theory covered in lecture. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
FNRM 5262 - Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Natural Resources and Environment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3262/FNRM 5262
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Introductory principles and techniques of remote sensing and geospatial analysis applied to mapping and monitoring land and water resources from local to global scales. Examples of applications include: Land cover mapping and change detection, forest and natural resource inventory, water quality monitoring, and global change analysis. The lab provides hands-on experience working with satellite, aircraft, and drone imagery, and image processing methods and software. Prior coursework in Geographic Information Systems and introductory Statistics is recommended. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
FW 5459 - Stream and River Ecology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Structure/dynamics of running waters from ecosystem perspective. Historical perspective, basic hydrology/fluvial geomorphology, terrestrial-aquatic interactions, detrital dynamics, metabolism, drift, trophic relations, biotic/abiotic interactions, ecosystem experiments and natural alterations, stability/succession, ecosystem dynamics in a watershed. prereq: Limnology course or instr consent
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Intensive introduction to statistical methods for graduate students needing statistics as a research technique. prereq: college algebra or instr consent; credit will not be granted if credit has been received for STAT 3011
WRS 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral
Credits: 1.0 -24.0 [max 96.0]
Grading Basis: No Grade
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Thesis credit: doctoral. 24 cr required