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MSWSPCourseList(April 2018)
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The MS WSPdegree requires a minimum of 32 units, distributed as follows:
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Policy Core Courses 9 units
Science Core Courses 3-4 units
Water, Society and Policy Seminar 2 units
Electives 12-14 units*
Master's Project 6 units
*Policy and Science Core classes may be taken as electives if they are not chosenfor the core
Policy Core-Choose any 3 of the following 8 courses (9 units):
AREC 575 - Economic Evaluation ofWater and Environmental Policy (Fall)Bonnie Colby
Theoryandapplicationofeconomic concepts needed to evaluatewaterandenvironmentallaws and policies, including benefit cost analysis,externalities,public goods and valuation methodologies.Casestudiesincludefederal,state, tribal and internationalwaterand environmentalpolicies.
ENVS 596B - Water Policyin Arizona and Semi-arid Regions(Spring-not 2019)S. Megdal
This course focuses on current Arizona water policy froma multi-disciplinary perspective. Through readings, research, discussion and presentations,thestudentisexposed to current water resource issues facing ArizonaandotherpartsoftheWestand policies to address them.
GEOG 596I - Comparative andInternationalWaterPolicy(Not currently offered)
Thiscourseexaminesmajorissuesincomparative and international water policy, including water markets, privatization, dams and river basin management, environmental flows, social equity,andwatergovernance.Thecourseisinterdisciplinaryandbuildsonlaw,geography, politicaleconomy,andinstitutionaleconomics.
GEOG596J-WaterManagement and Policy(Alternate years-not Spring 2018)C. Scott
Managementandpolicychallengesdrivenbysurface water and groundwater scarcity will be assessedfortheSouthwestUS,Mexico,and globally. Critical review ofinstitutionscoupledwithassessmentofemerging managementsystemswillleadtoconsideration ofpolicyalternatives.
GEOG 696O- Adaptation & Resilience in Water Resources Systems (Spring 2018) C. Scott
Climate change, urban growth, energy demand,andglobalfoodtradealterwaterincoupled human-natural systems. This seminar addressesadaptation and resilienceusing material on river basins, aquifers, infrastructure, policy, and institutions fromSouthwest U.S., transboundary U.S.- Mexico, andinternational cases.
LAW 669 - Environmental Law (Fall and Spring) Kirsten Engel
A survey course covering major environmental statutes and common law doctrines. Topics includetheCleanAirAct,CleanWaterAct,National Environmental Policy Act, CERCLA, regulatorytakings,standingin environmentalcases,thelawofnuisance, and the public trust doctrine.
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LAW 641– Water Law (Spring 2018) Robert Glennon
The course in Water Law traditionally emphasizes state law rules that govern rights to use surface water and groundwater throughout the country. Although we will give ample attention to the prior appropriation doctrine, riparian water rights, and various systems for regulating groundwater use, this course will also emphasize how federal law may impact water rights. Increasingly, environmentalists and others claim that there are public rights to water that may take precedence over rights under the prior appropriation system.
RNR 540 - Climate Change Adaptation(Fall)Gregg Garfin and Dave Breshears
This course examines actions to reduce vulnerabilities or increase resilience to the potential impacts of climate change. While the general focus will be on impacts and responses in the arid Southwest (water, fire, species, ecosystems), we will also investigate the philosophies and frameworks for advancing action and incorporation of adaptation planning at the regional, national and international scale.
Science Core - Choose 1 of the following 5 courses (3-4 units):
HWRS 517A– Fundamentals of WaterQuality (Fall)Tom Meixner
Introduction to chemical processes affecting the behaviorofmajorandminorchemicalspeciesin theaquatic environment.Physical,equilibrium,inorganic/organic, and analytical principles as appliedtonaturalwaters.Graduate-requirementsincludewritingareviewpaperandoral presentation, differential problemsets for homework and exams.
HWRS 573 - Hydrology for Water Resources Management (Fall) Tom Meixner
This course will develop the students understanding of the hydrologic cycle, its constituent parts on the hydrologic cycle. It will then expose students to various ways in which human management influences the hydrologic cycle and ways in which the hydrologic cycle controls water resources management.
WSM 552- Dryland Ecohydrology and Vegetation Dynamics(Fall)Dave Breshears
Overview of ecological and hydrologicalinterrelationships and associated vegetation dynamics for water-limited, dryland ecosystems.
WSM 560A - WatershedHydrology(Fall) Phil Guertin
Applicationoffundamentalprinciplestoquantifying the basic hydrologicprocessesoccurringon watersheds.
