Environment and Resources is a research program offering master’s and PhD degrees based on the premise that solutions to environmental challenges require interdisciplinary approaches. Faculty and students are oriented to environmental problems rather than to disciplines. Students are encouraged to explore the specific area that interests them by drawing on the insights and methods of multiple disciplines. The focus is on gaining the knowledge needed to understand the intellectual context of their work and the skills necessary to conduct original research. The program fosters experimentation and innovation, not the mastering of a narrowly defined set of prepackaged competencies. The objective is to produce graduates who are prepared to function comfortably in the complex professional and social communities within which solutions to environmental problems must be found.
The program mandates interdisciplinarity through curriculum requirements, the structure of the student’s faculty advisory committee, and the research endeavor. Students are required to take some courses in diverse disciplinary topics and other courses that are intended to strengthen problem-solving skills. A thesis (MS) or a dissertation (PhD) is required of all students. Each student’s faculty advisory committee must consist of persons who collectively ensure interdisciplinary support and evaluation. Students can pursue interests over the full range of environmental studies from more of a physical or biological science research project to those emphasizing more of the social sciences or humanities including policy, environmental history, community action, or social justice. Students who feel a need to follow a more structured course of study may also pursue certificates in Culture, History, and Environment or Energy Analysis and Policy. Any bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution may be acceptable.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | October 15 |
| Summer Deadline | December 1 |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required but may be considered if available. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
Deadlines
Application materials for Environment and Resources must be received by the fall deadline listed above for admission to the following summer session or fall semester and by the spring deadline listed above for admission to the following spring semester.
The GRE is recommended for those seeking university fellowship consideration.
Funding
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
In most cases, Environment and Resources is unable to guarantee any funding to students. However, many of our students obtain funding through other departments on campus, and we recommend that students contact faculty or departments directly if they have teaching or research skills in specific areas. Individual faculty members occasionally have their own sources of support for research or project assistants, though we strongly urge students not to depend on these as guaranteed sources of funding.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 16 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Grades of BC or C may be counted toward program requirements if they are offset by equivalent AB or A grades in other courses. A 3.00 average must be maintained in the student’s breadth categories as well as their individual program focus category. With the exception of research credits, a maximum of 2 credits graded S may be counted toward program requirements if approved by the student’s thesis committee and the program chair. Courses that are audited or graded pass/fail or credit/no credit will not count toward program requirements. |
| Assessments and Examinations | All students must complete a program certification and a thesis. Students must pass a final thesis defense which constitutes the final examination. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Breadth Requirements | ||
| Category 1: Natural Science (see course list below) | 6 | |
| Category 2: Social Science Humanities (see course list below) | 6 | |
| Category 3: Measurement Analysis (see course list below) | 6 | |
| Individual Program Focus Research | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Category 1: Natural Science
Students choose any biological sciences and/or physical sciences courses in the 300–999 range. This course list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Students are not restricted to the courses listed here. This is a sample of appropriate courses for this category that are offered through various departments/programs. At least three credits must be from UW-Madison.
Category 2: Social Science & Humanities
Students choose any social sciences and/or arts & humanities courses in the 300–999 range. This course list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Students are not restricted to the courses listed here. This is a sample of appropriate courses for this category that are offered through various departments/programs. At least three credits must be from UW-Madison.
Category 3: Measurement & Analysis
Students choose any measurement/analysis/tools/methods courses in the 300–999 range. This course list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Students are not restricted to the courses listed here. This is a sample of appropriate courses for this category that are offered through various departments/programs. At least three credits must be from UW-Madison.
Individual Program Focus & Research
Students choose any courses, in the 300–999 range, that pertain to their individual research and thesis endeavor. At least one graduate seminar (research or topical) is required, and up to six Research credits may be used toward this category. At least six credits must be from UW-Madison (not including Research credits).
