College:
Designation: Interdisciplinary program
Majors and degrees offered: M.S. in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development; M.S., Ph.D. in Environmental Monitoring; M.S., Ph.D. in Land Resources; M.S. in Water Resources Management
Other: Graduate Certificates in Air Resources Management, Energy Analysis and Policy, and Transportation Management and Policy; dual degree in Environmental Studies and Law; Ph.D. Minors in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, Energy Analysis and Policy (Distributed Option B), Environmental Monitoring, Air Resources Management, Land Resources, and Water Resources Management
Tracks: Environmental Monitoring M.S. degree subplans in (1) Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science and Technology, or (2) Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Management
Faculty: Governance faculty--Professors Westley (director) (Environmental Studies), Nowak (academic programs chair) (Rural Sociology), Adams (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Alatout (Rural Sociology), Corradini (Engineering Physics), DeWitt (Environmental Studies), Dunwoody (Journalism and Mass Communication), Eagan (Engineering Professional Development), Foley (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences), Graham (Botany), Harris (Geography), Holloway (Environmental Studies), Hotchkiss (Botany), Jacobs (Urban and Regional Planning), Kanarek (Population Health Sciences), Kloppenburg (Rural Sociology), Langston (Environmental Studies), Lillesand (Environmental Studies), Liu (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences), Mathews (Environmental Studies), McEvoy (Law), Miller (Public Affairs), Mitman (Medical History and Bioethics), Patz (Environmental Studies), Potter (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Scarpace (Environmental Studies), Schauer (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Silbernagel Balster (Landscape Architecture), Temple (Wildlife Ecology), Turner (Geography), Ventura (Soil Science), P. Zedler (Environmental Studies)
Humanity's greatest challenge in the 21st century is to guarantee opportunity, dignity, and equality for all people on Earth while protecting the natural resources and environmental conditions upon which all life depends.
The challenge is great because the growth and increasing impact of human societies on our planet has yielded unprecedented global problems: climate change, energy shortages, inadequate food production, new health threats, population pressures, species extinctions, and more. Solving problems of this magnitude requires new ways of thinking and new strategies to translate creative ideas into action.
The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies equips students with unique abilities to become tomorrow's agents of change in government, business and industry, education, and the non-profit sector for a prosperous, environmentally sustainable future.
Named for Wisconsin's late governor and U.S. senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day and a lifelong champion of environmental stewardship, the Nelson Institute was established in 1970 and has been a pioneer in interdiscplinary environmental studies ever since.
Instruction is the lifeblood of the Nelson Institute, which offers more than 100 graduate-level courses (many of them jointly with other academic departments) and several graduate degree and certificate programs.
The heart of the Nelson Institute is its faculty--roughly 150 professors representing more than 50 academic disciplines. The soul of the institute is its students; about 200 are enrolled in its interdisciplinary graduate degree and certificate programs. They range in age from 20 to 50 and hail from throughout the United States and around the world. Many come not only with outstanding academic records but also with years of professional experience.
The institute offers special opportunities for international study and internships as well as fellowships and other awards to help students finance their education.
More than 1,400 students have earned degrees or certificates through the Nelson Institute's graduate programs.
For additional information about any graduate program described here, see the program handbooks on line at www.nelson.wisc.edu/gradforms/.
At any given time, dozens of grant-supported projects, large and small, are typically underway in the Nelson Institute. Most are conducted by the institute's interdisciplinary research centers:
The Center for Climatic Research (CCR) studies present, future, and past climates; the links between ecosystems and climate and between civilizations and climate; and the impacts of climate variability on water, food, and energy resources. CCR develops and uses coupled earth system models and observations to address regional, continental, and global-scale problems that are linked to important environmental, societal, and policy issues. The center houses laboratories of earth-system modeling, paleoecology, and archaeoclimatology.
