| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 47.16 |
| Liaison | Ryan Chabot |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
University of Central Florida
AC-4: Graduate Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Yara
Watson Colon Sustainability Specialist II Sustainability Initiatives |
Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for graduate students?:
Name of the sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program:
A brief description of the graduate-level degree program:
The Conservation Biology PhD program prepares students for independent research and roles within industry, nongovernmental organizations, academia or government sectors combining biological sciences with disciplines such as economics, law, urban/rural planning, politics, communication, philosophy and environmental engineering.
The Conservation Biology PhD program provides an interface between traditional biological sciences and the areas of economics, law, urban and rural planning, politics, communication, philosophy and environmental engineering. The purpose of this training is to produce scientists capable of doing independent research and the ability to work within the broader area of environmental politics, law and economics to communicate issues of conservation biology to policy makers, the general public and industry.
Students will choose one of two specializations: Conservation Biology or Integrative Biology. The Conservation Biology Track is intended to provide the academic background necessary to begin work in industry, nongovernmental organizations or government in a leadership role applying cutting-edge principles to problem solving in conservation biology. The Integrative Biology Track embraces applied and basic research concerning ecological questions to address current concerns in the area of conservation biology. Students taking either track would be prepared to pursue an academic career.
Website URL for the graduate-level degree program:
Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (2nd program):
A brief description of the graduate degree program (2nd program):
The Master of Emergency Management and Crisis ( MECM) is designed to prepare individuals to practice as highly trained practitioners in the emergency management field through the development of core competencies including: resiliency, hazard mitigation and analysis, disaster response and recovery, emergency preparedness and planning, fiscal management, communication, intergovernmental administration, geographic information systems, legal and ethical decision making, cultural competency and diversity, and general emergency management.
The frequency of man-made and natural disasters has dramatically increased since the 1990s; emergency and disaster declarations in the U.S. reflect it. Florida is the fifth highest state with 67 major disaster declarations between 1953 and 2015 (Congressional Research Service, 2016). For communities to be prepared for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate these disasters, an educated workforce of emergency management specialists is required. Students in UCF’s Master in Emergency and Crisis Management program will learn and demonstrate the competencies required to lead and manage in this dynamic and complex profession.
Website URL for the graduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (3rd program):
A brief description of the graduate degree program (3rd program):
The Master of Science in Environmental Engineering program is for students with science, math, or a similar background, and usually requires a number of undergraduate engineering courses as articulation to become fully prepared for graduate work in environmental engineering.
Applicants to the program are expected to be knowledgeable in topics including chemistry, process design, water resources, and air pollution. The program focuses on pollution control, pollution prevention, and the correction of pollution effects on natural and man-made environments.
The program is noted for its strong faculty research interests, and areas of study include drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, atmospheric pollution control and modeling, community noise abatement, and stormwater management. The program’s overall mission is to prepare students for careers in environmental engineering with consulting firms; with industry; within federal, state, and local governments; and/or in higher education.
The program’s overall mission is to prepare students for Environmental Engineering careers in federal, state, and local governments; higher education; consulting; and industry.
Other key objectives include:
Producing graduates who have technical knowledge in critical areas of environmental engineering
Providing a professional engineering education that challenges our graduates to think critically
Forming and maintaining partnerships with industry, government agencies, and professional organizations
Developing awareness of the changing environmental needs of society and the global environment.
Website URL for the graduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused graduate-level degree programs:
Interdisciplinary Studies MA
https://catalog.ucf.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=7186&returnto=1266
Interdisciplinary Studies MS
https://catalog.ucf.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=7187&returnto=1266
Does the institution offer one or more graduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates?:
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate:
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:
The Water Resources Engineering track in the Civil Engineering MS program reflects the very broad nature of the field, which encompasses the design, construction, and enhancement of the sustainable infrastructure for society.The program’s course work focuses on water resources modeling, hydraulics and hydrology.
Water Resource faculty research interests include ecohydraulic and ecohydrologic modeling, groundwater and surface hydrology, sea level rise and other climate change impact assessments, stormwater management, tide, wind-wave and hurricane storm surge modeling, and environmental water resources management. Students completing the program find positions in consulting firms, construction and construction-related industries, in city, county, state, and federal government agencies, and academic institutions.
Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
The Environmental Engineering Sciences track in the Environmental Engineering MS program is for students with science, math, or a similar background, and usually requires a number of undergraduate engineering courses as articulation to become fully prepared for graduate work in environmental engineering.
Applicants to the program are expected to be knowledgeable in topics including chemistry, process design, water resources, and air pollution. The program focuses on pollution control, pollution prevention, and the correction of pollution effects on natural and man-made environments.
The program is noted for its strong faculty research interests, and areas of study include drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, atmospheric pollution control and modeling, environmental water resources, and stormwater management. The program’s overall mission is to prepare students for careers in environmental engineering with consulting firms; with industry; within federal, state, and local governments; and/or in higher education.
The program’s overall mission is to prepare students for Environmental Engineering careers in federal, state, and local governments; higher education; consulting; and industry.
Other key objectives include:
Producing graduates who have technical knowledge in critical areas of environmental engineering
Providing a professional engineering education that challenges our graduates to think critically
Forming and maintaining partnerships with industry, government agencies, and professional organizations
Developing awareness of the changing environmental needs of society and the global environment.
Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Program Description
The Graduate Certificate in Urban and Regional Planning is designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and career development in the field of community, urban and regional planning.
Planning has been identified as one of the key policy issues in central Florida, which is a major growth area in the state.
Curriculum
The Urban and Regional Planning graduate certificate requires 18 credit hours of courses, including 12 credit hours of required courses and 6 credit hours of elective courses.
Total Credit Hours Required: 18 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor’s Degree
Required Courses: 12 Credit Hours
Students must achieve a grade of “B-” (80%) or better in every course. Grades ‘C’ or lower cannot be used to fulfill certificate requirements. Students must maintain a program of study and graduate status GPA of 3.0 or higher and can only graduate with a graduate status GPA of 3.0 or higher.
PAD 5336 - Introduction to Urban Planning 3 Credit Hours
PAD 5337 - Urban Design 3 Credit Hours
PAD 5338 - Land Use and Planning Law 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6716 - Information Systems for Public Managers and Planners 3 Credit Hours
Restricted Electives: 6 Credit Hours
Choose two courses from the following list.
PAD 5356 - Managing Community and Economic Development 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6316 - Planning Methods 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6387 - Transportation Policy 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6397 - Managing Emergencies and Crises 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6353 - Environmental Planning and Policy 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6825 - Cross-Sectoral Governance 3 Credit Hours
PAD 6847 - Planning Healthy Communities 3 Credit Hours
Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other graduate-level, sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.