Environmental Communication and Leadership (Certificate)

15 credit hours

Required Core (3 credit hours)
BIO 578 Environmental Leadership and Communication (3)

Electives (12 credit hours)
policy and management (3)
communication (3)
leadership (3)
open elective (3)

Additional Curriculum Information
Students must choose three credit hours from each of the policy and management, communication, and leadership categories with approval of the School of Life Sciences. If a student takes a course for fewer than three credit hours, the student must take more than one course in that category to meet the three-credit-hour requirement. Students should contact the School of Life Sciences for a complete list of courses.

For the open elective category, students choose one three-credit-hour elective course from any of the other three categories above. Students should note that only three credit hours of approved 400-level coursework can appear on the plan of study.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

1. graduate admission application and application fee
2. official transcripts
3. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

International students who need an F1 or J1 visa first need to apply to and be accepted into a graduate degree program prior to being considered for the certificate program. International students residing in the USA on other types of visas must adhere to all Graduate College policies and procedures regarding admission to be considered for admission to this certificate program.

Sample related fields include business, education, biology, geosciences, political science and English.

Applicants must have completed 12 undergraduate credit hours of natural science or social science coursework related to the environment at the time of application to the graduate certificate program. They must meet all other graduate admissions requirements. Courses are reviewed by the School of Life Sciences graduate committee to ensure they fulfill this requirement.

Professionals skilled in communication as well as analytical and critical thinking are highly sought-after in public and private industry. Experience with conservation science, policy, management and leadership prepares graduates for careers in research, policy development, law and business management, among many others.

Career examples include:

• attorney
• ecologist
• professor
• research scientist
• science journalist or communicator