The Environmental Remote Sensing Center (ERSC) conducts research on various technologies of remote environmental data gathering--from aerial photography to advanced digital satellite imaging--and their application environmental and resource management. It is closely tied to the Nelson Institute's graduate Environmental Monitoring Program
The Land Tenure Center (LTC) conducts research on such issues as land tenure, land use, agrarian reform, land markets, legislative drafting, registration and titling, institutional dimensions of rural development, and natural resource management. LTC's research activities emphasize collaboration with host country institutions and individuals.
The Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) brings together teams of faculty, students and staff in the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, and other fields to study regional and global problems stemming from interactions between environmental systems, natural resources, and human activity. The center seeks to provide knowledge for better decision making by individuals, organizations, and governments, leading to more responsible environmental stewardship and greater environmental sustainability.
Because the Nelson Institute is interdisciplinary, with affiliated faculty members spread across dozens of academic departments, its graduate students have access to an extraordinary range of research facilities at UW-Madison in addition to those within the institute.
The curriculum is composed of (1) a biology unit providing background in natural science, (2) a core unit integrating basic concepts of conservation biology and sustainable development, and (3) a sustainable development unit addressing this subject in greater depth. In addition to the courses, each student in the program must complete a thesis or a substantial written report.
Students with undergraduate degrees in a variety of fields are encouraged to apply to the program; those with backgrounds in biological sciences are most likely to have satisfied all of the prerequisites. (Students interested strictly in biological aspects of conservation, however, will find the graduate programs of the university's departments of Botany, Wildlife Ecology, and/or Zoology better suited to their needs.)
The following are prerequisites for the Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development Program: two courses in physical sciences (chemistry, physics, geology, physical geography, meteorology); one course in statistics; one course in economics; one year of basic biology; one course in genetics or evolution; and one course in general ecology.
At the master's-degree level, the Environmental Monitoring Program offers two choices: (1) the remote sensing and spatial information management professional option, and (2) the remote sensing and spatial information science and technology research option.
The professional option is designed for experienced professionals who lack formal training in remote sensing and/or GIS and supporting technologies and wish to acquire it. Also, recent college graduates in natural science, engineering, physical planning and/or design, and, in some cases, social sciences may prefer this option. It prepares people to manage applied projects and programs in government, the private sector, and academia in which remote sensing and other geospatial information technologies play a central role. No thesis is required.
The research option is best for students interested in developing and applying remote sensing, GIS, and supporting geospatial technologies in research settings. A thesis is required. This option (or an equivalent research-based master's degree) is a prerequisite for pursing a Ph.D. in the Environmental Monitoring Program.
The program draws from many excellent instructional and research resources in the geospatial information sciences available at UW-Madison. For example, digital photogrammetry and geopositioning courses are offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; cartography courses are offered by the Department of Geography; and land information studies (LIS)/GIS courses are offered by the Nelson Institute and the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geography, Landscape Architecture, and Soil Science, among others.
Besides a substantial number of tool-oriented courses, the university offers a broad array of courses on natural resources and the environment as well as on the governmental and commercial institutions that use remote sensing and GIS data. The university also offers courses on such topics as earth system science, landscape ecology, biophysical modeling, conservation biology, and global change. Students are encouraged to draw on this broad spectrum of instructional resources and tailor their programs to their individual interests.
Students are expected to enter the Environmental Monitoring Program with depth in at least one academic discipline. Those entering the M.S. professional option should have at least an introductory background in statistics and be proficient in computer operations and applications. One semester of college-level calculus, two semesters of college-level statistics, and one semester of computer science are among the analytical and research prerequisites for the research option. Additional statistics and computer science courses are prerequisites for a doctorate. Students are strongly advised to take these courses before entering the program but may, if necessary, complete the requirements while enrolled in the program.
Most students in the Environmental Monitoring Program are based at the Nelson Institute's state-of-the-art Environmental Remote Sensing Center (ERSC), where instruction and research are closely linked.
The program provides opportunities for interdisciplinary graduate study and research that cannot be accommodated within more traditional academic departments. It encourages independence and creativity in the development of curricula; however, every student is expected to enter the program with a specific area of interest that will lead to a thesis (required for a master's degree) or dissertation (required for a doctorate).
