Hydrology is the study of water storage and movement in the Earth system, including the effects of hydrologic fluxes on the distribution of energy, chemicals and sediments.
Students may take the courses at any time during their undergraduate program, completing them by their last semester.
Requirements
The certificate is composed of two core courses aimed at providing students with a solid foundation on hydrologic sciences and their water management implications as well in quantitative analysis, both of which will be integral for the deeper understanding of hydrologic and related processes. Students will also need to round up their training and obtain the knowledge and skills deemed as fundamental for students to have upon graduation in order to be competitive in water management, consulting and other water-related jobs.
Consistent with other programs’ requirements (including the GEOG major), students will need to obtain a grade of C- or higher in each and all required courses and electives in order to obtain the certificate.
Prerequisites
Two prerequisite courses are required for admission into the certificate program.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| GEOG 3511 | The Water Cycle | 4 |
| GEOG 3023 | Statistics and Geographic Data | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours | 8 | |
Required Courses
Some of the classes listed below have co-requisite or prerequisite courses. Students should check to see if they meet these requisites.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | ||
| Choose three of the followings: | 9-12 | |
| Principles of Climate | ||
| Biometeorology | ||
| Earth Surface Processes | ||
| River Processes and Forms: Fluvial Geomorphology | ||
| Snow Hydrology | ||
| Water Issues in the American West | ||
| Choose three of the following from outside the Department of Geography: | 9 | |
| Introduction to Hydrogeology | ||
| Limnology | ||
| Advanced Ecology (Lake and Stream Ecology) | ||
| Ecosystem Ecology | ||
| Introduction to Biogeochemistry | ||
| Introduction to Applied Ecology | ||
| The Colorado River Water Crisis: Water Policy, Hydrological Variability, and Climate Change | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18-21 | |
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a holistic approach to understanding the hydrologic spatial connections and interactions between the physical and human environment.
- Demonstrate sound, defensible and rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze and interpret hydrologic data in a meaningful way.
- Explain analytical and interpretive findings to various audiences in a respectful and professional manner.