C-NSPIRE Certificate Program

Program Overview | Certificate Requirements | Certificate Application

Admission Requirements | Required Classes  |  Capstone Experience 

|  Transcript Record

 

Certificate Requirements

Our goal is to develop among the students a critical scientific understanding of the elemental cycles and, in particular, to understand how scientific research informs policy needed to address environmental and global change issues.

This certificate provides a wide array core skills for graduate students through a progression of courses that facilitate an interdisciplinary understanding of nitrogen and carbon cycle science, the modeling of dynamic, complex systems as they relate to pressing environmental issues, and the important role of the policy-making process as society attempts to address these issues.

Particular attention is paid to developing student communication skills so that they are more able to bridge the gap between biophysical science and policy creation and implementation. Therefore, students and their advisors will also be required to attend and present information at brown-bag discussions regarding research and policy activities on campus.

For additional questions about the certificate program, please contact us at cereo@wsu.edu.

Capstone Experiences

Each student must participate in a capstone experience as a final component of the certificate program. Students should work with their advisors to identify an appropriate capstone experience.  Upon completion, all students must submit a record of their capstone experience  in the form of:

1. A two-page summary of your capstone experience, including the dates, activities, and major accomplishments of this experience, and
2. One photograph of you during your capstone experience that we can share with other C-NSPIRE faculty and students and the WSU Colleges.

Note that limited funds are available to support travel, stipends, and other financial costs associated with these experiences on a competitive basis.

See Rebecca Evans’ Capstone Experience!

 

Students interested in securing financial support for their experience must:

1. Discuss the capstone experience with their primary advisor, then
2. Fill out the C-NSPIRE Capstone Experience Application and return it to Julie Padowski (julie.padowski@wsu.edu) at least one semester prior to when the funds would be needed.

General questions about the capstone experience can be directed to cereo@wsu.edu.  Specific questions about the application form should be sent to Julie Padowski julie.padowski@wsu.edu

Official Transcript Record

Students interested in having a record of their participation in this certificate program included on their official transcript need to complete the Application for Graduate Certificate form and return it to Julie Padowski julie.padowski@wsu.edu one semester prior to your intended graduation date.  Students will be assessed a one-time certificate fee by the Graduate School.