University of Arkansas
AC-4: Graduate Program

The doctoral program in Environmental Dynamics began in 1998 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Environmental Dynamics is the study of complex interactions between natural systems and human activity. It requires an interdisciplinary research approach and integration with the power, efficiency, and economy of advanced geospatial computing technologies. This program is unique because of its focus on interdisciplinary environmental-sociocultural study integrating state-of-the-art technologies to chart interactions of human and natural systems over time and space, emphasizing socially relevant research. These studies include natural and social impacts of global climatic change, impacts of rapid economic development on environmental quality, landscape evolution and degradation, natural hazards, watershed sciences, soil erosion and nutrient depletion. The program is an outgrowth of many years of successful research in human adaptations to past and present environments by faculty of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and collaborations among departments across the University of Arkansas. The program is staffed by faculty from the departments of Anthropology, Geosciences, Biological Sciences, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Crops, Soils and Environmental Sciences, and Rural Sociology. Faculty from other departments and colleges sharing an interest in human and natural ecology or paleoenvironmental studies also participate in the program. Associated research institutes and laboratories include the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST), the Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC), the Tree-Ring Laboratory, the Bioarchaeology Laboratory, the Archaeology and Archaeogeophysics Laboratories, the Earth Visualization Laboratory, and the Arkansas Archaeological Survey.

The Graduate Certificate in Sustainability is a 15-credit, interdisciplinary program, drawing from faculty and course work across all colleges of the University of Arkansas. The graduate certificate is accessible to all students admitted to the Graduate School, both degree-seeking and non-degree seeking, to participate in advanced study in Sustainability. The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Sustainability is to provide functional graduate-level knowledge and skills related to the emerging discipline of Sustainability organized around the four interdisciplinary systems areas.

The UA's Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology Graduate Certificate program is designed for working professionals who hold an undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree who want to expand their knowledge in their discipline and for students who are planning to work in this field when they graduate. It is also intended to benefit traditional graduate programs through additional course availability. Students may take courses without pursuing the B.S.T. certificate to strengthen their plan of study in conventional graduate degree programs.. The program serves the needs of emerging “green” energy industries and provides post-baccalaureate educational opportunities for industry practitioners who do not require a full graduate degree program. Private industry actively recruits individuals with specific training in sustainability, biomass supply chain management, and sustainable energy conversion technologies. Faculty from four institutions within the Sustainability Consortium, who have expertise in this discipline, teach the courses.