Geosciences, Watershed Management Concentration

Offered by the Department of Natural Sciences

The concentration in Watershed Management is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions or for graduate school.  It is interesting, interdisciplinary and challenging.  Required coursework includes biology, chemistry, geology, geography and regional planning, as well as the core classes in watershed management.  We also recommend that you complete an internship with a government agency or private organization.  Mansfield University is an especially appropriate location for this program.  All of the following are located within our county:  diverse water chemistry; acid mine drainage impacted streams and demonstration projects to reduce their effect; varied land uses; nutrient loading of some streams from intense agriculture; interesting bedrock and geologic structure; multiple flood control / water management projects; boundary between glaciated and non-glaciated landscapes; Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geologic Survey, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and active local watershed groups; and, part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, a focus of much research and remedial work.  In short, our county is an ideal outdoor laboratory for the study of watershed management.

Program Objectives:

• Students will develop the basic observational skills they need to function as watershed specialists.
• Students will perform tests and collect data to analyze geological materials, features, and processes both qualitatively and quantitatively.
• Students will apply critical thinking skills such as inductive, deductive, and mathematical reasoning to solve geological problems using the scientific method.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to acquire and communicate scientific data, ideas, and interpretations through written, oral, visual, and digital means.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will write a coherent essay or report relating to their field of study.
• Students will properly use field equipment such as flow meters, water quality test kits, pH meters, and soil color charts. 
• Students will perform a watershed assessment and to develop a watershed protection or restoration plan.