Each student designs a study plan with the help of faculty advisors from the Nelson Institute and other colleges and schools at UW-Madison. It is expected that students will combine courses in physical and biological sciences and engineering with courses in social sciences, humanities, and law. The goal is to give the student a broad understanding of land resources as well as knowledge of related technical, social, political, legal, and economic issues.
Students can pursue interests in areas such as ecological restoration, environmental humanities, environmental justice, highway and utility location, land resources education, land-related environmental controls, land problems in developing countries, land ethics, land taxation and controls, land resource inventories and information management, land trusts, property rights and land tenure, management of mined lands, public land management, soil and water conservation, sustainable agriculture, waste management, water quality, and wetlands.
Students earning master's degrees in land resources also may pursue certificates in air resources management, energy analysis and policy, or transportation management and policy (see Graduate Certificate Programs).
The Land Resources Program is appropriate for people with a broad variety of natural and social science educations, including resource planning and management, earth sciences, biological sciences, engineering and design, landscape architecture, geography, economics, sociology, and many other fields. The program also seeks applicants with "real world" experience in aspects of land resources. Those with backgrounds in other areas but with strong interest in land resource problems may be admitted if they submit compelling applications.
The water resources management degree is designed to prepare students for employment as water resources management professionals. Rather than conduct individual research projects, WRM students participate in a group research practicum with a water resources management focus. Students who wish to add individual research credentials to their records frequently arrange to complete a second, simultaneous master's program in one of the university's traditional departments. (See Joint, Double, and Dual Degrees.) Those interested primarily in individual research may wish to consider the Nelson Institute's Land Resources Program as an alternative to WRM. WRM does not offer a doctoral degree.
Any person with an undergraduate or graduate degree in the biological sciences, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, history, journalism, landscape architecture, law, mathematics, physical science, political science, urban and regional planning, or other suitable field may apply for admission to the WRM program.
Two options are available. Most students apply for the 45-credit option, which provides depth in an area specialty in addition to breadth in resource management and planning. The alternate option (30 to 44 credits) is for those with at least three years of related professional experience or for advanced students with appropriate master's degrees; either may apply for the alternate option based on their backgrounds. No thesis is required for either option, but every WRM student must complete a 2-credit planning seminar and the associated 5-credit practicum.
The 30-credit core curriculum of WRM provides the diversity of knowledge and interdisciplinary experience needed in water resources planning and management. A list of courses that meet core requirements is available from the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office in 70 Science Hall.
The Environmental Studies and Law Dual Degree Program enables students at UW-Madison to pursue an advanced degree in environmental studies and a law degree simultaneously by permitting them to count some of their courses toward both degrees. Students in the dual degree program can earn a doctor of law degree (J.D.) from the Law School in combination with any of the master's and doctoral degrees offered by the Nelson Institute.
Acceptance into the dual degree program requires formal admission to both the Law School and the environmental studies graduate program of the student's choice according to standard admission procedures. The statement of interest required for admission to environmental studies programs should indicate the applicant's desire to pursue a dual degree. For complete application requirements and other details, contact the Law School and the Nelson Institute.
It is not necessary to begin both degree programs at the same time, but students must be enrolled concurrently in both programs for at least part of their time at the university. Students must complete both their environmental studies and law degree programs to meet the dual degree requirements. The Law School does not grant the J.D. degree until the environmental studies degree is completed.
ARM addresses air management issues at the local and ecosystem scales through interdisciplinary studies in science, economics, health, engineering, ecology, and policy. It acquaints students with a carefully planned mix of pertinent topics, including air system behavior, multimedia issues, regulation, analysis, planning, design, and control.
