Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Master of Science - Water Resources Management


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Plan Description


The Water Resources Management (WRM) program in the College of Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a flexible, interdisciplinary course of study leading to a Master of Science degree. It is a technically and scientifically based program that blends the physical aspects of the hydrologic sciences with policy and management issues.

The WRM program is designed to encourage a multidisciplinary approach to learning. Students enter the program from a wide variety of undergraduate programs, then take classes and conduct research with faculty in the Colleges of: Sciences, Business, Urban Affairs, Engineering, and Liberal Arts at UNLV, plus the Boyd School of Law and the Desert Research Institute. Students in the WRM program also work with participating faculty from federal, state, and local government agencies.

For more information about your program including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements


Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

Applicants to the program must hold a B.S. or B.A. degree in the physical, natural or social sciences, engineering, business, management, or a related field.

  1. A minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.00.
  2. Submission of an online application.
  3. Transcripts of all college-level course work.
  4. Three letters of recommendation from individuals competent to comment on the applicant’s promise as a graduate student.
  5. A letter of application stating the student’s interests and goals.
  6. Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Exam. This requirement may be waived in the case of candidates with exceptional professional experience.

Items 3-5 should be uploaded as part of the online application.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Refer to the Graduate College website for current deadlines.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements


See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1: Thesis Track
Subplan 2: Non-Thesis Track

Subplan 1 Requirements: Thesis Track


Total Credits Required: 33

Course Requirements


Required Course – Credits: 3


Complete one of the following courses:

Hydrologic Sciences Courses – Credits: 6


Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved GEOL or CEE hydrologic science courses.

Additional Science Course – Credits: 3


Complete 3 credits of advisor-approved science, mathematics or engineering courses (BIOL, CEE, CHEM, GEOL, MAT, ME, PHYS, STA prefixes).

Administrative Courses – Credits: 9


Complete 9 credits of advisor-approved management, public administration, economics, law, or political science courses (ECO, ENV, HIST, LAW, MGT, MIS, PSC, PUA prefixes).

Elective Courses – Credits: 6


Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved BIOL, CEE, CHEM, ECO, ENV, GEOL, HIST, LAW, MAT, ME, MGT, MIS, PHYS, PSC, PUA, or STA courses.

Thesis – Credits: 6


Degree Requirements


  1. Completion of a minimum of 33 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
  2. A minimum of 15 credit hours must be in 700-level courses.
  3. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program, students are encouraged to select courses from different departments that would strengthen their background and help them to achieve their research and educational goals.
  4. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize a thesis committee of at least three members of the WRM Graduate Faculty. In addition, a fourth member from outside the WRM Graduate Faculty, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and WRM Program Director’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
  5. Students must develop their course work program with the consent of the advisor and the student’s advisory committee. Courses from different colleges and departments may be incorporated into the student’s program of study. Students should consult the listings of individual departments.
  6. There will be a final examination that will include a comprehensive oral examination.

Graduation Requirements


  1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
  2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her thesis by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
  3. After the thesis defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their thesis to the Graduate College for format check. Once the thesis format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for thesis defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here

Subplan 2 Requirements: Non-Thesis Track


Total Required Credits: 36

Course Requirements


Required Course – Credits: 3


Complete one of the following courses:

Hydrologic Sciences Courses – Credits: 6


Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved GEOL or CEE hydrologic science courses.

Additional Science Courses – Credits: 6


Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved science, mathematics or engineering courses (BIOL, CEE, CHEM, GEOL, MAT, ME, PHYS, STA prefixes).

Administrative Courses – Credits: 12


Complete 12 credits of advisor-approved management, public administration, economics, law, or political science courses (ECO, ENV, HIST, LAW, MGT, MIS, PSC, PUA prefixes).

Elective Courses – Credits: 6


Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved BIOL, CEE, CHEM, ECO, ENV, GEOL, HIST, LAW, MAT, ME, MGT, MIS, PHYS, PSC, PUA, or STA courses.

Professional Paper – Credits: 3


Degree Requirements


  1. Completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
  2. A minimum of 15 credit hours must be in 700-level courses.
  3. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program, students are encouraged to select courses from different departments that would strengthen their background and help them to achieve their research and educational goals.
  4. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize a committee of at least three members of the WRM Graduate Faculty. In addition, a fourth member from outside the WRM Graduate Faculty, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and WRM Program Director’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
  5. Students must develop their course work program with the consent of the advisor and the student’s advisory committee. Courses from different colleges and departments may be incorporated into the student’s program of study. Students should consult the listings of individual departments.
  6. There will be a final examination that will include a comprehensive oral examination.

Graduation Requirements


  1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
  2. The student must successfully complete and defend a professional paper.

Plan Graduation Requirements


Refer to your subplan for Graduation Requirements.

Subplan 1: Thesis Track
Subplan 2: Non-Thesis Track

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