Wetlands Certificate - Interdisciplinary Concentration in Wetland Sciences
Introduction
The goal of the Interdisciplinary Concentration in Wetland
Sciences (ICWS) is to establish a standard set of courses and
activities that provide graduate students knowledge and
experience that complement their majors with preparation for
wetland related careers. Students meeting the curriculum
requirements will receive official recognition of having
completed the concentration by a statement on the
participating student’s transcript and signified by a
certificate issued by the faculty of the ICWS.
Because of the multidisciplinary nature of wetland science and
management, educational programs in wetlands must involve the
cooperative efforts of various natural science disciplines
(e.g., limnology, ecology, pedology, botany), engineering
disciplines (e.g. environmental, agricultural, civil), social
sciences (e.g., resource economics, political science), and
law. Thus participation of faculty from all UF Colleges having
wetlands related expertise is envisioned. The emphasis of the
ICWS is to ensure that students gain a solid understanding of
the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of wetland
processes occurring at a broad range of spatial and temporal
scales, as well as develop skills in wetland management and
policy. To address existing and emerging issues related to
wetland science and policy, the ICWS emphasizes broad
training, but not at the expense of rigor in specific areas of
expertise. Furthermore, the program requirements recognize the
inherent diversity of academic backgrounds and professional
goals of the students. Thus, flexibility in selection of a
suite of courses, while maintaining exposure to the
multidisciplinary subject matter of wetlands, is an essential
feature of the program allowing students to develop
individualized academic plans of study.
Academic Requirements of the ICWS
Students wishing to participate in the ICWS should notify the
ICWS Coordinator at the Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands as
early in their graduate program as possible. Records will be
kept at the Center for Wetlands and student names, home
department, and graduate advisor will be listed on the ICWS
web site. To participate in the ICWS, a student must be
admitted and enrolled in one of the academic units participating
in the ICWS: Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
Botany, Civil Engineering, College of Law, Environmental Engineering
Sciences, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Geography, Geology, Landscape
Architecture, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Soil and
Water Sciences, Urban and Regional Planning, Wildlife Ecology and
Conservation, and Zoology. At least one member of the student's committee
must be a participating member of the WAC. Students will
complete the concentration for either the Master's or Ph.D.
but not for both degrees if awarded at the University of
Florida.
Below is a list of the general course and research
requirements (18 credit-hours) to be met for earning the
Graduate Wetlands Certificate. The required 18 credit hours
are divided into six categories including wetlands research
and course work from five subject areas. Within each subject
area, a list of recommended courses is given from which the
required minimum number of credit hours for the Certificate
may be satisfied. To fulfill the interdisciplinary nature of
the ICWS, at least 3 of the required courses for the
Certificate must be taken outside of the students “home
department”.
Successful Completion of ICWS Requirements
It is the responsibility of each student wishing to qualify
for the ICWS certificate to complete a certificate application
form (see link below or obtainable at the Howard T. Odum Center
for Wetlands) prior to graduation. With successful completion
of course and research requirements, the student should complete
the “Notification of Completion” form (see link below or obtainable
at the Howard T. Odum Center Wetlands) and submit it to the ICWS
Coordinator at the Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands. Upon
verification by the Board, a certificate will be conveyed to the student by
the Board. The ICWS certificate will be signed by the Dean of the Graduate School and
will be known as the “Graduate Wetlands Certificate”. If you are an Environmental Engineering Sciences student, make sure you check the box marked "Wetland Sciences" listed under Areas of Concentration when submitting your supervisory committee form. This will ensure that the certificate program gets added to your official transripts after completion of the required coursework. Other departments will handle this differently, so please inform your home department that you are enrolled in this certificate program.
Student Petitions
Students may formally petition the Board to include graduate
coursework from other institutions to satisfy one or more of
the required subject areas. In addition, students may petition to have an alternative course from the University of Florida substitute for one of the required courses. A formal petition should include
the course taken, the institution where it was taken, and the
grade received. The petition may be filed for a course already taken or a course the student plans to take in the future. A catalog description or syllabus of the course should accompany the petition, and the petition should include the signature of the student's graduate advisor.
Course and Research Requirements
WETLANDS RESEARCH (2)
Two credit hours of research are required. Candidates may
fulfill this requirement with thesis/dissertation research,
individual work, supervised research or a special topics
course dealing with wetlands.
WETLANDS (required)
Wetlands Related Seminar (1 credit minimum)
EES 6308c Wetland Ecology (3) - or - WIS 6444 Advanced
Wetlands Ecology (4)
ENV 6508 Wetland Hydrology (3)
SWS 6448 Biogeochemistry of Wetland Soils (3)
POLICY/LAW (select 1 course)
EES 6051 Environmental Planning (3)
ENV 5075 Environmental Policy (3)
FNR 5563 Simulation of Ecological Policy (3)
LAA 6382 Ecological and Environmental Policy (3)
LAW 6472 Natural Resources Law (3)
*LAW 6936 Water Law Seminar (2)
LAW 6930 Conservation Clinic (3-6)**
ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS/ ORGANISMS (MS select 1 course, Ph.D 1
course from each area)
Systems
EES 5307 Ecological Engineering (3)
EES 5305 Ecological and General Systems (3)
EES 6301 Comparative Approaches in Systems Ecology (3)
EES 6356 Estuarine Systems (3)
GEA 6466 Seminar on Geography of Amazonia (3)
PCB 5307c Limnology (4)
PCB 5338 Principles of Ecosystem Ecology (3)
PCB 6496c Stream Ecology (4)
SWS 6932 South Florida Ecosystems (3)
Organisms
EES 6136 Aquatic Autotrophs (3)
EES 6137 Aquatic Heterotrophs (3)
FAS 5276c Field Ecology of Aquatic Organisms (4)
FAS 6171 Applied Phycology (3)
FAS 6335c Fisheries Management (4)
*Student should register with instructor for 1 additional hour
of special topic study relating course material to wetlands.
** Subject matter of course project must be wetlands related
Application
Application for
Graduate Certificate in Wetlands Science.
Notification of
Completion of the Certificate Program in Wetlands Science.
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