Curriculum and Program Requirements

Curriculum & program requirements

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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.

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Admissions & program 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

School of Natural Resources & the Environment Graduate Program Handbook

M.S. in Water, Society and Policy handbook