The Freshwater and Marine Sciences certificate provides UW-Madison undergraduates from any major or college the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in the fields of freshwater and marine sciences. Freshwater and marine ecosystems are vital to human well-being – they support vast biodiversity and provide drinking water, protein, and livelihoods to people worldwide. Both freshwater and marine systems are also highly threatened. Creating a sustainable future will require people with a foundational understanding of these ecosystems.
While many Freshwater and Marine Sciences certificate courses have a strong biological focus, the certificate emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the aquatic sciences and incorporates courses that span the physical and biological sciences and their application to real-world problems. he certificate provides an opportunity for students interested in areas such as environmental science, ecology and evolution, natural resources management, environmental chemistry, public policy, public health, and social justice to incorporate water-related themes into their degree program.
The Freshwater and Marine Sciences certificate is housed in the Department of Integrative Biology in the College of Letters and Sciences, and includes courses from a broad range of departments including Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Botany, Geoscience, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and more. The Freshwater and Marine Sciences certificate is part of a statewide program called the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.
