Interdisciplinary Water Studies Certificate

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REQUIREMENTS FOR AN INTERDISCIPLINARY WATER STUDIES CERTIFICATE

A student majoring in any discipline may complete a certificate in Interdisciplinary Water Studies upon satisfactory fulfilling the core and elective requirements.

Note: A grade of C or better is required in all courses required for the certificate.

Required Courses (7 credits):

ENV 375 - Interdisciplinary Water Seminar Credits: 1
GEOL 205 - Earth: Our Watery World [LAC-SC2] Credits: 3
PS 420 - Water Policy Credits: 3

Certificate Electives - Complete 9 credits:

Note: Some courses can count towards this requirement upon approval by the department. See the Upon Approval section below for details.

AE 131 - Paddling Fundamentals Credits: 4
AE 242 - Avalanche Level 1 and Rescue Credits: 2
AE 243 - Avalanche Level 2 Credits: 1
AE 331 - Advanced Paddling Credits: 4
AE 441 - Professional Avalanche Level One Credits: 4
BA 335 - Ski Resort Operations Credits: 3
BA 336 - Ski Resort Management Credits: 3
BIO 245 - Issues in Ecology Credits: 4
BIO 378 - Field Methods: Aquatic Ecology Credits: 4
BIO 467 - River Ecology Credits: 4
ECON 335 - Environment/Resource Economics Credits: 3
ENGR 301 - Environmental Principles Credits: 3
ENGR 321 - Fluid Mechanics Credits: 3
ENGR 421 - Computational Fluid Dynamics Credits: 3
ENV 361 - Cultural Ecology of the Southwest Credits: 3
GEOG 235 - Weather and Climate [LAC-SC2] Credits: 3
GEOL 435 - Groundwater Geology Credits: 4
GEOL 470 - Snow Science Credits: 4
HIST 181 - US/SW Environmental History [LAC-HI] Credits: 3
HIST 313 - Wilderness in America Credits: 3
HIST 323 - U.S. National Parks Credits: 3
PHIL 252 - Environmental Ethics [LAC-AH] Credits: 3
SOC 370 - Water Justice Credits: 3

Upon Approval

Certain courses, including but not limited to Advanced Topics courses, may be included as electives for the IWSC if there is a sufficient water emphasis in the course.

Inclusion of an “upon approval” or Advanced Topics course in the IWSC will be based on the following two required criteria:

Water topics were covered or discussed in the course during at least 6 class sessions or lectures, and students completed assignments (this may include exams) designed to evaluate their learning on those water topics.
Beyond the topics covered in class and day-to-day assignments, the student also applied their learning in the course to a water topic in the completion of a larger project or paper. Examples of such projects could include, but are not limited to major essays, midterm or final papers, research projects, or other individual or group projects.

Upon Approval courses must be approved for inclusion in a students’ certificate curriculum by the certificate advisor and department. Students should discuss their desire to include an Upon Approval course with the certificate advisor and the course instructor as early as possible to ensure that they meet the required criteria. Students who previously took a course that they think should count toward an IWSC credential may also have that course approved, provided that they supply documentation that they met the required criteria.

Contact the certificate advisor for more information about Upon Approval courses.

BIO 250 - Ecology of the Southwest [LAC-SC1] Credits: 4
ENV 110 - Introduction to Environmental Science Credits: 4
ENV 319 - Agroecology Credits: 3
ENV 320 - Research Methods and Design Credits: 3
ENV 393 - Advanced Topics in Environmental Studies Credits: 3
ENV 475 - Advanced Topics in Environmental Science Credits: 3
ENV 476 - Advanced Topics in Environmental Science with Lab Credits: 4
GEOL 323 - Geomorphology Credits: 4
GEOL 475 - Advanced Topics in Geosciences Credits: 3
GEOL 476 - Advanced Topics in Geosciences with Lab Credits: 4

TOTAL REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATE - CREDITS: 16

Prior to course registration, students should review all courses for prerequisites, minimum prerequisite grade requirements and minimum class standing.

Note: At least 50% of the coursework toward the certificate must be earned at Fort Lewis College.