Curriculum & program requirements
Application deadline
There is no application deadline for domestic students (rolling admissions); international students must apply four months prior to the start of the semester in which they wish to begin.
Admissions & program requirements
- A bachelor's degree
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- This program does not have preparatory coursework prerequisites, though some core electives require economics (AREC 575) or physics and calculus (WSM 560A)
- For applicants whose native language is not English, view the most current test requirements
This is a non-thesis master of science degree. You much complete a project or internship and produce a report and give a final public presentation.
Required coursework
- Must complete 32 units
- 12 to 13 units from core courses
- Complete RNR 696W Water, Society, and Policy Seminar (two units)
- 12 to 14 units from elective courses
- Complete MS Project, which include six units of RNR 909
- View course list
- No minor required
- Your committee consists of your faculty advisor who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty. Contact Debbie Cross if you have any questions (debbiecross@arizona.edu).
- A plan of study must be completed in your second semester
- A project proposal must be approved by your faculty advisor in your second semester
- You must file an annual report each year by April 15
- You will be enrolled in RNR 696W your first and second semester in the program
Students are required to complete a major project for the MS WSP degree. The topic of the project will be selected during the first year of study by the student in consultation with his/her advisor. It should focus on a water policy issue of importance, ideally in a semi-arid environment. The student will prepare for the advisor’s approval a brief (2 to 3 pages) proposal outlining the objectives of the project, work plan, and deliverables. The project may stem from an internship; however a formal internship is not required. Review the program handbook for more information on the major project and internship opportunities. Students in our program have conducted internships with organizations such as:
- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
- Arizona Department of Water Resources
- Arizona Land and Water Trust
- Arizona Municipal Water Users Association
- Bureau of Land Management
- California Water Service Company
- City of Phoenix
- Community Water Coalition of Southern AZ
- Consensus Building Institute
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Grassroots Action Network, Tucson AZ
- Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research
- Montgomery & Associates
- Montgomery & Interpreter, PLC
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Sky Island Alliance
- Sonoran Institute
- Southwest Decision Resources
- The Nature Conservancy
- Tsaile Wheatfields Dineh Water Users Association, Navajo Nation
- Tucson Regional Water Coalition
- Tucson Water: Planning and Engineering section
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- University of National Development Veteran, Indonesia
- US Bureau of Reclamation
- US House of Representatives, Natural Resources Committee
- Wackman Consulting
- Water Resource Research Center UA
- Watershed Management Group