Category 1: Natural Science courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGROECOL/AGRONOMY/ENVIR ST 724 | Agroecosystems and Global Change | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/ATM OCN/SOIL SCI 532 | Environmental Biophysics | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/BOTANY/SOIL SCI 370 | Grassland Ecology | 3 |
| ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| ATM OCN 425 | Global Climate Processes | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 355 | Introduction to Air Quality | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 520 | Bioclimatology | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST/GEOG 332 | Global Warming: Science and Impacts | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST/GEOG/GEOSCI 335 | Climatic Environments of the Past | 3 |
| BOTANY 400 | Plant Systematics | 4 |
| BOTANY 500 | Plant Physiology | 3-4 |
| BOTANY 801 | Advanced Plant Community Ecology | 4 |
| BOTANY/ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 651 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL 402 | Dendrology: Woody Plant Identification and Ecology | 3 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL 455 | The Vegetation of Wisconsin | 4 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 672 | Historical Ecology | 2 |
| BOTANY/GEOG 338 | Environmental Biogeography | 3 |
| BOTANY/HORT/SOIL SCI 626 | Mineral Nutrition of Plants | 3 |
| BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 725 | Ecosystem Concepts | 3 |
| BSE/ENVIR ST 367 | Renewable Energy Systems | 3 |
| CBE 562 | Special Topics in Chemical Engineering | 1-3 |
| CHEM/GENETICS 626 | Genomic Science | 2 |
| CIV ENGR 311 | Hydroscience | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 415 | Hydrology | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 500 | Water Chemistry | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 501 | Water Analysis-Intermediate | 3 |
| CIV ENGR/G L E 421 | Environmental Sustainability Engineering | 3 |
| ENTOM 450 | Basic and Applied Insect Ecology | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 | Introduction to Entomology | 4 |
| ENVIR ST 400 | Special Topics in the Environment: Biological Aspects of Envir St | 1-4 |
| ENVIR ST 401 | Special Topics: Environmental Perspectives in the Physical Sciences | 1-4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOSCI 411 | Energy Resources | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PHYSICS 472 | Scientific Background to Global Environmental Problems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/POP HLTH 471 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/POP HLTH 502 | Air Pollution and Human Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 324 | Soils and Environmental Quality | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 379 | Principles of Wildlife Management | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 401 | Physiological Animal Ecology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 655 | Animal Population Dynamics | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 660 | Climate Change Ecology | 3 |
| G L E/GEOSCI 627 | Hydrogeology | 3-4 |
| GEOSCI 376 | Topics in Geology | 1-3 |
| GEOSCI 731 | Carbonate Geology | 2 |
| HORT 875 | Special Topics | 1-4 |
| KINES/POP HLTH 791 | Physical Activity Epidemiology | 3 |
| LAND ARC 668 | Restoration Ecology | 3 |
| M E 466 | 3 | |
| M E/N E 565 | Power Plant Technology | 3 |
| M&ENVTOX/POP HLTH 789 | Principles of Environmental Health: A Systems Thinking Approach | 3 |
| MICROBIO/SOIL SCI 523 | Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry | 3 |
| N E 571 | Economic and Environmental Aspects of Nuclear Energy | 3 |
| PL PATH 801 | Teaching Biology: Special Topics | 1 |
| PL PATH/SOIL SCI 323 | Soil Biology | 3 |
| POP HLTH/SOC 797 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 622 | Soil Physics | 3 |
Category 2: Social Science & Humanities courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E 375 | Special Topics | 1-4 |
| A A E 635 | Applied Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| A A E 643 | Foundations of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| A A E/C&E SOC/SOC 340 | Issues in Food Systems | 3-4 |
| A A E/ECON 477 | Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST/URB R PL 671 | Energy Economics | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/F&W ECOL 531 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| AGROECOL 701 | The Farm as Socio-Environmental Endeavor | 3 |
| AGROECOL 702 | The Multifunctionality of Agriculture | 3 |
| AMER IND 450 | Issues in American Indian Studies | 3 |
| AMER IND/ANTHRO 314 | Indians of North America | 3 |
| AMER IND/ENVIR ST 306 | Indigenous Peoples and the Environment | 3 |
| AMER IND/ENVIR ST/GEOG 345 | Caring for Nature in Native North America | 3 |
| ANTHRO 330 | Topics in Ethnology | 3-4 |
| ASIAN 630 | Proseminar: Studies in Cultures of Asia | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 541 | Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 929 | Seminar: Class Analysis and Historical Change | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 948 | Seminar: Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC/URB R PL 617 | Community Development | 3 |
| COUN PSY 601 | Best Practices in Community-Engaged Scholarship | 2 |
| ECON 711 | Economic Theory-Microeconomics Sequence | 3 |
| ECON 713 | Economic Theory: Microeconomics Sequence | 3 |
| ECON/ENVIR ST/POLI SCI/URB R PL 449 | Government and Natural Resources | 3-4 |
| ED PSYCH 551 | Quantitative Ethnography | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 308 | Outdoors For All: Inequities in Environmentalism | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 349 | Climate Change Governance | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 402 | Special Topics: Social Perspectives in Environmental Studies | 1-4 |
| ENVIR ST 404 | Special Topics in Environmental Humanities | 1-3 |
