Environmental Studies Specialization

Master of Applied Science ONLINE AND DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM SPECIALIZATION

Forest, Corn field, and River

Limited to Nebraska residents.

The Environmental Studies specialization provides graduate students a broad, interdisciplinary environmental perspective through coursework in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, allowing graduate students an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the multiple dimensions of today’s environmental problems. Students will develop a broad, interdisciplinary environmental perspective through the courses in the Environmental Studies specialization.

The Environmental Studies specialization is designed to give students the opportunity to integrate the knowledge and understanding of the earth and ecological sciences, the built and engineered environment or the human dimension disciplines into their graduate work. Coursework, tools, and methods from a variety of disciplines are offered to analyze and construct arguments about complex environmental challenges.

Participating Graduate Programs

How to Apply

  1. Apply for admission to a graduate degree program, get admitted, and enroll.
  2. Follow the Steps to Admission to apply to one of the programs linked above or see Programs Offered for a full list of graduate areas of study. If your program is not one linked above, consult your advisor to confirm your eligibility.
  3. Select Environmental Studies as a specialization to add to your program.

Policies and Procedure

The Director of Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Environmental Studies Coordinating Committee coordinates the specialization. One member of the student’s examining or supervisory committee must be from a discipline in the option area, defined below. This member will be approved by the Director of Environmental Studies who will consult with the Environmental Studies Coordinating Committee, where appropriate. Approval of the thesis or dissertation topic must have the concurrence of the student’s major department or program and the Environmental Studies Program.

Specialization Requirements

Masters-level Specialization Requirements

A masters-level specialization in environmental studies is available to any student who pursues a master’s degree within any of the participating departments and programs. Successful completion of the requirements will be indicated on the student’s final transcript following the name of the student’s academic discipline, for example, Natural Resource Sciences, with a specialization in Environmental Studies.

  • A master’s degree in one of the participating departments or programs
  • Nine (9)-credit hours of environmentally-related courses from departments or programs outside the student’s major department. The purpose of this specialization is to provide the student the ability to improve their abilities to work across disciplinary boundaries and to integrate the knowledge and understanding of the earth and ecological systems, the built and engineered environment, or human dimension disciplines (socioeconomic, legal, and/or political) into their graduate work.
  • When Option I (thesis) is available in the student’s program, a thesis that deals with an environmentally-relevant issue and integrates disciplinary-knowledge with the knowledge gained from their selected option area. The master’s degree will be granted in one to the basic disciplines and students must be formally admitted to a degree objective in one of the participating departments.
Doctoral-level Specialization Requirements

A doctoral-level specialization in Environmental Studies is available to any student who pursues a PhD degree within any of the participating departments and programs. Successful completion of the requirements will be indicated on the student’s final transcript in parentheses following the name of the student’s academic discipline, for example, Chemistry (Environmental Studies).

  • A doctoral degree in one of the participating departments or programs;
  • Fifteen (15)-credit hours of environmentally-related courses from departments or programs outside the student’s major department. The purpose of this emphasis area is to provide the student the ability to improve their abilities to work across disciplinary boundaries and to integrate the knowledge and understanding of the earth and ecological systems, the built and engineered environment, or human dimension disciplines (socioeconomic, legal, and/or political) into their graduate work.
  • A dissertation that deals with an environmentally-relevant issue that integrates disciplinary-knowledge with the knowledge gained from their selected option area. Environmentally-related courses completed by a student for an Environmental Studies Specialization at the master’s level may be counted toward meeting the requirements for an Environmental Studies Specialization at the PhD level. The PhD degree will be granted in one of the basic disciplines and students must be formally registered in one of the participating departments.

Courses

The courses for the environmental studies specialization to comprise the interdisciplinary component of the student’s program of study are listed below by option area. Course descriptions and prerequisites are contained in the appropriate departmental listings. With approval by the Supervisory Committee, a student may take courses cross-listed with an outside department to meet program requirements, if the faculty member teaching the course is not in the student’s home department.

