EES 263 ? PSM Degree in Water Resource ... - Fresno State

Professional Science Master's Degree In
Water Resource Management Program Need
The Professional Science Masters (PSM) degree in Water Resource
Management was developed to meet the growing demand for advanced knowledge
in water resources and their use in the urban, industrial, and agricultural
environment. The degree includes political and policy aspects of water use
as well as an understanding of the economics involved. The program of
study will rely upon the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to
assemble and analyze databases describing water availability, use, and
reclamation. The student will also gain a proficiency in water management
that relies on spatial visualizations and basic modeling skills used to
track the natural variability of water supplies and water-use forecasting.
Each student will acquire a deep understanding of the physical processes of
water delivery and storage along with the management of these water
resources. The program syllabi are contained in Appendix A.
We expect the program to build a base of graduates that are
increasingly knowledgeable about water resource management, and that these
graduates will have an impact on water management and water policy in the
Central Valley, California and beyond. PSMs are relatively new degrees,
blending highly technical expertise with job related skills at a
professional level. We are in an ideal location for a PSM in water
resource management, and expect our graduates to have a substantial impact.
In the agriculturally centered Central Valley of California water
resources are overextended, highly dependent on natural climate
variability, and increasingly affected by anthropogenic climate change and
adaptation to these changes. These challenges in the Central Valley are a
microcosm of growing national and international concerns as similar
processes are occurring worldwide. Fresno State is a leader in water
technology with three water research centers on campus. This program will
strengthen the water research focus of the university by providing
returning students with an advanced degree that will address water
management at an advanced level. A successful program in water resource
management is of vital importance to the community, state, nation and
world. Broader Impacts: Fresno State is a minority-serving institution (34%
Hispanic, 1% Native American, 6% African American) and the University is in
an economically challenged region where only 24.4% of young adults across
the area enrolled in higher education (average for the state is 35.4%).
Unemployment in Fresno County is approximately 16%, above the national
average of approximately 7.5-8.0%. Successful participation in this
program will lead graduates to good paying jobs that are in high demand.
Professional Science Master Degrees (PSM's) are often developed to
meet regional needs and are designed as a bridge between employers and the
application of the latest scientific findings (http://www.npsma.org/).
Surveys were performed (Appendix C) to determine if regional and statewide
employers, industry/businesses/agencies, saw a need for employees trained
in Water Resource Management. Additionally, the survey also asked about
the training desired in new employees, internship opportunities that they
could provide, and job prospects for graduates. We surveyed 154
stakeholders representing industry, business, or agency enterprises about
the feasibility of a PSM degree in Water Resource Management and 91
responded. They strongly supported the implementation of the Water
Resource Management degree. When asked if they would need to hire someone
with the Water Resource Management degree in the next 10 years, 69% replied
that they would. We divided the respondents into twelve categories, though
the largest group (27 respondents) identified themselves as "other". Many
viewed their industry as changing in the near future, indicating the
dynamic nature of the industry and the need for graduate level expertise to
meet future challenges. As a measure of the need in the community; 55% of
respondents offer internships and 78% were interested in offering
internships in the near future. We used the results of this survey of
industry/business/agency stakeholders in the water industry to develop the
program of study outlined below. General Overview
The units responsible for offering this program are: The division of Continuing & Global Education in collaboration with the
College of Science and Mathematics and the Division of Graduate Studies
are responsible for offering this program. Program Coordinator; Dr. Peter K. Van de Water Core Faculty Members: Dr. R. Sean Alley
Dr. Sharon Beness
Dr. Tom Holyoke
Dr. Donald Hunsaker
Dr. Peter K. Van de Water
Dr. Zhi (Luke) Wang
Dr. William Wright
Dr. Xioaming Yang The vitae of the core faculty are found in the appendix B of this document
labeled Faculty. Mission
The mission of the Professional Science Master's degree in Water Resource
Management is to provide an advanced educational study program that
explores the principles of water management using Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) and geospatial technologies as tools to investigate real-
world situations. Students explore the principles of GIS and Water
Resource Management by completing coursework. In addition students will
serve within an intership during the study program, and in conjunction of
their sponsor using "real" life situations and data for analysis. The
students apply their skills to these real-world problems in water resources
to develop solutions that must be judged and defended on their scientific
merit. In addition the students must formulate their solutions within a
framework that includes the economics, politics and regulatory policy
environment surrounding water resources. Students will graduate with these
skills to capitalize on a marketplace hungry for employees with advanced
knowledge and analytical skills when managing water resources. The courses within the Professional Science Master's degree will demand
that students:
. Know basic GIS theory and software (EES 211 or base course on GIS)
. Design, construct and manage spatial databases (EES 212)
. Incorporate knowledge about building and using spatial data models,
especially for decision-making processes. (EES 212)
. Understand the principles of climatology and evaluate conditions that
lead to different outcomes in water supply and how changes in the
water environment alter water resource management decisions. (EES 264)
. Integrate the processes involved in the hydrologic cycle and create
scenarios where hydrological parameters change then track their
effects and the outcomes with regard to water use management.(EES 265)
. Evaluate and interpret complex interactions between the hydrosphere,
lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere in terms of climate and its
effect on water availability and use (EES 264 and EES 265).
. Understand different natural water resources and be able to compare
and contrast different methods of water acquisition whether from
surface or subsurface resources (EES 265).
. Compare and contrast spatial changes in water availability along with
resource quality and quantity (EES 264 and EES 265).
. Differentiate systems of assigning economic costs to natural resources
(EES 270)
. Compare and contrast the economics of water use in urban versus
agricultural uses (EES 270)
. Design and assemble complex outcomes for the interactions of water
with natural, agricultural, industrial and urban water resource
uses.(EES 266 and EES 267)
. Differentiate between different water uses, outcomes, and evaluate
different effluent treatment options. (EES 267)
. Compare and contrast different applications of economics to water and
water use in terms of outright and hidden economic structures (EES
270).
. Understand the construction of, and argue for or against the policy
underlying administrative management of natural resources (EES 268 and
EES 269).
. Compare current NEPA and CEQA rules and regulations with the outcomes
of a variable natural resource. (EES 269)
. Interpret management of a variable water supply through evaluation and
the critique of water issue politics and policy (EES 268 and EES 269)
. Evaluate a series of potential natural outcomes that range from water
abundance to water shortages in terms of the politics and policy
implementation (EES 263). Program Structure
The aim and goal of the PSM degree in Water Resource Management is to
introduce the student to a systematic understanding of how water is
delivered to the terrestrial environment from our climate system, then
follow it through its storage and use. Water moves through the natural and
manmade environment where it is monitored, pumped, and applied to urban and
agricultural systems. Once used it then must be treated as effluent and
returned to the natural environment. The student is expected to integrate
the effects of changes in water availability in terms of supply and also
the effect on its economics and the politics surrounding these changes. The Professional Science Master's (PSM) degree in Water Resource Management
consists of eight courses, an internship consisting of 150 hours working in
a professional environment and a culminating project course (PSM degree in
Water Resource Management Project) for a total of 30 units of graduate
level academic credit. Each of the classes will be taught wholly on-line
with instructors using a variety of delivery styles and methods to interact
with the students. The desired design is to complete