Admission to a graduate degree program at UW-Madison is required for entry into ARM. Each applicant should explain his or her interest in ARM when applying to the program. Students entering ARM are expected to have completed courses as undergraduates in differential and integral calculus; physics (two courses, including a unit on thermodynamics); chemistry; and at least three of the following four subjects: microeconomics, biology, statistics, and political processes and institutions. In addition, undergraduate course work in computer programming and linear algebra is recommended. A complete list of ARM course and thesis requirements is available from the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office in 70 Science Hall.
Qualifying students may participate in the Air Resources Management Student Internship and Research Program (ARMSIRP). This program, administered jointly by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Nelson Institute, employs graduate students from ARM and other university departments as project assistants in the DNR's Bureau of Air Management. Each assistantship requires a weekly work commitment of 10 to 15 hours from September through May and up to 40 hours during the summer at a DNR office, usually in the Madison area. Students earn monthly stipends from the university based on their percentage of full-time employment at the DNR. Project assistantships include a tuition waiver (excluding segregated fees) and health insurance.
A separate application to ARMSIRP is necessary. Although applications are accepted any time, students are encouraged to apply before beginning the Air Resources Management Program. If accepted, they can often start their internships at the same time as their graduate studies. Most students selected for internships are supported until they graduate. Further details about ARMSIRP, including application procedures and current openings, are available from the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office in 70 Science Hall.
The Energy Analysis and Policy Program (EAP) gives students the skills and knowledge needed by professionals in government, energy companies, consulting firms, and other organizations to grapple with these kinds of concerns. EAP complements the discipline-centered approaches of most graduate degree programs, including those in energy-related fields such as geology, economics, chemistry, engineering, and business.
EAP's interdisciplinary curriculum considers a wide range of technical, economic, political, and social factors that shape energy policy formulation and decision-making. It examines current topics in energy resources, energy market structures and practices, traditional public utilities, energy technology, energy and environmental linkages, energy and environmental policy, and energy services. The curriculum also acquaints students with relevant skills: quantitative reasoning, analysis of energy issues, pricing and life-cycle costing, business analysis, and environmental quality assessment.
EAP welcomes applications from students in any graduate degree program at UW-Madison. Master's- and doctoral-degree students who complete the program receive EAP certificates in addition to their degrees, and doctoral students can count the program as a distributed minor. EAP is not available as a stand-alone graduate degree.
Generally, applicants to EAP should have completed at least one college-level course in each of the following subjects: physics; chemistry; biology or environmental science; economics and another social science; and calculus or another mathematics course beyond college algebra. Occasionally, students lacking some of the prerequisites are admitted to the program, and the EAP admissions committee recommends courses to make up the deficiencies.
Each EAP student must complete six courses (18 credits): an introductory seminar; one course each in energy policy, energy economics and business, energy technology, and environmental studies; and a capstone seminar. A list of courses that satisfy these requirements is available from the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office in 70 Science Hall and on the Web at www.nelson.wisc.edu/eap . By entering EAP early in their graduate studies and planning carefully, students often can select courses that satisfy both their degree program and EAP requirements.
The Transportation Management and Policy Program (TMP) was created to satisfy the demand for transportation professionals who understand multiple dimensions of transportation management and planning, enabling them to make choices leading to more environmentally and socially sustainable transportation systems now and in the future.
The program addresses multi-modal transportation forms including highways, mass transit, air, water, and rail. By integrating study of the environment, engineering, economics, spatial analysis, and decision-making with the study of political, legal, environmental, and social factors that shape transportation management, the program prepares students for professional work with public sector transportation agencies, consulting firms, and other organizations concerned with transportation management and policy.
TMP welcomes applications from students in any graduate degree program at UW-Madison. It is geared particularly toward those with academic backgrounds in business, economics, engineering, environmental studies, land management, public affairs, and/or urban planning.
Students entering the program are expected to have completed at least one college-level course in statistics. Students may be admitted with a deficiency in statistics but will be expected to complete at least one statistics course in addition to other requirements.