Earth Systems Option
Offered in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (GEOL)
  • 816. Isotope Geochemistry
  • 817. Organic Geochemistry
  • 824. Biogeochemical Cycles
  • 825. Geostatistics
  • 834. Marine Ecology and Paleoecology
  • 850. Surficial Processes & Landscape Evolution
  • 872. Water in Geosciences
  • 888. Groundwater Geology
  • 889. Hydrogeology
  • 898. Special Problems in Geology
  • 953. Glacial Geology
  • 986. Containment Hydrogeology
  • 988. Introduction to Groundwater Modeling
Offered in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (METR)
  • 987. Seminar in Climatic Change
Offered in the School of Natural Resources (NRES)
  • 808. Microclimate: The Biological Environment819. Chemistry of Natural Waters
  • 851. Soil Environmental Chemistry
  • 853. Climate and Society
  • 853. Hydrology
  • 855. Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
  • 857. Soil Chemical Measurements
  • 859. Limnology
  • 865. Soil Geomorphology and Paleopedology
  • 868. Wetlands
  • 869. Bioatmospheric Instrumentation
  • 870. Lake and Reservoir Restoration
  • 873. Ecological Anthropology
  • 877. Great Plains Field Pedology
  • 878. Regional Climatology
  • 879. Hydroclimatology
  • 917. Environmental Isotope Hydrology
  • 977. Soil Genesis and Classification
Offered in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (AGRO)
  • 860. Soil Microbiology
  • 861. Soil Physics
  • 875.Water Quality Strategy
  • 877. Great Plains Field Pedology
  • 884. Water Resources Seminar
  • 955. Solute Movement in Soils
Offered in the Department of Geography(GEOG)
  • 812. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • 814. Quantitative Methods in Geography
  • 815. Introduction to Computer Mapping
  • 817. Cartography II: Electronic Atlas Design & Production
  • 818. Introduction to Remote Sensing I
  • 819. Applications for Remote Sensing in Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • 820. Remote Sensing III–Digital Image Analysis
  • 821. Field Techniques in Remote Sensing
  • 822. Advanced Techniques in Geographic Information Systems
  • 898. Advanced Special Problems
  • 915. Seminar in Cartography
  • 922. Seminar in Geographic Information Systems 
Ecological Systems Option
Offered in the School of Natural Resources (NRES)
  • 803. Ecological Statistics
  • 806. Plant Ecophysiology: Theory and Practice
  • 807. Plant-Water Relations
  • 808. Microclimate: The Biological Environment
  • 810. Landscape Ecology
  • 823. Integrated Resources Management
  • 824. Forest Ecology
  • 826. Invasive Plants
  • 833. Wildlife Management Techniques
  • 835. Agroecology
  • 846. Pollen Analysis for Behavioral, Biological, and Forensic Science
  • 848. Advanced Topics in Wildlife Damage Management
  • 850. Biology of Wildlife Populations
  • 859. Limnology
  • 862. Conservation Biology
  • 863. Fisheries Science
  • 864. Fisheries Biology
  • 866. Advanced Limnology
  • 868. Wetlands
  • 965. Management of Aquatic Systems
Offered in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (AGRO)
  • 835. Agroecology
  • 840. Great Plains Ecosystems
  • 842. Wildland Plants
  • 844. Vegetation Analysis
Offered in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (HORT)
  • 818. Agroforestry Systems in Sustainable Agriculture
  • 824. Plant Nutrition and Nutrient Management
  • 825. Turf Grass Science and Culture
  • 849. Woody Plant Growth and Development
  • 907. Agricultural Climatology
Offered in the School of Biological Sciences (BIOS)
  • 806. Insect Ecology
  • 836. Quaternary Paleoclimatology and Paleoecology
  • 838. Biogeochemical Cycles
  • 847. Soil Microbiology
  • 850. Biology of Wildlife Population
  • 854. Ecological Interactions
  • 855. Great Plains Flora
  • 857. Ecosystem Ecology
  • 859. Limnology
  • 862. Animal Behavior
  • 863. Experimental Methods in Animal Behavior
  • 864A. Principles of Plant Pathology I
  • 864B. Principles of Plant Pathology II
  • 867. Plant Pathogenic Bacteria
  • 869. Phytopathogenic Fungi
  • 870. Prairie Ecology
  • 871. Plant Taxonomy
  • 873. Freshwater Algae
  • 874. Ichthyology
  • 875. Herpetology
  • 876. Mammalogy
  • 882. Field Entomology
  • 887. Field Parasitology
  • 889. Natural History of Invertebrates
  • 894. Ornithology
  • 953. Advanced Population Ecology
  • 955. Behavioral Ecology
  • 956. Biochemical Adaptations
  • 957. Zoogeography
  • 958. Genetic Ecology
  • 959. Advanced Community Ecology
  • 960. Biosystematics & Nomenclature
Offered in the Department of Entomology (ENTO)
  • 800. Biology & Classification of Insects
  • 802. Aquatic Insects
  • 806. Insect Ecology
  • 809. Insect Control by Host Plant Resistance
  • 817. Pest Management Systems
  • 820. Insect Toxicology
Built and Engineered Environment Option
Offered in the Department of Architecture (ARCH)
  • 830. Advanced Elements of Building Construction
  • 836. Daylighting and Energy
  • 856. Behavior & Social Factors in Environmental Design
  • 860. Environmental Survey & Analysis
  • 861. Studies in Environmental Design
  • 866. Community Design Center
  • 864. Urban Design I
Offered in the Department of Community and Regional Planning (CRPL)
  • 800. Introduction to Planning
  • 860. Planning & Design in the Built Environment
  • 870. Environmental Planning & Policy
  • 872. Environmental Survey & Analysis
  • 877. Recreation & Park Planning
Offered in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture (HORT)
  • 898.Topics in Landscape Architecture
Offered in the Department of Civil Engineering (CIVE)
  • 821. Hazardous Waste Management and Treatment
