- MS in Water, Society, & Policy
- Faculty
- Degree Requirements
- Scholarships
- How to Apply
- Forms and Policies
- Help
Water sustainability has emerged as perhaps the most critical natural resource issue in the western United States as well as in other semi-arid regions around the world. More recently, even wet regions have come to face similar problems of water scarcity and conflict, due to growing demands and competition for water.
To meet the demands imposed by water scarcity, the University of Arizona offers a non-thesis Master of Science in Water, Society and Policy (WSP). The purpose of this degree is to provide opportunities for students to pursue professionally oriented study in a multi-disciplinary degree program that focuses on water science, society, and policy. The WSP degree combines graduate coursework in social science, policy and hydrology with professional skill-development activities. Students are exposed to human and environmental processes as they affect water and watersheds. They gain familiarity with quantitative and qualitative techniques for observation, monitoring, and modeling of processes relevant to the management of water from regional to global scales. They develop skills to communicate with decision makers; conduct and understand scientific research; write cogent research reports, proposals, and policy evaluations; and make effective public presentations.
Graduates of the program are able to understand the basic principles of hydrology, social science, management, law, and policy and are able to contribute to making informed decisions regarding water resources. This is a non-thesis MS degree program.
NEW for 2020: Dual MS degrees
Article about the WSP degree by Sharon Megdal
Faculty
Faculty Advisors
Although you do not need an advisor to be admitted to the program, it is a good idea to contact faculty prior to applying.
Name |
Department |
|
Elizabeth Baldwin | Assistant Professor, School of Government and Public Policy | elizabethb@email.arizona.edu |
Jeff Banister |
Director, Associate Research Social Scientist, Associate Editor, and Associate Research Professor--Southwest Center, Journal of the Southwest, and the School of Geography and Development
|
banister@email.arizona.edu |
Courtney Crosson | Assistant Professor, College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture | ccrosson@email.arizona.edu |
Gregg Garfin |
Associate Professor and Associate Extension Specialist, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Deputy Director for Science Translation & Outreach, Institute of the Environment
|
gmgarfin@email.arizona.edu |
Andrea Gerlak | Associate Professor, School of Geography and Development | agerlak@email.arizona.edu |
Stuart Marsh | Associate Director, School of Natural Resources and the Environment | smarsh@email.arizona.edu |
Tom Meixner | Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Hydrology and Water Resources | tmeixner@email.arizona.edu |
Affiliated Faculty
Name |
Department |
|
Assistant Professor, Soil, Water, and Environmental Science and Extension
|
kchief@email.arizona.edu | |
Professor, Department of Agriculture and Economics Resources
|
bcolby@email.arizona.edu | |
Professor, American Indian Studies
|
bcolombi@email.arizona.edu | |
Professor, Rogers School of Law
|
engel@law.arizona.edu | |
Sharon Megdal | Director, Water Resources Research Center | smegdal@email.arizona.edu |
Director, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy
|
cascott@email.arizona.edu | |
Jose Soto | Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment | jrs@email.arizona.edu |
Connie Woodhouse | Professor, School of Geography and Development | conniew1@email.arizona.edu |
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Degree Requirements
WATER, SOCIETY, AND POLICY MS
Application deadline: No deadline for domestic students (rolling admissions). International students must apply 4 months prior to the start of the semester in which they wish to begin.
MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
• A Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• For applicants whose native language is not English please go to this link to find the most current test requirements https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency
MANDATORY PREPARATORY COURSEWORK
The program does not have prerequisites, though some core electives require economics (AREC 575) or physics and calculus (WSM 560A).
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
This is a NON-Thesis MS degree. Students complete a project or internship and produce a report and give a final presentation.
Required Coursework
Total Units for Degree 32
Core courses: 12-13 units
RNR 696W -- Water, Society and Policy Seminar: 2 units
Elective courses: 12-14 units
MS Project: 6 units of RNR 909
No minor required
Final Committee is faculty advisor or 1 tenured, tenure track or equivalent faculty member if approved by faculty advisor.
• A PLAN OF STUDY must be completed in the 2nd semester for M.S. Students
• A PROJECT PROPOSAL must be approved by your faculty advisor in the 2nd semester.
• You must file an annual report each year by April 15th
• You will be enrolled in RNR 696W your first and second semester in the program
Note: Students should become familiar with the Graduate Catalog policies and the WSP Graduate Student Handbook. The latter is available from the Graduate Coordinator or on the SNRE website. If you have questions, contact the Gradaute Coordinator.
Scholarships
Graduate Student Funding Opportunities
Unlike programs in other fields of study (e.g., Chemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), SNRE does not have departmental funding for students. Because students are rarely accepted with funding, funding is something you will need to think about and discuss with potential faculty advisors very early in your conversations with them.
Here are the primary ways students are funded:
Here is a list of resources to help you locate funding to support your tuition and fees or your research.
Scholarships, Fellowships and Grants
Admissions Information and the Online Application
You must submit an online application with the Graduate College. All application materials can be uploaded into the online application system, including unofficial documents and TOEFL score reports. The online application will ask you for the program and option to which you are applying and you will need to list all faculty with whom you have been in correspondence.
Required documents that you will asked for in the online application include:
• A summary of coursework form (Students coming from institutions outside of the US are also required to list courses and grades. The U.S is on a 4.0 scale, but other countries are on a scale of 10 or 100. Just make a note on the scale on which you received your grades).
• A minimum of 3 letters of recommendation.
• Official transcripts from all Colleges and Universities attended will be requested by Graduate College following acceptance by the department.
For applicants whose native language is not English please go to this link to find the most current test requirementshttps://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency
The University Code is 4832 language test scores. You do not need a more specific code as the scores are entered into a central system.
Optional documents that you can upload into the application in include unofficial transcripts, language test score reports, and your resume. (this can be uploaded into the transcripts section if the question is not specified).
SNRE Admissions Survival Guide
Entrance Requirements for Water, Society and Policy Students
Currently there are no prerequisite coursework requirements for WSP students. Some individual courses in the core have prerequisites such as economics, physics, or calculus, but there is sufficient breadth in the core curriculum that if you haven’t already taken these prerequisites, other courses are available to fulfill the program requirements.
Deadlines
SNRE Policies
Checklist for Incoming Students
Forms
UA GradPath Forms (Plan of Study, Committee Appointment, and other Graduate College forms)
Annual Committee Meeting Forms
Annual Report Form MS due April 15th each year
SNRE Internal Graduate Petition for Grievences
Masters/Specialist Completion of Degree Requirements Form (CDR)
Quick links
Bursar's Office
Registration Information
UAccess Student
SNRE Courses
List of Essentials for Responding to Reviewers' Comments to help you prepare for the paper submission process.
Questions?

Contact the graduate coordinator:
Katie Hughes
Graduate Coordinator/ Academic Advisor
khughes@email.arizona.edu (email is preferred)
Katie can help with:
For problems with the online application, contact Graduate Admissions at 520-621-3471
Professional Development

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities - Searchable Databases
RNR 596L Leadership and Communication for Environmental Scientists (Fall)