• UNM 2012-2013 Catalog
• »Colleges
• »University College
• »Water Resources Program
• »Graduate Program

Graduate Program

Degree Offered

Master of Water Resources

The Water Resources Program (WRP) offers the Master of Water Resources (M.W.R.) degree, an interdisciplinary professional degree designed to prepare students for careers in water resources. Applicants to the program must have a basic proficiency in at least one water-related discipline (defined rather broadly) such as engineering, sociology, management, public administration, environmental studies, economics, law, chemistry, planning, political science, geology, geography and biology, among others–or professional experience in the water field. The goal of the  M.W.R. degree program is to expand and deepen students’ knowledge of their primary disciplines and provide them with an integrated perspective on water in nature and society, improve their capacity for critical thinking and develop their technical and communication skills. UNM’s location in the Southwest means that there is a focus on arid region water issues; however, the M.W.R. degree is designed to provide its students a firm grounding in water resources that is applicable to any region.

The M.W.R. degree is obtained by taking a sequence of courses in one of two concentrations Hydroscience (HS) or Policy and Management (PM). The degree requirements consist of 39 credit hours: 36 credit hours of coursework plus 3 credit hours for a professional project. The HS concentration is designed primarily for students with technical orientation in the physical and biological sciences and engineering. This concentration will lead to further expertise in the technical aspects of water resources management. The PM concentration is intended for students with interests in the social and economic sciences, administration, and planning. This concentration will develop the student’s skills in the administrative, economic, and socio-political aspects of water resources management. The curriculum for each concentration is flexible, enabling a student to design a course of study that will achieve his/her career objectives with guidance from his/her advisor and graduate committee.

The Water Resources Program and the Department of Community and Regional Planning have created a program of studies leading to the dual degrees of M.W.R. and Master of Community and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.). This program consists of 53 credits of classes in Community and Regional Planning, Water Resources, and related subjects, and 6 credits of thesis or project. Details can be found in water Resources program Guidelines (http://www.unm.edu/~wrp). Students interested in other dual degree options should contact the Director.

The Water Resources Program faculty is drawn from six schools (Law, Engineering, Medicine, Public Administration, Architecture and Planning, Medicine) and the  College of Arts and Sciences. The Program is administered by a Program Committee drawn from the faculty and a Director, who functions as a department chair.

Admission Requirements

The admissions requirements for the M.W.R. degree program are as follows:

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;
2. A grade point average of at least 3.0 out of 4.0 for the last two years of undergraduate work. (A  student with a grade point average below 3.0 may be admitted if his/her experience/qualifications indicate likely success in the program.)
3. Three references from individuals qualified to assess the applicant’s academic and/or professional qualifications. At least one individual must be a current/former professor. These letters must be sent to WRP.
4. Successful completion (C or better) of the following courses. These can be taken at other institutions; UNM equivalent courses are listed in parentheses.

Hydroscience (HS) Concentration:

• Calculus I (MATH 180 or 162L); Calculus II (MATH 181 or 163L); and Statistics (STAT 145). Note: MATH 162L and 163L are highly recommended.
• Introductory Microeconomics (ECON 106) or Intermediate Microeconomics I (ECON 300).
• Three introductory (or higher) science courses (UNM 100-level) from at least two different disciplines.

Policy-Management (PM) Concentration:

• Calculus I (MATH 180 or 162L) and Statistics (STAT 145).
• Introductory Microeconomics (ECON 106) or Intermediate Microeconomics I (ECON 300).
• Two introductory (or higher) science courses (UNM 100-level). These may be from two different disciplines.
• One introductory or higher course in: sociology (SOC 101); or political science (POLS 110); or psychology (PSY 105). Note: a student entering with a major or minor in one of the above must take a course in one of the remaining two disciplines.

5. A 1 to 2 page letter of intent describing the student’s interests in water resources, experience in the field, objectives and future plans. This document will be helpful in assessing the applicant’s aptitude for the program and in assigning a temporary advisor. These letters must be sent to WRP.

