Water Resource Management Certificate Program - Graduate - 2012 University Catalog
You are viewing the 2012 University Catalog. Please see the newest version of the University Catalog for the most current version of this program's requirements.
Because water is such a critical aspect of our physical and human environment, all of our programs require some understanding of water systems and water management including: physical water cycles; physics and chemistry of rock-water interactions; human impact on water supplies due to pollution and overuse; water use policy-making; and water resource management. As such, we have assembled a faculty in our department with expertise to support the water-related aspects of our programs.
This certificate program in Water Resource Management takes advantage of our faculty expertise by assembling our water-related courses into one coherent program rather than simply a series of discrete courses taken as part of several different degree programs. This certificate provides an integrated sequence of courses covering drainage basin-scale cycling of water, water contamination, surface and groundwater modeling, and water-related policy and resource management issues.
Career Opportunities
The program is designed primarily for people employed or seeking employment in a wide array of careers related to water management. These include:
- Private environmental engineering and consulting companies. Typical projectsencountered in this industry range from assessing groundwater pollution levels or predicting movement of contamination in a groundwater system to assessing the spatial distribution of wetland regions, which serve as principle groundwater recharge areas.
- Public agencies involved in environmental assessment and regulation enforcement such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, N.J. Department of Environmental Protection and county agencies such as Passaic County Environmental Health. Tasks performed by these agencies include monitoring water quality, identifying and monitoring contamination sources, enforcing environmental regulation, and developing recommendations for public policy that will impact water resource availability and quality.
- Manufacturing, transportation and service industry (both public and private). Many large corporations in industries such as pharmaceuticals and petroleum refining as well as public agencies, such as NY/NJ Port Authority, maintain environmental health and safety divisions responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental regulation, interactions with environmental enforcement agencies, and development of recommendations for safe practice within the industry. The vast majority of regulations that must be handled involve potential contamination of water resources.
- Public and private utilities. The most obvious utility requiring water resource expertise are water utilities, where expertise is required in maintaining water quality and adequate sources of clean water. Solid and liquid waste treatment facilities as well as gas and electric utilities also maintain staff with water resource expertise to ensure adequate supply of water needed for the utility (i.e. coolant for power plants) or to ensure that the utilities activities do no damage to existing water resources.
Many people working in these industries enter with a traditional natural science undergraduate degree (i.e. geology, biology, chemistry, and physics), environmental science degree or engineering degree. While many of these undergraduate programs may include one or two courses in hydrology, hydrogeology or water chemistry, few students entering the industries noted above with BA or BS degrees have a coherent body of coursework related specifically to water resources. This type of specific, applied study is usually reserved for graduate degree work.
The certificate course provides people already employed in these industries the opportunity to gain new skills directly applicable to their employment without committing to completion of the longer M.S./M.A. graduate degree program. It enhances productivity and chances of promotion for those already working in the industries.
WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE
Complete to earn 13 semester hours with a minimum GPA of 2.50.
Course Descriptions:
EAES322: Environmental Geochemistry (2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab)
Chemical principles and methods applied to the study of interactions among lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Topics such as water pollution, waste disposal and human impact on global geochemical cycles will be discussed. Laboratory will stress the measurement of chemical properties related to water and soil quality as well as computer modeling of chemical transport in porous media. Previous course GEOS 454 effective through Spring 2012. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: EAES 220 or CHEM 230.
EAES331: Geohydrology (3 hours lecture)
The study of ground water with particular emphasis given to its mode of migration, chemistry and relation to the geographic environment. Particular attention is given to Darcy's law, soil porosity, soil permeability and the ability to withdraw water for human consumption. Water pollutants and salt water incursions are investigated. Spatial distributions are analyzed and the processes examined. Previous course GEOS 452 and ENVR 452 effective through Spring 2012. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: EAES 200, EAES 230 or EAES 240.
EAES532: Applied Groundwater Modeling (3 hours lecture, 2 hours lab)
Introduction to groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling, using a variety of current software packages. Saturated and unsaturated media will be considered. Emphasis is on application of models to the solution of common problems encountered in hydrology industry and research. Previous course GEOS 552 effective through Spring 2012. 4 sh.
Prerequisites: Matriculation in a CSAM graduate program and equivalent of EAES 331; and MATH 116 or MATH 122 or departmental approval.
EAES533: Water Resource Management (3 hours lecture)
The spatial patterns of the water resource both as surface water and ground-water. Processes affecting availability and techniques of estimation are stressed. Previous course GEOS 509 effective through Spring 2012. 3 sh.
Prerequisites: Matriculation in a CSAM graduate program or departmental approval.
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