The UNH Graduate Certificate in Citizen and Community Science offers students and professionals the opportunity to develop competencies in both the theory and practice behind robust and authentic citizen and community science projects in a natural resource management setting.
Why get a graduate certificate in citizen and community science?
The emerging fields of citizen science and community science have expanded in recent years, providing new connections between scientific research and community decision-making. With the expansion of the use of and opportunities for citizen and community science, dedicated study through a graduate certificate enables students to focus on conducting robust and authentic citizen and community science projects. It will help students understand both the theory and practice behind this work, including best practices for effective design of projects and teams including data management and sharing, partnering with volunteers, audience motivation and engagement, and issues of social justice in citizen science.
Why study citizen and community science at UNH?
UNH houses extensive research and partnership infrastructure to support students and professionals with interests in conducting robust and authentic citizen and community science projects. This graduate certificate provides a bridge across existing UNH graduate course offerings paired with the significant applied expertise found in UNH Cooperative Extension and New Hampshire Sea Grant. Those who complete the certificate will be prepared for a range of careers, given the focus on preparing students to work in and interact with a variety of organizations.
Potential career areas
- University teaching/research
- Community engagement through science
- Cooperative Extension (bridging academic and community settings)
- Non-profit sector community science coordinator
- Natural resource management
- Science education
- Environmental consulting
Curriculum & Requirements
The UNH Graduate Certificate in Citizen and Community Science offers students the opportunity to develop competencies in both the theory and practice behind robust and authentic citizen and community science projects in a natural resource management setting. This certificate is appropriate for a wide range of students and professionals with interests in developing competencies related to project design and implementation, best practices for effective projects and teams, volunteer engagement, methods for data sharing, and issues of social justice in citizen science. The certificate can be pursued as a stand-alone credential or in concert with another degree at UNH. Part-time and hybrid pathways through the certificate are available.
The Citizen and Community Science Certificate requires a minimum of 12 credits made up of one required core class, a seminar requirement, at least six credits of electives, and one required practicum.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GRAD 834 | Fundamentals of Citizen and Community Science | 3 |
| MARI 801 | Coastal Resource Management and Policy Seminar (to be taken twice) | 1 |
| MARI 901 | Resource Management and Policy Practicum | 1 |
| Two Electives 1 | 6-8 | |
Select one natural science, social science, or engineering course from the following: | ||
CEE #822 | Introduction to Marine Pollution and Control | |
CEE 833 | Public Infrastructure Asset Management | |
CEE 858 | Stormwater Management Designs | |
ECON 908 | Environmental Economics: Theory and Policy | |
ECON 909 | Environmental Valuation | |
ESCI 871 | Positioning for Ocean Mapping | |
ME 817 | Marine Robotics and Applications | |
MEFB #825 | Marine Ecology | |
MEFB #872 | Fisheries Biology: Conservation and Management | |
NR 843 | Addressing Arctic Challenges I | |
OE 854 | Ocean Waves and Tides | |
OE 857 | Coastal Engineering and Processes | |
OE 858 | Design of Ocean Structures | |
PHP 902 | Environmental Health | |
PPOL 904 | Economics for Public Policy | |
PPOL 908 | Quantitative Methods for Policy Research | |
RAM #867 | Social Impact Assessment | |
RECO 808 | Environmental Economics | |
SOC 825 | Social Demography | |
SOC 830 | Communities and the Environment | |
SOC 901 | Sociological Methods I: Intermediate Social Statistics | |
SOC #904 | Sociological Methods IV: Qualitative and Historical Research Methods | |
Select one resource management course from the following: | ||
BIOL 950 | Scientific Communication | |
GRAD 844 | Fundamentals of Stakeholder and Community Engagement in Natural Resource Management | |
MARI 805 | Introduction to Coastal and Marine Policy: Understanding US Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Policy | |
MEFB 847 | Aquatic Plants in Restoration/Management | |
MEFB #872 | Fisheries Biology: Conservation and Management | |
NR 803 | Watershed Water Quality Management | |
NR 824 | Resolving Environmental Conflicts | |
NR 947 | Ecosystem Science: Theory, Practice, and Management Applications for Sustainability | |
PA 804 | Policy and Program Evaluation | |
PPOL 904 | Economics for Public Policy | |
RAM #867 | Social Impact Assessment | |
RAM 911 | Natural and Environmental Resource Management | |
- 1
See advisor about additional course options.
Deadlines
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
- Fall: August 15 (preferred July 1)
- Spring: December 15 (preferred December 1)
- Summer: N/A
- Special: N/A
Application fee: $25
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: No
Accelerated Masters Eligible: No
New Hampshire Residents
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.
Transcripts
If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.
If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
- Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
- Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.
Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Required
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
Personal Statement/Essay Questions
Please prepare a statement of no more than two pages outlining:
- The reasons you wish to pursue a graduate certificate in this field of work, including how you see the certificate advancing your career interests.
- Your specific academic or professional interests and experiences related to the certificate focus area and how they prepare you for success in this program.
Resume
A current resume is required with your submitted application.
Important Notes
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.
International Applicants
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.
