The Nelson Institute's professional programs offer environmental leadership training in areas of identified and emerging need across our sector, convening people and perspectives from around the world and equipping graduates with the necessary environmental knowledge to tackle their next career challenge. We have two professional master's programs. Within the Environmental Conservation master of science degree, students can select a named option in either Environmental Conservation or in Environmental Observation & Informatics.
Upon degree completion, graduates will receive an MS in Environmental Conservation with a named option in one of the above. The curriculum in our professional programs is designed in close consultation with leaders in environmental practice to meet emerging global challenges and demands. We offer our professional master's in an accelerated, 15-month blended curriculum with on-campus and remote experiences to accommodate working professionals and busy lives. Students are in Madison for the summer and fall semesters — two of the most beautiful seasons in Wisconsin — and then have classes online in spring that can be taken anywhere in the world. The final, fourth semester is spent completing the student's MS leadership project.
Learn more about:
Admissions
Students apply to the Master of Science in Environmental Conservation through one of the named options:
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
Students enrolled in this program are not eligible to receive tuition remission from graduate assistantship appointments at this institution.
This applies to both the Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Observation & Informatics named options. We encourage all students to apply for our Environmental Conservation tuition assistance program and to seek additional sources of grants, scholarships, or loans.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 16 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 | See Named Options for policy information. |
| Assessments and Examinations | All students must submit a leadership placement proposal and work plan, complete a professional leadership experience (independent practice) of at least eight weeks, followed by a substantial written report or deliverable for their host organization, and an exit seminar presentation. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
Required Courses
Select a Named Option for courses required.
Named Options
A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. Students pursuing the Master of Science in Environmental Conservation must select one of the following named options:
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply the principles of conservation science and sustainability to real world environmental problems. (Environmental Conservation Named Option)
- Explain the interconnections between environmental conservation and human well-being, and identify social, economic, and institutional conditions that favor sustainability. (Environmental Conservation Named Option)
- Conceptualize, strategize, design, and implement innovative environmental problem-solving techniques. (Environmental Conservation Named Option)
- Demonstrate competence in core professional skills related to conservation practice, including: written, verbal, and visual communication; conflict resolution; interdisciplinary team building and problem definition; conservation planning; and program evaluation. (Environmental Conservation Named Option)
- Recognize and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct in environmental conservation. (Environmental Conservation Named Option)
- Apply the principles of conservation science and sustainability to real world environmental problems. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Explain the interconnections between environmental conservation and human well-being, and identify social, economic, and institutional conditions that favor sustainability. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Choose and apply the most appropriate and powerful platforms and technologies to address environmental challenges related to both human activities and natural dynamics. Interpret remotely-sensed earth observation data and apply those data to complex environmental problems. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Construct models of environmental phenomena to better understand natural processes and human actions, to predict and project future outcomes and scenarios, and to quantitatively evaluate those scenarios to enable more informed management and policy decisions. Conduct robust statistical analyses to examine quantitative model output and distributed environmental data, and interpret resulting patterns and trends. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Drive strategic thinking to design and manage the use of observation technologies to advance policy and program direction, and engage with organization leadership. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Conceptualize, strategize, design, and implement innovative environmental problem-solving techniques. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Demonstrate competence in core professional skills related to earth observation practice including written, verbal, and visual communication; conflict resolution; interdisciplinary team building and problem definition; mission planning; and program evaluation. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
- Recognize and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct in environmental observation and informatics. (Environmental Observation and Informatics Named Option)
People
Faculty Executive Program Committees
Environmental Conservation Program Committee
Timothy Van Deelen (Program Chairperson) Robert Beattie, David Drake, Holly Gibbs, Evelyn Howell, Alberto Vargas, Steph Tai (Ex Officio)
Environmental Observation & Informatics Program Committee
Annemarie Schneider (Program Chairperson), Mutlu Ozdogan, Janet Silbernagel, Stephen Ventura, Jun Zhu, Steph Tai (Ex Officio)