Stream & Watershed Science Certificate
Who is this program for?
A graduate certificate in Stream & Watershed Science is ideal for environmental scientists, ecologists, and natural resource managers seeking to enhance their expertise in water quality, ecosystem health, and watershed management. This program is also valuable for those pursuing careers in environmental consulting, conservation planning, or government agencies focused on sustainable water resource management and restoration efforts.
Program Overview
The Stream and Watershed Science Graduate Certificate provides students with an understanding of the complex physical, biological and social systems involved in stream and watershed related issues. This certificate integrates many of the disciplines and professional areas of engineering, science, policy and management in the study of stream and watershed systems and the successful management of these systems. Students completing the certificate program will have a better understanding of research findings from diverse specialties and the field application of these findings in the management of streams and watershed systems.
Curriculum
Completing the Certificate
To complete the Stream and Watershed Science Graduate Certificate, students must take the foundation course (BAE 532/CE 542 Introduction to Stream Restoration) and at least three credit hours from each of the three primary focus areas: engineering and science, water quality, and policy and management. At least six of the 12 credit hours must be from outside the student’s major area of study (graduate students only) or undergraduate degree discipline (post-baccalaureate only). Courses numbered 400G-499G count toward the certificate only for non-majors.
Courses in the engineering and science focus area are taught in the Departments of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geography and Earth and Environmental Sciences. The approved courses for the certificate are:
- BAE 536/CE 546 Fluvial Hydraulics
- CE 642/BAE 642 Open Channel Flow
- CE 643/BAE 643 Mechanics of Sediment Transport
- GEO 451G Fluvial Forms and Processes
- GEO 721 Biogeomorphology
- GEO 731 Earth Surface Systems
- EES 585 Hydrogeology
Courses in the water quality focus area are taught in the Departments of Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science and Plant and Soil Sciences. The approved courses for the certificate are:
- CE 547/BAE 547 Watershed Sedimentation
- CE 555 Microbial Aspects of Environmental Engineering
- CE 653/BAE 653 Water Quality for Surface Waters
- EES 530 Low-Temperature Geochemistry
- PLS 455G/NRE 455G Wetland Delineation
- PLS 566 Soil Microbiology
Courses in the policy and management focus area are taught in the Departments of Agricultural Economics, Civil Engineering, Forestry and Natural Resources, and Natural Resources and Environmental Science. The approved courses for the certificate are:
- AEC 445G Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics
- AEC 654 Natural Resources Economics
- CE 525 CE Applications of Geographic Information Systems
- CE 664/BAE 664 Watershed Management
- FOR 510 Herpetology
- NRE 556 Contemporary Geospatial Applications for Land Analysis
Participating Faculty
| Faculty Member | Department | |
|---|---|---|
| Carmen Agouridis | Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering | carmen.agouridis@uky.edu |
| Christopher Barton | Forestry and Natural Resources | barton@uky.edu |
| Steven Buck | Agricultural Economics | saberfeizy@uky.edu |
| Gail Brion | Civil Engineering | gail.brion@uky.edu |
| Mark Coyne | Plant and Soil Sciences | mark.coyne@uky.edu |
| Dwayne Edwards | Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering | dwayne.edwards@uky.edu |
| Andrea Erhardt | Earth and Environmental Sciences | andrea.erhardt@uky.edu |
| William Ford | Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering | bill.ford@uky.edu |
| James Fox | Civil Engineering | james.fox@uky.edu |
| Alan Fryar | Earth and Environmental Sciences | alan.fryar@uky.edu |
| Brian Lee | Landscape Architecture | blee@uky.edu |
| Lindell Ormsbee | Civil Engineering | lindell.ormsbee@uky.edu |
| Jonathan Phillips | Geography | jdp@uky.edu |
| Steven Price | Forestry and Natural Resources | steven.price@uky.edu |
| Jack Schieffer | Agricultural Economics | jack.schieffer@uky.edu |
| Yi-Tin Wang | Civil Engineering | ywang@uky.edu |
| Scott Yost | Civil Engineering | scott.yost@uky.edu |
Contact
William Ford, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director of SWS Certificate
Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
bill.ford@uky.edu