WSM568-WildlandWaterQuality(Spring)David Quanrud
Introduction to water quality and itsinfluencesinnaturalenvironments.Interactionswithland managementandrelationshipstothelargerissuesofenvironmentalquality.Graduate-level requirementsincludeaclassreportandpresentation ona negotiated topic of interest.
Elective Courses (12 units minimum)
ARC 561A–Water Efficiency in Built Environments (Fall not 2018) Courtney Crosson
Learn methods and advanced techniques that conserve urban water usage while promoting water harvesting, water reuse, and water energy generation technologies in and around buildings.
ARL 642-Use and Management of Arid Lands(Springeven years)David Quanrud
Majorissuessurroundinglanduses in the world's arid and semi-arid zones. Examination of issues whichwill determine the futureofland management in much ofthe arid and semi-arid landsofthewesternUnitedStates.Thedebateover the management of lands in relation to ownership,tenure,andaccess;intergenerational transfers, and theeconomic,environmental,and social consequences of proposed changes in current arrangements.
ENVS 554 - Water Harvesting (Spring)Baile McCormick
Course focusesonwaterharvestingprinciplesandtechniques.Studentswilllearnhowtoapply conceptsattheirownresidencesandparticipateinapplyingthemontheUAcampus.Graduate- levelrequirementsincludeworkingwithothergraduatestudentstoevaluatewaterharvesting practices on campus. Two examples of good & poorwaterharvestingoncampusplustwosites that might be considered for future harvesting mustbesurveyedwithresultspostedonwebsite.
ENVS 574 - Aquatic Plants and the Environment (Fall)Kevin Fitzsimmons
The role of riparian areas, estuaries,andconstructedwetlandsinthe environment. Emphasis on plantsaswildlifehabitatfornutrientcyclingandbioremediation.
GEOG 596M– Making the Connection between Science and Decision Making (Spring)
Connie Woodhouse and Dan Ferguson
This seminar explores concepts at the foundation of the intersection between environmental science and decision, making as well as practical aspects of two-way communication to explore the ways in which exchanges take place between scientists and decision makers.
LAW 603J - Sustainability and Environmental Policy (Spring)Carol Rose, Marc Miller
Over the past twenty years “sustainability” (or “sustainable development”) has emerged as a centralgoalofenvironmentalpolicymaking.Contemporary tools of environmental policy including ecosystem management, adaptive management, and restoration have been displaced by what seems like a clearer goal thatcapturesendsaswellas means. Sustainability has moved fromthe work of scholars and activists to lawsandadministrativeregulations. The language of sustainability has extended to the world of business and commerce.
LAW 625B- The Colorado River in American History(Fall)R. Glennon
ThefocusofthecourseistheColorado River.Using the work of the New West historians as a framework, we shall examine the role of the Colorado River in American History. Afterexamining the geology oftheGrandCanyonandthe use made of the River and its resources by Nativepeoples,weshallexaminetheexplorationof theColoradoRiveranditscanyonsbyJohnWesleyPowellandotherearly European explorers.
LAW 696I - International Environmental Law (Fall)James Hopkins
Thiscourseanalyzestheexpandingframeworkofand the legal process leading to international regulation of the human environment, includingregionalandinternational regulation of air and water pollution and the protection of marine mammalsandendangeredspecies;therelationship betweenenvironmentalandtradeissues;protection of the "global commons";conflictsbetween protectingtheenvironmentandeconomicdevelopment; enforcement ofinternational environmental obligations by the United Statesand other nations; and regional regulation of environmentalmatters,includingtheNAFTAand the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.
PA 555– Statistics for Public Policy II (Spring) Laura Bakkensen
The course will focus on regression analysis as a quantitative tool to assess the effectiveness and impacts of policy. Topics will include Ordinary Least Squares, Hypothesis Testing, Logistic Regressions, Instrumental Variables, and Time Series Methods, as well as specification choice, regression diagnostics, and robustness testing. In addition to the core content, each week students will read an article utilizing a quantitative policy analysis method to understand the approach and critique the model assumptions. Homework assignments will put theory into practice and teach students coding skills using STATA.
PA 582 - Managing to Collaborate on Environmental and Natural Resources Conflicts (Spring) Kirk Emerson
This course focuses on how to manage collaboration in highly controversial environmental and natural resource conflicts. The course will draw on cases from texts and articles as well as focus on several disputes that have occurred or are ongoing in the American Southwest. The primary goal is to help participants become better consumers and producers of collaborative processes and tools and to encourage thoughtful critique, analysis and evaluation.
