Duluth Courses

Below is a list of approved courses on the Duluth campus. A course can fulfill only one core or elective requirement (no double counting). If you want to take a course for which you lack a prerequisite, consult with your advisor, the DGS, or the instructor to determine if you may register. The list is subject to change depending on availability of courses. 

More information about program and course requirements can be found on the Degree Requirements page and in the WRS student handbook.

If you are interested in pursuing a degree in our Limnology & Oceanography track, please see the Limnology & Oceanography Courses page.

Core Courses

  • Master's and Doctoral students are required to take one course in each of the 6 core areas (equals at least 13 credits)
  • Courses offered on both the A-F and S/N grade basis must be taken A-F with a minimum grade of C-.
Course Number Hydrology Typically Offered
CE 4228 Watershed Engineering (3 crd) Annual (F)
EES 5201 Watershed Hydrology (3 crd) Annual (F)
EES 5250 Hydrogeology (4 crd) Annual (F)
GEOG 4446 Water Processes and Management (3 crd) Periodically (F)
LIM 5101 Physical Limnology (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
Course Number Environmental Chemistry Typically Offered
CE 5241 Water Chemistry (3 crd) Annual (F)
CHEM 5150 Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry (3 crd) Odd Years (Sp)
CHEM 5212 Advanced Environmental Chemistry (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
LIM 5102 Chemical Limnology (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
Course Number Limnology Typically Offered
BIOL 5833 Stream Ecology (3 crd) Even Years (F)
BIOL 5861 Lake Ecology (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
LIM 5010 Limnology 1 - Integrated Approaches to the Study of Inland Waters (3 crd) Annual (F)
LIM 5103 Geological Paleolimnology (3 crd) Odd Years (Sp)
Course Number Water Resources Policy Typically Offered
WRS 5101 Water Policy (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
Course Number Seminar Typically Offered
WRS 8100

Interdisciplinary Seminar in Water Resources (.5 crd)
**UMTC version only!!

Annual (F)
Course Number Ethics Typically Offered
WRS 8581 Research and Professional Ethics in Water Resources and Environmental Science (.5 crd) Annual (Sp)

WRS Approved List of Electives

  • Plan A Master's students need at least 9 credits from the following list (L&O track needs 11) and 10 Master's thesis research credits (WRS 8777).
  • Plan B Master's students need at least 17 credits from the following list (L&O track needs 19).
  • Doctoral students need at least 11 credits from the following list (L&O track needs 10) and 24 Doctoral thesis research credits (WRS 8888).
  • Courses offered on both the A-F and S/N grade basis must be taken A-F with a minimum grade of C-.
  • NOTE: Credits from a minor can fulfill your electives. Talk with the Graduate Program Coordinator in advance.
Course Number Electives Typically Offered
BIOL 4761 Ichthyology (3 crd) Periodically (Sp)
BIOL 5201 Leverage bioinformatic tools to manage big data and answer primary biology questions (3.0 cr) Annual (sp)
BIOL 5801 Microbial Ecology (2 crd) Even Years (F)
BIOL 5805 Fisheries Ecology (3 crd) Periodically (Sp)
BIOL 5809 Ecological Statistics (3 crd) Annual (F)
BIOL 5833 Stream Ecology (3 crd) Odd Years (F)
BIOL 5861 Lake Ecology (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
BIOL 5863 Ecosystems Ecology (3 crd) Even Years (F)
BIOL 5870 Wetland Ecology (3 crd) Odd Years (F)
CHEM 5150 Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry (3 crd) Periodically (Sp)
CHEM 5212 Advanced Environmental Chemistry (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
CE 4213 Open Channel Hydraulics Annual (Sp)
CE 4215 Hydraulic Design (3 crd) Annual (F)
CE 4228 Watershed Engineering Annual (F)
CE 5216 Environmental Modeling (3 crd) Periodically (Sp)
CE 5237 Water Quality Engineering (3 crd) Periodically (F)
CE 5241 Water Chemistry (3 crd) Annual (F)
CE 5246 Environmental Remediation Technologies (3 crd) Odd Years (Sp)
EES 5201 Introduction to Watershed Hydrology (3 crd) Annual (F)
EES  5210 Glacial and Quaternary Geology (4 crd) Even Years (F)
EES 5250 Environmental Hydrogeology (4 crd) Annual (F)
EES 5260 Fluvial Geomorphology (4 crd) Odd Years (F)
EES 5601 Introduction to Stream Restoration (3 crd) Even Years (F)
EES 5603 Stream Crossing Design (3 crd) Odd Years (F)
EES 8602 Stream Restoration Practice (2 crd) Even Years (Sp)
GEOG 4446 Water Processes and Management (3 crd) Periodically (F)
GIS 5572 Environmental Applications of GIS  Annual (F)
LIM 5010 Limnology 1 (3 crd) Annual (F)
LIM 5011 Limnology I Practice (2 crd) Annual (F)
LIM 5012 Limnology II (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
Lim 5013 Limnology II Practice (2 crd) Annual (Sp)
LIM 5101 Physical Limnology (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
LIM 5102 Chemical Limnology (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
LIM 5103 Geological Paleolimnology (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
LIM 5105 Research Frontiers & New Directions in Limn. & Environ. Sci. (1 crd) Periodically (Sp)
PHYS 5541 Fluid Dynamics (3 crd) Even Years (F)
WRS 5150

Watershed Specialist Training (2 crd) - UMTC online course

Every Semester