Each TMP student must complete at least 17 credits, including courses in transportation systems planning, policy, the environment, and economics; a colloquium and a practicum in transportation management and policy; and an internship. A list of courses that satisfy these requirements is available from the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office in 70 Science Hall and on the Web at www.nelson.wisc.edu/tmp . By entering TMP early in their graduate studies and planning carefully, students often can select courses that satisfy both their degree program and TMP requirements.
Graduate students who complete the program receive a certificate in TMP to supplement their graduate degree. TMP is not available as a stand-alone graduate degree.
A student who wishes to earn a joint degree, double degrees, or dual degrees must be admitted to each applicable program and receive special approval from the Graduate School. The student must complete the requirements of each program. Credits often can count toward more than one program's requirements. In this way, students in the Nelson Institute's graduate programs also have earned master's degrees in fields such as soil science, geology and geophysics, and civil and environmental engineering. Some have earned law degrees. The Environmental Studies and Law Dual Degree Program enables students to combine any of the Nelson Institute's graduate programs with law school.
There are compelling reasons for students from minority groups to take a strong interest in environmental issues. Native Americans own and control hundreds of thousands of acres of land, whose vast forest, wildlife, mineral, water, and agricultural resources call for careful management. Urban minority groups are disproportionately vulnerable to air and water pollution, ingestion of lead-based paints by children, imprudent pest control practices, and other environmental health hazards. Occupational health problems can have a serious impact on minority groups. (Seasonal farm workers and their families, for example, are at particular risk from exposure to agricultural chemicals.) Large industrial facilities and solid and hazardous waste disposal sites are often located near communities with predominantly minority populations.
The Nelson Institute's graduate programs encourage students to address these and many other problems. Fellowships may be available to members of qualified minority groups. For more information about fellowships, applicants should contact the specific graduate programs in which they are interested.
All applicants to the Nelson Institute's graduate programs are urged to consult, in advance, faculty members with whom they share research interests. Applicants to the Land Resources Ph.D. Program must identify willing faculty advisors before being admitted, while applicants to the Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development Program and to the Land Resources M.S. Program are strongly encouraged to seek an advisor before admission. Further details and faculty lists are available from the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office in 70 Science Hall.
Applicants who have received a commitment from a prospective faculty advisor should indicate this in writing when applying to the program. Applicants to more than one graduate program in the Nelson Institute should send a complete set of application materials to each program. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor's degree institution is required for regular admission. Under some circumstances, applicants with lower averages are admitted on probation.
Each applicant should apply directly to the specific graduate program(s) in which he or she is interested and must submit: an online application at info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/stepstoapply.html ; a current resume; official transcripts or academic records from each institution attended; a one- to two-page statement of purpose and career goals (see below for specific program requirements); three letters of recommendation, preferably from people acquainted with the applicant's academic and research qualifications (and preferably on letterhead stationery, as the Nelson Institute does not provide forms); and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (UW-Madison code 1846). International applicant records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and with official signatures.
Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). An admitted applicant whose TOEFL (paper-based) test score is below 580, TOEFL computer-based test (CBT) score is below 237, internet-based test (iBT) score is below 92, IELTS score is below 7; or MELAB is below 82 must take an English assessment test upon arrival. The student must then register for any recommended English as a Second Language (ESL) course(s) during the first semester of enrollment.
Generally, all application materials for the Nelson Institute's graduate degree programs must be received by February 1 for admission to the following summer session or fall semester, and by October 15 for admission to the following spring semester. Late applications to the Air Resources Management program may be considered under unusual circumstances. Applications to the Energy Analysis and Policy or Transportation Management and Policy programs may be submitted any time, but applicants should check with the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office for relevant deadlines.
Degree-program applicants who wish to be considered for university fellowships should submit all application materials by January 2. Applicants should check with the Nelson Institute's Academic Programs Office before the deadlines to be sure all materials have arrived.
For more information: Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Academic Programs Office, 70 Science Hall, 550 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706-1491; 608/262-7996; fax 608/262-2273; nelsongrad@mailplus.wisc.edu; www.nelson.wisc.edu.