**The Watershed Science Program at CSU will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in March 2008.  Click here to learn more about the history of the program and about the celebration. 

Watershed Science is the interdisciplinary study of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect the quantity, quality, and flux of water.  Such hydrologic changes have important implications for other natural resources that depend on water.  The Watershed Science Program at Colorado State University has long been recognized as the premier program in the world. 

The Watershed Science program is internationally renowned, and the completion of a graduate degree is excellent preparation for a career in governmental agencies, private industry, teaching, or research.  The strong placement record and extensive alumni network attest to the quality and relevance of the graduate program.  Employment opportunities at all levels are excellent and diverse.  Strengths of the program include a strong emphasis on field studies and an interdisciplinary approach to resource issues.  The program's focus on field work and the physical sciences complements the ecological and social emphasis of the other departments in the Warner College of Natural Resources.

Fields of Study for M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees  

• land use hydrology
• physical hydrology
• snow and alpine hydrology
• water quality
• geographic information systems
• cumulative effects
• watershed modeling

Doctor of Philosophy

The Watershed Science Ph.D. program is part of the Ph.D. program in Earth Sciences.  It is housed in the Geosciences Department.  The degree program has two formal specializations, one in Watershed Science and one in Geosciences.  Faculty members of the Watershed Science program (who have primary assignments in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship and joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences) will advise students in the Watershed Science specialization.  Faculty members in the Department of Geosciences will advise students in the Geosciences specialization.  Prospective Ph.D. students should visit the departmental websites (for FRWS faculty members click here) to identify likely advisors and contact them directly for further information about Ph.D. opportunities.  Because the degree program is officially housed in the Department of Geosciences, student applications for both specializations will be formally handled there, and admitted students will be officially enrolled through the Department of Geosciences.