A Graduate Certificate consists of a minimum of 9 specified credits and not more than 15 credits. All of the credits must be coursework at the graduate level (500- to 700-level). A student must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or better and a minimum of a “C” in the courses required in the Graduate Certificate. Certificates may have courses in common with other graduate certificates. A student may earn more than one certificate, but a given course may be counted only in one certificate.
Guest and degree-seeking students with bachelor’s degrees are eligible to apply to participate in the Graduate Certificate Program. Students must apply for admission into the program and for the conferral of the certificate. Students must be enrolled at CSU to receive and complete the certificate requirements. Graduate certificates by title are noted on the student’s academic record (transcript). For degree seeking students this is at the time of degree conferral. The certificate title is not on the diploma.
To be considered for admission to our certificate programs, applicants must submit an online application through the CSU Graduate School. We accept applications on rolling admission.
A workforce needs assessment survey carried out by the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute concluded that:
- US organizations are ill-prepared for emerging regulatory emissions reporting;
- Carbon markets are not “up-to-snuff”; and
- Competency concerns loom with expansion of climate programs.
A set of recent reports in Nature confirmed that new international agreements will tax the capabilities of nations and organizations to carry out the supporting accounting activities.
This certificate program is designed to deliver the latest fundamental knowledge and skills to practicing environmental/sustainability professionals to enable them to advance their careers by expanding into this emerging area.
The Carbon Management certificate program can be completed through traditional, on-campus coursework or through CSU Online.
Upon completing the program, students will:
- Apply quantitative and qualitative methods to the study of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission management
- Explain greenhouse gas sources and sinks and how they might be managed
- Discuss current issues in greenhouse gas policies and climate change
- Evaluate the linkages between socioeconomic and ecological processes driving increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations
- Apply methods of conducting GHG mitigation analyses following current ISO standards
- Design, evaluate, set up, test and operate GHG information management systems and GHG assurance processes that are appropriate for specific applications and that conform to applicable standards
- Carry out basic greenhouse gas assessments using systems approaches and integrative methods, including the application of life cycle analysis and other numerical quantification tools
Additional coursework may be required due to prerequisites.
| Courses: | ||
|---|---|---|
| ESS 524 | Foundations for Carbon/Greenhouse Gas Management | 3 credits |
| ESS 542 | Greenhouse Gas Policies | 2 credits |
| ESS/ATS 543 | Global Climate Change | 2 credits |
| Select one course from the following (3-4 credits required): | ||
| ANEQ 626 | Animal Nutrition, Emissions, and Management | 4 credits |
| ESS 545 | Applications in Greenhouse Gas Inventories | 4 credits |
| ESS/ENGR 555 | Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainability | 3 credits |
| ESS/F 625 | Ecology of Forest Production | 3 credits |
| Program Total Credits = 10-11 | ||
- Apply and demonstrate the principles of the hydrologic cycle and explain complex interactions of groundwater and surface water.
- Recognize and articulate the foundational assumptions of water resource management in multiple settings (Colorado, the US and international).
- Conduct research and analysis of water data, both temporally and spatially, using spreadsheets, geographic information systems and statistical software.
- Contrast and compare water policy, laws, and regulation to assess potential changes to water management.
Three courses total, offered through the Department of Ecosystem Science & Sustainability and CSU Online, geared towards professionals across disciplines. Courses can be taken in any order. Additional coursework may be required due to prerequisites.
| Required Courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| WR 511 | Water Resource Development | 3 credits |
| OR | ||
| CIVE 544 | Water Resources Planning and Management | 3 credits |
| WR 512 | Water Law for Non-Lawyers | 3 credits |
| WR 514 | GIS and Data Analysis in Water Resources | 3 credits |
| Program Total Credits = 9 | ||
This online certificate program is designed to equip students with specialized knowledge to tackle the most pressing challenges of climate change.As a student in CSU’s online Climate Adaptation and Risk Management (CARMA) Graduate Certificate program, you will benefit from a comprehensive curriculum focused on current science-based climate adaptation strategies.
- Learn how to strategically manage natural resources for climate resilience in a program that prepares you to navigate diverse ecosystems, landscapes, and economic sectors.
- Gain a solid scientific foundation, with practical tools and contemporary methodologies to identify, evaluate, and implement climate-adaptive management and community-engagement strategies.
- Integrate ethics and social equity into policymaking
- Effectively communicate complex vulnerability assessments
- Engage in proactive risk-scenario planning
| Required Courses | 9 credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ESS 543 / ATS 543 | Global Climate Change | (2 cr.) |
| ESS 516 / NR 516 | Climate Policy and Justice | (2 cr.) |
| NRRT 517 | Climate Change Communication and Engagement | (2 cr.) |
| NR 518 | Climate Impacts and Risk Management | (3 cr.) |
| Elective Courses | 1 - 4 credits | |
| F 574 | Climate Adaptive Forest Management | (1 cr.) |
| FW 579 | Wildlife Conservation Policy—Current Events | (3 cr.) |
| NR 501 | Leadership and Public Communications | (3 cr.) |
| NR 535 | Action for Sustainable Behavior | (3 cr.) |
| NR 678 | Advanced Ecological Restoration | (4 cr.) |