River Studies and Leadership Certificate

About River Studies and Leadership Certification

Offered in partnership with the River Management Society, the River Studies and Leadership Certificate introduces students to the multidisciplinary nature of river-related professions through its unique combination of classes and real-world experiences. Participating undergraduate and graduate students complete complete coursework in science, policy, geographic information systems (GIS) and river safety; enlist in a river-based course or internship; and present research findings or a capstone project summary in person at an RMS event, such as the biennial River Management Symposium or through an article published in the quarterly RMS Journal. Students enrolled in the program have opportunities to participate in regional and national events, and receive news, resources, and jobs curated for current and aspiring river professionals.  

To learn more, please visit https://www.river-management.org/river-studies-leadership

---

What Can You Do A River Studies and Leadership Certificate?

Students who complete this certificate program have a competitive advantage in careers associated with any and all aspects of environmental education. Here are just some of their career choices:

---

Course Requirements

The River Studies and Leadership Certificate is an interdisciplinary program that combines learning about river science, geographic information systems (GIS), policy and river field experience with a chosen emphasis in one of three areas: river science, river-based policy, or river-based education, recreation and tourism. RSLC students demonstrate “real-world” application of their knowledge and skills through professional experience or an internship with a river project. The River Studies and Leadership Certificate program is structured as follows:

Core Courses (4 courses):

Students must successfully complete approved* courses in the following subjects:

• Geographic Information Systems (1 course)
• River Science (1 course)
• River Policy (1 course)
• River Safety (1 course) (Guidance)

Emphasis Courses (2 courses):

Students must take at least two approved* courses from ONE of the following emphasis areas:

• River Science
• River-based Policy and Management
• River-based Recreation, Education, and Tourism

Professional Experience Requirement

In order to enable students to become effective leaders and river professionals, one of the requirements of the River Studies and Leadership Certificate is that “learning must be applied in a professional context”.  This requirement may be met through a credit-earning internship, paid internship, paid professional experience, independent study or course-related professional experience.  The experience must encompass a minimum of 90 hours of work (or 2 credit-hours) and will be reviewed and approved by the River Studies and Leadership Certificate Committee to certify the adequacy of the experience for the professional experience program requirement.  Students with relevant, recent professional or internship experience may request that those experiences be used to fulfill this requirement. 

Oral or Written Presentation Requirement

Students are required to either present aspects of their work at either 1. an RMS Symposium, trip or conference hosted by RMS or partners, or 2. write an article for the RMS Journal about their experiences. For RMS Journal submissions, students should work with their RSLC advisors to make sure the article is consistent with Certificate requirements. In addition, articles should steer away from topics that duplicate the findings or reflections of previously-published articles. Articles may:

• Describe or report on a topic related to a research paper you’ve written or the results of a research project.
• Reflect on an immersive river course, internship, or experience attending (and possibly presenting your work at) the River Management Symposium or other RMS-sponsored events.