Normally applicants must satisfy the prerequisites before they can be admitted to the program, however, students with exceptional qualifications may be admitted if they are missing one prerequisite. Applicants missing more than two prerequisites may not be admitted. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission.

Admission Deadlines

The deadlines for international applicants are August 1 and March 1 for the spring and fall semesters respectively. Prospective students are advised to apply as early as possible as available slots may be filled prior to the published deadlines.

Degree Requirements

The M.W.R. Curriculum

Concentrations
A student selects one of two concentrations: 1) Policy-Management (PM); or 2) Hydroscience (HS). This selection should be made before the student completes 12 credits of coursework.

Thirty-nine (39) credits are required: 36 credits of formal coursework and 3 credits for a professional project. The credits are distributed as follows:

1. 12 credits in the Water Resources interdisciplinary (core) courses: WR 571, WR 572, and WR 573.
2. 15 credits from courses in the student’s concentration (HS or PM) (see below for suggested HS and PM courses).
3. 6 credits of courses in the other group (HS or PM). If the student’s concentration is PM, these six credits must come from the HS group, and vice-versa.
4. 3 credits from the Utilities Group courses (see below).
5. 3 credits of WR 598 (Professional Project). The student can take more than 3 credits of WR 598, but only 3 credits will count towards the degree.

M.W.R.-HS concentration students
15 credits from HS Group I, with at least one course from each category; 6 credits from PM Group II, from two different categories; and 3 credits from Utilities Group III (24 credits).

M.W.R.- PM concentration students
6 credits from HS Group I, with courses from two different categories; 15 credits from PM Group II, with at least one course in any 3 of the 4 categories; and 3 credits from Utilities Group III (24 credits).
Note: WR 590 - Internship can substitute for a Group I or II course, depending upon the nature of the internship.

Courses
Courses are subdivided into three groups; suggested courses are listed below. A complete list of suitable courses will be kept in the WRP office and on the WRP website and updated periodically. Course titles can be viewed in the Program Guidelines (online at http://www.unm.edu/%7ewrp/) or in the UNM catalog (http://registrar.unm.edu). Note: students without suitable undergraduate course work may be required to take remedial courses for no graduate credit. Individual courses listed below may have prerequisites in excess of the M.W.R. prerequisites. No 300-level courses for graduate credit will count towards the M.W.R. degree, except CE **335.

Group I: HS Courses
Students concentrating in HS must take 15 credits from this group, with one course from each of the three categories.

• Hydrology and Hydraulics (WR 576; CE *442, 540, 541, 542, 543, 545, 549; EPS 562, 572)
• Ecosystems, Environment, Health, and Water Quality (BIOL 451, 495, 505, 514, 535, 558; CE **335, 531, 532, 534, 536, 537L; CRP 527; ENVS 530; EPS 515, 535, 543, 558; PH 502, 506)
• Climatology (EPS 536, 537)

Group II: PM Courses
Students concentrating in PM must take 15 credits from this group, with at least one course from each of any three categories.

• Law (LAW 547, 554, 575, 580)
• Economics (ECON 541, 542, 543, 544; CRP 565)
• Policy, Administration and Management (CRP 515, 524, 532; GEOG 561, 562; PADM 500, 574; PH 554)
• Sociology, Communication and Culture (AMST 520, 523, 525; CJ 518; CRP 574)

Note: WR 590 Internship can substitute for a Group I or II course, depending upon the nature of the internship. See the Director for details.

Group III: Utilities Courses
These are courses related to modeling or mapping that are applicable to investigations and management of water resource issues.

• GIS (CE 547; CRP 583; GEOG 581L, 586L, 587L, 588L; EPS 555L)
• Methods (ECON 407, 504, 545; STAT 538)
• Modeling (ECON 540, 545; EPS 557L)

Professional Project

Each student must complete a 3 credit hour professional project. The student selects the topic in consultation with his/her advisor and committee and conducts the work under their guidance. The student must present the results of his/her work in an open forum and successfully defend the project before the advisory committee. This defense functions as the Master’s examination. Examples and guidelines for preparation of the professional project report are available from the Water Resources Program office, the Web site, and the Program Guidelines.