Program Details | Environmental Science & Management PSM

In the Professional Science Masters (PSM) program, students complete the course requirements for two graduate certificates and a capstone project or internship near the end of their graduate certificate coursework. PSM projects and internships are student-driven and are intended to serve as a capstone experience that allows students to pull together their graduate certificate course learning. Students make a public presentation of their capstone work.

Requirements

• Complete two certificates (minimum of 32 credits; course overlaps between certificates are not allowed)
• Professional Development courses (minimum 4 credits)
• ESM 551 Project Management for Scientists (4 credits)
• ESM 506 Project or ESM 504 Internship (minimum 4 credits)

Total Credit Hours: 48-54

Note: Depending on the certificates completed students may need to complete additional coursework to complete the 48 credit minimum required for the PSM. The additional credits can come from a list of professional development courses and/or an additional 4 credits of additional project/internship. A maximum of 8 credits in 504 or 506 will be allowed for the degree.

Graduate Certificates

The degree will require students to complete two graduate certificates from a menu of approved graduate certificates offered in the school, as well as other related graduate certificates.

• For the first certificate, choose at least one graduate certificate from List A. 
• For the second certificate, choose another graduate certificate from List A or a graduate certificate from List B.

Professional Development Courses

PSM students must complete a minimum of 4 credits in project management (ESM 551) and up to 8 other credits of professional development courses in student’s choice of seminar, science communication, data analysis, technical writing, scientific methods, or policy.

Required

• ESM 551 Project Management for Scientists

Other Example Professional Development Courses (up to 8 credits)

• ESM 507 Seminar (1-6 credits)
• ESM 509 Practicum (1-9 credits)
• ESM 555/ESR 655 Science Communication (1 credit)
• ESM 556/ESR 656 Advanced Science Communication Skills (1 credit)
• ESM 557/ESR 657 Science, Media and the Public: Working with the Media to Create Effective Scientific Messages (1 credit)
• ESM 566/CE 566 Environmental Data Analysis (4 credits)
• ESM 567 Multivariate Analysis of Environmental Data (4 credits)
• G 507 Seminar (1-6 credits)
• Geog 507 Seminar (1-6 credits)
• Geog 588/USP 591 Geographic Information Systems I: Introduction (4 credits)--Other graduate-level GIS courses may be substituted for Geog 588.
• Wr 534 Science Writing (4 credits)

Project or Internship

The culminating experience of the students seeking a PSM degree is the completion of a project or internship. This element of the curriculum serves to integrate coursework, further develop skills required to function effectively in a professional setting (e.g., communication, presentation, and project management) and provide an opportunity to participate in the solution of a real environmental problem.

Working with local agencies or/and organizations, and a faculty member, the PSM student identifies a project or internship, formulates a project or internship plan with a community partner, formally proposes the project or internship, completes the scope of work detailed in the proposal, and documents and presents the results or outcomes of the project to an appropriate audience. This 4-8 credit project or internship will be recorded as 506 or 504 credits, respectively, with a prefix appropriate for the advising faculty member (e.g., ESM 506 or ESM 504).