| ENVIR ST 922 | Historical and Cultural Methods in Environmental Research | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 337 | Nature, Power and Society | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 439 | US Environmental Policy and Regulation | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 537 | Culture and Environment | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 557 | Development and Environment in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/HISTORY 460 | American Environmental History | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/JOURN/LSC 823 | Science and Environment Communication | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PHILOS 441 | Environmental Ethics | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/POLI SCI/PUB AFFR 866 | Global Environmental Governance | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PUB AFFR/URB R PL 809 | Introduction to Energy Analysis and Policy | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/URB R PL 821 | Resources Policy Issues: Regional and National | 2-3 |
| ENVIR ST/URB R PL 865 | Water Resources Institutions and Policies | 3 |
| GEOG 538 | The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Development | 4 |
| GEOG 930 | Seminar in People-Environment Geography | 2-3 |
| GEOG/URB R PL 503 | Researching the City: Qualitative Strategies | 3 |
| HISTORY 901 | Studies in American History | 1-3 |
| INTER-HE 801 | Special Topics in Human Ecology | 1-3 |
| INTL ST 401 | Topics in Global Security | 3-4 |
| JOURN 812 | Qualitative Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| LAW 731 | Constitutional Law | 4 |
| LAW 744 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAW 918 | Selected Problems in International Law-Seminar | 2-3 |
| LSC 625 | Risk Communication | 3 |
| M H R 710 | Challenges & Solutions in Business Sustainability | 2-3 |
| POLI SCI/PUB AFFR/URB R PL 874 | Policy-Making Process | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 860 | Workshop in International Public Affairs | 3 |
| SOC 441 | Criminology | 3-4 |
| URB R PL 590 | Contemporary Topics in Urban and Regional Planning | 1-3 |
| URB R PL 611 | Urban Design: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| URB R PL 741 | Introduction to Planning | 3 |
| URB R PL 781 | Planning Thought and Practice | 3 |
| URB R PL 814 | Environmental and Alternative Dispute Resolution in Planning | 3 |
| ZOOLOGY 405 | Introduction to Museum Studies in the Natural Sciences | 2-3 |
Category 3: Measurement & Analysis courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E 636 | Applied Econometric Analysis I | 3 |
| A A E/CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST/URB R PL 561 | Energy Markets | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST/URB R PL 671 | Energy Economics | 3 |
| A A E/ENVIR ST/POP HLTH/PUB AFFR 881 | Benefit-Cost Analysis | 3 |
| AGROECOL 702 | The Multifunctionality of Agriculture | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/ATM OCN/SOIL SCI 532 | Environmental Biophysics | 3 |
| ART 476 | Intermediate Photography | 4 |
| ATM OCN 310 | Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean I | 3 |
| ATM OCN 311 | Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean II | 3 |
| ATM OCN 575 | Climatological Analysis | 3-4 |
| B M I/POP HLTH 552 | Regression Methods for Population Health | 3 |
| B M I/POP HLTH 651 | Advanced Regression Methods for Population Health | 3 |
| C&E SOC/ED POL/SOC 755 | Methods of Qualitative Research | 3 |
| C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540 | Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 360 | Statistics for Sociologists I | 4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 361 | Statistics for Sociologists II | 4 |
| CIV ENGR 310 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST/GEOG 377 | An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| CIV ENGR 516 | Hydrologic Data Analysis | 3 |
| CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST/LAND ARC 556 | Remote Sensing Digital Image Processing | 3 |
| COUN PSY/CURRIC/ED POL/ED PSYCH/ELPA/RP & SE 719 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 |
| CSCS 570 | Community Based Research and Evaluation | 3 |
| ECON 703 | Mathematical Economics I | 3-4 |
| ECON 709 | Economic Statistics and Econometrics I | 3-4 |
| ECON 710 | Economic Statistics and Econometrics II | 3-4 |
| ED PSYCH 551 | Quantitative Ethnography | 3 |
| ED PSYCH 760 | Statistical Methods Applied to Education I | 3 |
| ED PSYCH 761 | Statistical Methods Applied to Education II | 3 |
| ED PSYCH 763 | Regression Models in Education | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 540 | Theoretical Ecology | 3 |
| ENVIR ST 922 | Historical and Cultural Methods in Environmental Research | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL/G L E/GEOG/GEOSCI/LAND ARC 371 | Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG/LAND ARC/URB R PL 532 | Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Planning | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/LAND ARC/SOIL SCI 695 | Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PUB AFFR/URB R PL 809 | Introduction to Energy Analysis and Policy | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/PUB AFFR/URB R PL 810 | Energy Analysis and Policy Capstone | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 655 | Animal Population Dynamics | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/STAT 571 | Statistical Methods for Bioscience I | 4 |
| F&W ECOL/STAT 572 | Statistical Methods for Bioscience II | 4 |
| GEN&WS/GEOG 504 | Feminist Geography: Theoretical Approaches | 3 |
| GEOG 378 | Introduction to Geocomputing | 4 |
| GEOG 500 | Qualitative Strategies in Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 560 | Advanced Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| GEOG 576 | Geospatial Web and Mobile Programming | 4 |
| GEOG/URB R PL 503 | Researching the City: Qualitative Strategies | 3 |