  • 822. Pollution Prevention Principles and Practices
  • 823. Physical/Chemical Treatment Processes
  • 824. Solid Waste Management Engineering
  • 826. Design of Water Treatment Facilities
  • 827. Design of Wastewater Treatment & Disposal Facilities
  • 828. Quantitative Methods in Environmental Engineering
  • 829. Biological Waste Treatment
  • 830. Fundamentals of Water Quality Modeling
  • 852.Water Resources Development
  • 853. Hydrology
  • 854. Hydraulic Engineering
  • 855. Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Engineering (BSEN 855)
  • 856. Surface Water Hydrology
  • 858. Groundwater Engineering
  • 875. Water Quality Strategy (AGRO/CRPL/GEOL/MSYM/POLS 875)
  • 915. Water Resources Engineering
  • 921.Advanced Topics in Hazardous Waste Treatment & Remediation
  • 926. Advanced Topics in Water Treatment
  • 927.Advanced Topics in Wastewater Treatment
  • 929. Industrial Waste Lab
  • 930.Advanced & Industrial Wastewater Treatment
  • 952. Water Resources Planning
  • 954. Advanced Hydraulics
  • 958. Groundwater Mechanics
  • 959. Groundwater Modeling
Socioeconomic Option
Offered in the Department of Agricultural Economics (AECN)
  • 865. Resource & Environmental Economics II
Offered in the Department of Economics (ECON)
  • 872. Efficiency in Government
Offered in the Department of Geography (GEOG)
  • 806. Spatial & Environmental Influences in Social Systems
  • 850. Climate & Society
  • 983. Seminar on Behavioral Processes in Person/Environment Relations
Offered in the Department of Sociology (SOCI)
  • 807. Strategies of Social Research: Qualitative Methods
  • 815. Social Change
  • 841. Social Psychology
  • 844. Social Demography
  • 845. Sociology of Urban Areas
  • 846. Environmental Sociology
  • 853. Sociology of Health and Health Professions
  • 862. Advanced Social Research Methods
  • 863. Quantitative Methods of Social Research
  • 868. Policy and Program Evaluation Research
  • 875. Water Quality Strategy
  • 880. Social Inequality: Stratification and Life Changes
  • 881. Minority Groups
  • 897. Fieldwork in Sociology
  • 898 and 998. Special Topics (approved topics are Environmental Sociology, Social Demography, Social Movements, Social Inequality, & the Sociology of Health)
  • 902. Seminar in Research Methods
  • 905. Seminar in Stratification, Class, and Inequality
Offered in the Department of Anthropology (ANTH)
  • 835. Introduction to Heritage Management Archaeology
  • 851. Contemporary Issues of Indigenous Peoples in North America
  • 873. Ecological Anthropology
  • 874.Applied & Developmental Anthropology
  • 877. Hunters-Gatherers 883.Advanced Field Methods
  • 994. Seminar in Anthropology & Geography Courses
Legal Option
Offered in the Department of Agricultural Economics (AECN)
  • 841. Environmental Law
  • 857. Water Law
Offered in the Department of Community and Regional Planning (CRPL)
  • 804. Legal Aspects of Planning
Offered in the Department of Legal Studies (LAW)
  • 609G. Constitutional Law I
  • 633G. Administrative Law
  • 666G. International Environmental Law
  • 677G. Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Law
  • 693G. Law & Economics
  • 698G. Public Lands & Natural Resources Law
  • 699G. Land Use Planning
  • 774G. Environmental Law and Water Resource Management Seminar
  • 776G. Water Law, Planning & Policy
  • 796G. Native American Law 
Offered in the Department of Political Science (POLS)
  • 869. International Law
Public Policy Option
Offered in the Department of Political Science (POLS)
  • 826. Topics in American Public Policy
  • 836. Introduction to Public Policy Analysis
  • 866. Pro-seminar in International Relations I
  • 984. Seminar in Methods
Offered in the Department of Economics (ECON)
  • 872. Efficiency in Government
Offered in the School of Natural Resources (NRES)
  • 828. Leadership in Public Organizations
Tuition and Fees How to Apply Contact Us

Clicking "How to Apply" takes you to the Graduate Studies website for additional program and application information.

Service you expect from a leading University

  • Access the same student services available to on-campus students
  • An academic adviser will guide you along your journey
  • Career services are available when you are ready to take your next step

Flexibility

  • Combine a number of disciplines to create a unique degree
  • Choose more than 50% of the courses you take as electives
  • Complete coursework during the time of day that works best for you within a select timeframe

Quality learning experience

  • The University of Nebraska has offered distance education courses for more than 100 years
  • Interact with faculty and students through e-mail, discussion forums and chat groups
  • Direct access to world-class faculty – researchers who are experts in their fields or practitioners with real-world experience

To be accepted to this program

  1. 3.00 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
  2. Taken the TOEFL or IELTS
    (Only required if English is not your native language)
  3. A written personal statement
    Please describe how obtaining this degree will help your personal, career, and/or professional goals. Describe your level of commitment to successful completion of this degree.
  4. 3 letters of recommendation
  5. Official/Unofficial transcripts from all previous schools
NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states

Application Deadlines

Rolling admissions. Application review will begin upon receipt of all required application materials.

Questions? Please Contact

David Gosselin

Professor / Director, Environmental Studies
Contact