Professional Water Studies Frequently Asked Questions

The western United States is a region with a long history of water challenges. In the American West, over 40 million people depend on the Colorado River. At the same time, the effects of climate change are adding to the challenges.

MSU Denver developed the noncredit Professional Water Studies courses for people interested in safeguarding this precious resource. Students will learn history, law, management, and water trends in Colorado and the American West.

Many industries can benefit from knowing more about water issues and solutions like small farms, wastewater, manufacturing, construction, risk management, utilities, hospitality, green and sustainable industries, law, and engineering.

U.S. Water Concerns

Water is examined as a natural and societal resource using local and national examples. Land-forms and water processes such as the hydrological cycle, watersheds, surface water, and groundwater are surveyed. Students learn about water use in early civilizations, water and culture, water quality and treatment, and water law. Water conservation and scarcity is reviewed in the context of social, legal, political, economic, and physical infrastructure that controls water worldwide

Water Law

This course surveys U.S. water law and administration. Topics include: why we need laws regulating water use; how ancient water laws influenced U.S. water law; variations of surface and groundwater law, including prior appropriation, riparian, and hybrid; international and interstate agreements and a special focus on water administration in the West.

Colorado Water and the American West

Students will study the rich history of water in Colorado and the American West. From the beginning, humans in the American West have had to contend with arid environments. This course begins with a look at how Ancestral Pueblo and other Native communities used water. Next, the course teaches Hispanic water management practices in the West before finally focusing on the American approach to water management. With Colorado as a focal point, the class will explore the fascinating tangle of federal, state, and local interests that led to one of the greatest hydraulic societies in the history of the world.

The Global Perspectives on Water Management course can be taken as a standalone course, or in addition to the Professional Online Water Studies courses. It is not included in the Certificate program, but is a great learning opportunity for anyone wanting to learn more about water issues around the globe.

Dr. Elizabeth R. McVicker is an expert in water law. She is in great demand because of her knowledge in this area. She serves on two water district boards, Center of Colorado Water Conservancy District and Headwater Authority of the South Platte, and on the Board of Coalitions and Collaboratives, an organization that advances healthy and resilient communities through collaborative conservation and restoration. She also serves as a guest speaker, panelist, and media expert for water-related events, and was instrumental in developing the One World One Water Center and the Water Studies Curriculum.

Dr. Randi Brazeau P.E., received her B.S. and M.E. degrees in Civil Engineering at the University of Florida. After working as an engineering analyst with Kimley-Horn and Associates for two years, she completed a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering – Environmental Water Resources from Virginia Tech under Dr. Marc Edwards. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at MSU Denver where she has been since 2012.

Dr. Matthew S. Makley is a professor of History at MSU Denver, where he has taught for almost 15 years. Previously he taught at Arizona State University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Native American History and the History of the American West. The University of Nevada Press published Makley’s co-authored book, Cave Rock: Climbers, Courts, and a Washoe Indian Sacred Place, in 2010. His more recent book, The Small Shall be Strong: A History of Lake Tahoe’s Washoe Indians, was published in 2018 by the University of Massachusetts Press.

There are no prerequisites required. Students do not need to hold a college degree nor have specific work experience.

Since this is a noncredit certificate, you do not need to complete a formal admissions application. You simply need to register at msudenver.edu/onlinewaterstudies.

Colorado Water and the American West, Water Law, and U.S. Water Concerns cost $475 each, with a $35 transaction fee per payment.

The two-week supplemental Global Perspectives on Water Management course costs $300, with a $35 transaction fee per payment.

No textbooks are required for any of the courses.

Many employers may pay for their employees to earn this certificate. Payment can be made by the student and reimbursed according to your employer’s rules, or the employer can pay directly for the certificate on your behalf.

Discounts for multiple students from the same organization may apply. Please contact us for more information before registering.

You will receive an automatic receipt via email once you complete the registration.

Noncredit courses and certificates at MSU Denver do not qualify for financial aid.

Unfortunately, we do not offer course waivers based upon education or experience. You must successfully complete all required courses to receive an MSU Denver certificate.

The program is designed for students to take individual courses or complete the entire certificate.

No, you can take the required courses in whatever order you would like.

No, there are no textbooks nor materials required. All material is available within the online course.

Each course is delivered entirely online, and in a self-paced format. You work through the course material as quickly or as slowly as needed. The course material is asynchronous and does not require you to login at a certain time.

Students determine the amount of time needed to master the material provided in each module. The instructor provides assistance when needed.

The course is conducted through Canvas Learning Management System. Course material includes videos from instructors, reading selections, and practical assignments and quizzes. There is no final exam required for completion.

Refund Policy: Students can receive a 100 percent refund minus a $35 registration fee if the course is dropped before the course start date. There will be no refunds after the course begins, but students can request a deferment (postponement) to the next semester.

To request a refund, email Brandy Schooler at [email protected]. If students request a refund within the policy timeframe, documentation does not need to be provided.

Deferment (postponement) Information: If a student is unable to complete a course due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances (see below), the student will be offered a deferment of registration to the immediately following semester before a refund is issued. If the registration deferment is not a feasible option for the student, a refund will be given if the below documentation can be provided.

To request a deferment after a class begins, email Brandy Schooler at [email protected] with an explanation and the official documentation – see the list below (copies will be accepted).

Documentation examples

A refund will be automatically denied for the following reasons:

• Student stopped attending before the extenuating circumstance timeline and or never engaged with the course content.
• Disputing course material, grade, or instructor.