| INTER-HE 793 | Research Methods | 3 |
| JOURN 658 | Communication Research Methods | 4 |
| JOURN/POLI SCI/URB R PL 373 | Introduction to Survey Research | 3 |
| LSC 560 | Scientific Writing | 3 |
| POLI SCI 813 | Multivariable Statistical Inference for Political Research | 3 |
| POP HLTH 798 | Epidemiologic Methods | 3 |
| POP HLTH/SOC 797 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 818 | Introduction to Statistical Methods for Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 819 | Advanced Statistical Methods for Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 820 | Community Economic Analysis | 3 |
| STAT 303 | R for Statistics I | 1 |
| STAT 304 | R for Statistics II | 1 |
| STAT 305 | R for Statistics III | 1 |
| URB R PL 841 | Urban Functions, Spatial Organization and Environmental Form | 2-3 |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
With thesis committee and program chair approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 15 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Students must have at least three UW-Madison credits in each of the three breadth categories, and at least six UW-Madison credits in the individual program focus category (not including Research credits). Coursework completed ten or more years prior to admission to the master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy graduate degree or graduate coursework requirements.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
No credits from an other institution or UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to transfer.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
- Good standing (progressing according to standards; any funding guarantee remains in place).
- Probation (not progressing according to standards but permitted to enroll; loss of funding guarantee; specific plan with dates and deadlines in place in regard to removal of probationary status).
- Unsatisfactory progress (not progressing according to standards; not permitted to enroll, dismissal, leave of absence or change of advisor or program).
Advisor / Committee
All students must assemble a three-member thesis committee that represents a minimum of two departments, preferably no later than their third semester in the program. To meet the interdisciplinary requirement the committee must include members tenured in one of the natural sciences divisions (Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences) and one of the social sciences divisions (Social Studies, Arts & Humanities). Two of the three committee members must be members of the Graduate Faculty. The third, subject to approval of the program chair, may be any qualified person, on or off campus, who holds at least a master’s degree.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credits
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
This document was reviewed by the Graduate Student working group and approved by vote of Nelson Institute Governance with subsequent review by campus HR; please note that this was prior to the revision of GAPP by campus in 2019-20, as well as present and expected changes in 2020 after to Title IX, Office of the Dean of Students, etc.
Preamble:
Any student who feels that they have been treated unfairly by a faculty or staff member has the right to seek redress and to receive a hearing of the grievance following these procedures. It applies only to grievances about those persons who are employees of the Nelson Institute, who teach for the Nelson Institute or otherwise are subject to administrative oversight by the Institute. The complaint may concern course grades, program admission, classroom treatment, hostile or intimidating behavior, or any other issue. Note that these procedures are for students bringing grievances to the Nelson Institute, they do not cover issues relating to the classroom behavior of students which must be referred to the Dean of Students.
The procedures outlined below are used in the Nelson Institute to ensure a prompt and fair hearing of complaints, and to protect the rights of both the student and the person at whom the complaint is directed. These policies describe formal procedures. A student is free to bypass these procedures if they do not wish for an Institute sanctioned resolution.
A complaint covered here may involve issues that either require or that would benefit from being directed to one of the campus programs or offices addressing complaints and grievances. See https://compliance.wisc.edu/ and https://compliance.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/102/2018/09/Safe-Learning-and-Work-Guide.Fall_.FY19-Accessible.pdf (Accessed Oct. 2020). Please review the most recent information on Title IX on campus, as guidelines and contacts may change. Graduate students should review information at https://grad.wisc.edu/documents/grievances-and-appeals/ (Accessed Feb. 2019) Undergraduate students may wish to review information available in the undergraduate course catalog. There they will find this option presented: “For assistance in determining options, students can contact the on-call dean in the Dean of Students Office, 608-263-5700, Room 70 Bascom Hall, Monday– Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.”
Also, students should know that academic administrators may be required to report instances of sexual harassment or violence in accordance with university policy and the Clery act. (See: http://uwpd.wisc.edu/crime-data/clery-act/ Accessed Oct. 2018).
State law contains additional provisions regarding discrimination and harassment. Wisconsin Statutes 36.12 reads, in part: "No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the system or its institutions or center because of the student's race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status." In addition, UW–System prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression. Students have the right to file discrimination and harassment complaints with the Office for Equity and Diversity.
