Twin Cities Courses

Below is a list of approved core courses on the Twin Cities 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
BBE 8513 Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
CEGE 4501 Hydrologic Design (4 crd) Every Semester
ESCI 4702 General Hydrogeology (4 crd) Annual (Sp)
FNRM 5114 Hydrology and Watershed Management (3 crd) Annual (F)
FNRM 5153 Forest and Wetland Hydrology (3 crd) Odd Years (Sp)
Course Number Environmental Chemistry Typically Offered
CEGE 5541 Environmental Water Chemistry (3 crd) Annual (F)
ESCI 4401/8401 Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3 crd) Odd Years (Sp)
LAAS 5311 Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
PUBH 6190 Environmental Chemistry (3 crd) Odd Years (F)
Course Number Limnology Typically Offered
EEB 5601 Limnology (3 crd) Annual (F)
Course Number Water 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) 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 and 10 Master's thesis research credits (WRS 8777).
  • Plan B Master's students need at least 17 credits from the following list.
  • Doctoral students need at least 11 credits from the following list 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
AGRO/ENT 5121 Applied Experimental Design (4 crd) Annual (Sp)
BBE 5513 Watershed Engineering (3 crd) Annual (F)
BBE 5523 Ecological Engineering Design (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
BBE 5535 Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters (3 crd) Annual (F)
BBE 8513 Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds (3 crd) Even Years (Sp)
CEGE 4351 Groundwater Mechanics (3 crd) Annual (F)
CEGE 4352 Groundwater Modeling (3 crd) Periodically (Sp)
CEGE 4501 Hydrologic Design (4 crd) Every Semester
CEGE 4502 Water and Wastewater Treatment (3 crd) Every Semester
CEGE 4511 Hydraulic Structures (3 crd) Periodically 
CEGE 4512 Open Channel Hydraulics (4 crd) Periodically
CEGE 4562 Environmental Remediation Technology (3 crd) Periodically
CEGE 5541 Environmental Water Chemistry (3 crd) Annual (F)
CEGE 5542 Experimental Methods in Environmental Engineering (3 crd) Periodically
CEGE 5551 Environmental Microbiology (3 crd) Annual (F)
CEGE 8504 Theory of Unit Operations (4 crd) Periodically
CEGE 8505 Biological Processes (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
CEGE 8506 Stochastic Hydrology (4 crd) Periodically
CEGE 8507 Advanced Methods in Hydrology (4 crd) Periodically
CEGE/ESCI 8511 Mechanics of Sediment Transport (3 crd) Annual (F)
CEGE 8542 Chemistry of Organic Pollutants in Environmental Systems (3 crd) Periodically
CEGE 8572 Computational Environmental Fluid Dynamics (4 crd) Periodically (Sp)
CEGE/EEB/ESCI 8601 Introduction to Stream Restoration (3 crd) Annual (F)
CEGE/EEB/ESCI 8602 Stream Restoration Practice (2 crd) Annual (Sum/F)
CONS 8004 Economic and Social Aspects of Conservation Biology (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
EEB 4611 Biogeochemical Processes (3 crd) Periodically (Sp)
EEB 5601 Limnology (3 crd) Annual (F)
ENT 5081 Insects, Aquatic Habitats, and Pollution (3 crd) Annual (F)
ENT 5361 Aquatic Insects (4 crd) Annual (Sp)
ESCI 4401 Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3 crd) Periodically
ESCI 4402 Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean (3 crd) Even Years (F)
ESCI 4702 General Hydrogeology (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
ESCI 5204 Geostatistics and Inverse Theory (3 crd) Periodically (F)
ESCI 5705 Limnogeology and Paleoenvironment (3 crd)- New Course Periodically
ESCI 5971 Field Hydrogeology (2 crd) Annual (Sum)
ESPM 4216 Contaminant Hydrology (3 crd) Annual (F)
ESPM 5015 Invasive Plants and Animals (3 crd) Annual (F)
ESPM 5061 Water Quality and Natural Resources (3 crd) Every Semester
ESPM 5111 Hydrology and Water Quality Field Methods (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
ESPM 5211 Survey, Measurements, and Modeling for Environmental Analysis (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
ESPM 5256 Natural Resource Law & the Management of Public Lands & Waters (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
ESPM 5295 GIS in Environmental Science and Management (4 crd) Annual (F)
ESPM 5402 Biometeorology (3 crd) Even Years (F)
ESPM/SOIL 5555 Wetland Soils (3 crd) Annual (F)
ESPM 5575 Wetlands (3 crd) Annual (Sp)
FNRM 5114 Hydrology and Watershed Management (3 crd) Annual (F)
FNRM 5131 GIS for Natural Resources (4 crd) Annual (F)
FNRM 5153 Forest Hydrology and Watershed Biogeochemistry Odd Years (Sp)
FNRM 5262 Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Natural Resources and Environment (3 crd) Annual (F)
FW 4136 Ichthyology (4 crd) Annual (F)
FW 5459/8459 Stream and River Ecology (3 crd) Even Years (F)
FW 8465 Fish Habitats and Restoration (3 crd) Odd Years (F)
GEOG 5426 Climatic Variations (3 crd) Periodically (F)
HORT 5071 Ecological Restoration (4 crd) Annual (F)
LAAS 5311 Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3 crd) Every Semester
NR 5021 Statistics for Agricultural and Natural Resource Professionals (3 crd) Annual (F)
PMB 4121 Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology Annual (sp)
PUBH 6190 Environmental Chemistry (3 crd) Annual (F)
PUBH 6450 Biostatistics I (4 crd) Annual (F & Sp)
PUBH 6451 Biostatistics II (4 crd) Annual (F & Sp)
SOIL 5232 Vadose Zone Hydrology (3 crd) Annual (F)
STAT 5021 Statistical Analysis (4 crd) Every Semester
STAT 5302 Applied Regression Analysis (4 crd) Annual (F, Sp, & Su)
STAT 5303 Designing Experiments (4 crd) Annual (F, Sp, & Su)
STAT 5401 Applied Multivariate Methods (3 crd) Annual (F)
WRS 5150 Watershed Specialist Training (2 crd) Periodically
WRS 8095 WRS Plan B Project (3 crd)
For Plan B Masters students only and in consultation with the GPC
Annual (F, Sp)