PA 584—Environmental Management (Spring 2019) Laura Bakkensen
This course is a survey of environmental management and economics to maximize social benefit. Covering pollution control, nonrenewable resource extraction, and natural resource management, we address both theory and policy in practice to determine when markets work, when they fail, and what policy can do to help. We also discuss the taxonomy of value and introduce stated- and revealed-preference valuation techniques. This course aims to empower students with a set of tools to rigorously evaluate a range of real-world issues at the human-environment nexus through the synthesis of science, economics, and policy. Basic math (graphing and algebra) will be used in this course, but all concepts will be reviewed during the first class
RNR 503—Applications of GeographicInformationSystems (Fall, Spring, Summer)Craig Wissler or Phil Guertin
General survey of principles of geographic information systems (GIS); applications ofGIS to issues such as land assessment and evaluation ofwildlife habitat; problem-solving with GIS.Graduate-level requirements include completionofaprojectontheuseofGISintheirdisciplineoranoriginal GIS analysis (100 points)incoordinationwith the instructor.
RNR 517 - Geographic Information Systems forNaturalandSocialSciences(Fall and Spring)Craig Wissler and Gary Christopherson
Introduction to the application of GISand related technologies for both the naturaland social sciences. ConceptualissuesinGISdatabasedesignanddevelopment,analysis,anddisplay.
RNR 580 - Natural Resources Policy and Law (Spring)Laura Lopez Hoffman
Thiscourseexaminesthenaturalresourceandenvironmentalpolicyformulation process, the participants in that process and the policies themselves.Thecourseemphasizespublicpolicyas itappliesto federallands.However,theprinciples apply to state lands and policies as well.
RNR 596G - National Climate Assessment (Spring)James Buizer, Kathy Jacobs, Larry Fisher
The third U. S. National Climate Assessment was released in May, 2014 and provides a comprehensive assessment of the many types of environmental, social and physical impacts occurring and projected to occur in the U.S. We will work our way through the final version of the assessment, discuss a diverse array of approaches to vulnerability and impact assessment, and hear from several authors involved in writing the assessment. This seminar will provide you with strategic, thorough and extremely up-to-date in-depth knowledge on climate change impacts within regions and sectors of the U.S., and will prepare you to tackle environmental problem solving in the context of climate change, whatever your specialty.
WFSC 571 - Stream Ecology (Fall)Michael Bogan
This course will examine the structure and function ofstream ecosystems with emphasis on the interaction ofphysical and biotic elements of streams in aridregions. We will examine the role of natural and anthropogenic stressorsinshapingaquaticassemblages in streams. Quantification ofimpairmentofstreamstructureandfunctionrequiresathoroughunderstanding of fundamental ecological concepts of natural streams; this will be a major focus.Also,studentswilllearntouse current methods to assessstreamcondition and signs of impairment. Graduate-level requirements includeadditionalessayquestions on exams and graduate student mustmeetwiththeinstructors todiscussselectedresearcharticles.Presentationswillbelongerthanundergraduates.
WSM 562 - WatershedManagement (Spring)Phil Guertin
Evaluating hydrologic impacts of management activitiesonwatershedstoincludesilviculture, range,mining,andrecreationuse.
RNR 909- Master'sReport (Fall, Spring, Summer)with advisor
StudentsarerequiredtocompleteamajorprojectfortheMSWSPdegree.Thetopicofthe projectwillbeselectedduringthefirstyearofstudybythestudentinconsultationwithhis/her advisor.Itshouldfocusonawaterpolicyissue of importance, ideally in a semi-arid environment. The student will prepare for the advisor’s approval a brief (2 to 3 pages) proposal outlining theobjectives ofthe project,work plan, and deliverables. The project may stemfrom aninternship;howeveraformalinternshipis not required. The time and effort invested should represent six-units of academic credit. AccordingtotheArizonaBoardofRegents,eachunit awarded should represent 45 hours of study. However,the acceptability of thefinalprojectisthe decisionoftheadvisor.Thefinal deliverables are for the student and the advisor to determine. However, at a minimum a written report and anoral presentation are required. The project is to be completed by the endof the second yearofstudyorbytheexpected graduation date, whichever comes later.
WSP Seminar RNR 696W (Fall and Spring)Gregg Garfin
This course is designed to introduce students to the various ways that water science, societal forces, and public policy intersect, and to familiarize students with the various units on campus addressing complex interdisciplinary water management questions.