Questions about Nelson Institute procedures can be directed to the Associate Dean for Research and Education.
Procedures:
- If possible, the student (complainant) should first talk with the person against whom the grievance is directed to advise them of their complaint and to determine if resolution is possible.
- If the student is not satisfied, or if they do not feel comfortable addressing the person to whom the grievance is directed, they should ask to speak to the immediate supervisor of the person involved. If the complaint is directed against a teaching assistant, the student should talk to the TA's supervisor, who is usually the course professor. If the student grievance concerns a faculty or staff member in Nelson, the next formal step is for the student to meet with the Associate Dean for Research and Education. If the complaint is not resolved at this level, the student may continue to the next step (4).
- It is recognized that a student may be reluctant to bring their grievance to the person against whom the complaint is directed, or to their supervisor, or to anyone else in the administrative hierarchy. In that case, the student should seek out a person who can guarantee confidentiality to the extent allowed by the law and university policy and provide non-judgmental advice as to appropriate next steps. Note that if criminal activity is involved confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. If a student does not know of any suitable person, they may approach any member of the Nelson Institute Academic Programs staff who will be able either to serve as a confidential discussant or who will be able to direct the student to someone who can assure confidentiality. Their role is to be that of Ombuds, meaning that they are not to take a position with respect to the validity of the grievance. Their role is to advise the student as to appropriate next steps.
- To start a formal grievance process, the student must submit the grievance in writing to the Nelson Institute Associate Dean for Research and Education (hereafter Associate Dean) as soon as possible. An email for which receipt is acknowledged will be considered a written submission.
- On receipt of the written complaint, the Associate Dean will acquaint themselves with the issues. This may involve face to face meetings or other means of establishing the facts in dispute. The Associate Dean will have the option of proposing a resolution. If the proposed resolution is accepted by parties directly involved, the matter will be considered settled at this level. Relevant documents will be archived by the Office of the Assistant Dean for Administration. At any point in the proceedings after the receipt and acknowledgement of the grievance by the Associate Dean, the complainant or the compliance will have the option of requesting that the matter be referred to an ad hoc committee. This request must be submitted in writing and acknowledged by the Associate Dean.
- If the matter cannot be settled through the mediation of the Associate Dean, or if the Associate Dean has concluded that the case merits further attention, or if the complainant has requested that the matter be referred to an ad hoc committee an ad hoc committee will be appointed by the Dean of the Nelson Institute or their designee. The committee will consist of at least three members. Within 10 working days, the student will be allowed to revise the complaint or to add material to the complaint document to be provided to the committee. The complainant may request a change in committee membership, but the final decision on the committee will remain with the Dean. The committee may request a written response from the person toward whom the complaint is directed. This response shall be shared with the person filing the grievance. The ad hoc committee will meet to discuss the case. They are authorized to seek additional information if they feel it is necessary. They will convey their written decision regarding the case including any recommendations for remediation or mediation to the Associate Dean within 30 working days from the charge to the committee. The Associate Dean will provide a copy of the committee’s written decision to the student regarding the case within 10 working days of receiving the committee’s report; the Associate Dean will also confirm that the past record on file of any grievances regarding the parties involved has been investigated; and, the Associate Dean will provide the student a statement outlining the formal plan of steps that will be taken officially on the part of the Nelson Institute.
- The complainant then has the option of taking their grievance to the university level. There are several options available. Consult websites referenced above.
- The written documents relevant to the grievance will be archived in hard copy and electronic form as appropriate in a “Grievance Record” by the office of the Assistant Dean of Administration and will be maintained for a minimum of five years.
- The cumulative record involving any of the parties to a grievance will be reviewed each time a formal grievance is presented as in Step 4, above, in order to determine whether the pattern of grievance, such as past filings, indicates any actions are warranted.
Other
n/a
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Program Resources
Summer Writing Retreat
A four-day weekend summer (early June typically) writing retreat is available to any student in the program who is in the process of undertaking a serious writing commitment like a thesis, dissertation, grant proposal, or class paper. There is a peer review component to this retreat, so all participants will share at least some parts of their work for feedback from the instructor and their peers.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate master's level knowledge of interdisciplinary environmental studies.
- Demonstrate master’s level knowledge of a substantive area of environmental studies, adequate to undertake their M.S. thesis.
- Demonstrate master’s level knowledge of research methodology appropriate to their substantive area of focus and appropriate for preparing their M.S. thesis.
- Demonstrate skill in synthesizing the above goals (1-3) through preparation of a master’s thesis.