Freshwater scientists focus on the scientifically sound management of natural and constructed water systems, ensuring equitable and productive use while sustaining biodiversity and freshwater availability. By combining expertise in water resources, social systems, and technology, they develop solutions to the challenges facing freshwater ecosystems through conservation practices and sustainable management strategies.
Freshwater and marine systems are deeply interconnected, making freshwater sciences an essential foundation for those interested in marine science or oceanography. Rivers, lakes, and groundwater feed the oceans, influencing coastal pollution, nutrient cycles, and ecosystem health. Climate change affects both freshwater and marine environments, highlighting the need to study water systems from their sources to their broader environmental impacts in order to fully understand global water dynamics.
At the nation’s only School of Freshwater Sciences, students gain a comprehensive education in freshwater ecosystems, human and environmental health, aquatic research, and climate science, while learning to apply science to shape policy and drive real-world solutions. Understanding the interconnections within water systems—from rivers and lakes to groundwater—is crucial for managing both freshwater resources and their broader environmental impacts.
Students choose from two specialized tracks:
Aquatic Science Track
This track focuses on the science behind aquatic systems, exploring the biology, chemistry, and physics that shape freshwater environments. Students have the chance to take courses in fish health and management, aquatic ecology, limnology, hydrology, and water quality monitoring, all while learning about the health of ecosystems, biodiversity, and how humans impact freshwater systems.
Water Policy Track
This track explores water management through economics, law, and policy. Students learn how water resources are managed, study environmental law, and understand the role of public policy and sustainability in protecting water. Courses cover topics such as environmental issues, analysis, and the economics of water use, equipping students with the skills to influence the future of water policy.
Degrees in Freshwater Sciences also open doors to professional roles in business, government, non-profit organizations, and graduate studies in freshwater, marine, and environmental sciences. Hands-on experiences in research labs, state-of-the-art facilities, and internships prepare students to tackle real-world water issues, from water quality analysis and ecosystem monitoring to policy development and resource management.
Requirements
Students must earn a minimum of 120 credits to complete the BS in Freshwater Sciences degree. Students in this program must complete at least 30 credits in residence at UWM and must maintain an average of at least 2.00 in all 300-level and above courses in the freshwater sciences major.
General Education Requirements (GERs)
UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s degree. Some of the requirements of your program, including Foundation Courses, fulfill the campus GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.
Foundation Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO SCI 150 | Foundations of Biological Sciences I (satisfies GER-NS+) | 4 |
| BIO SCI 152 | Foundations of Biological Sciences II (satisfies GER-NS+) | 4 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 104 | General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis | 5 |
| COMPSCI 202 | Introductory Programming Using Python | 3 |
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies GER-SS) | 3 |
| MTHSTAT 215 | Elementary Statistical Analysis (satisfies QL-B) | 3 |
| MATH 213 | Calculus with Life Sciences Applications | 4 |
| or MATH 231 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | |
| Total Credits | 31 | |
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FRSHWTR 101 | Elements of Water | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 120 | Preparing for a Career in Freshwater Sciences | 1 |
| FRSHWTR 201 | The Water Environment | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 202 | Life in Water | 4 |
| FRSHWTR 391 | Water and Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 392 | Water, Energy, Food, and Climate | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 361 | Introduction to Environmental Data Systems | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Chemical Hydrogeology | ||
| Water Quality | ||
| Environmental Surface Hydrology | ||
| FRSHWTR 660 | Professional and Capstone Planning | 1 |
| or FRSHWTR 662 | Thesis Research Planning and Proposal Development | |
| FRSHWTR 661 | Undergraduate Capstone | 3 |
| or FRSHWTR 663 | Undergraduate Research and Thesis | |
| GEOG 215 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30-31 | |
Aquatic Science Track Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PHYSICS 120 | General Physics I (Non-Calculus Treatment) | 4 |
| or PHYSICS 209 | Physics I (Calculus Treatment) | |
| Electives | ||
| Choose at least 9 credits from the following list, including at least 3 FRSHWTR credits: | 9 | |
| Topics in Freshwater Sciences: | ||
| Exploration of Inland Seas | ||
| Ecology and Evolution of Freshwater Organisms | ||
| Sanitation and Sustainability | ||
| Water Pollution, Technology and Management | ||
| Calculating Nature | ||
| Molecular Level Tools to Understand Larger Scale Change | ||
| Introduction to Sensing Networks | ||
| Sustainable Design for Community Development | ||
| Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics | ||
| Quantitative Freshwater Analysis | ||
| Environmental Health of Freshwater Ecosystems | ||
| Economics, Policy and Management of Water | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Freshwater Sciences Practicum: (Topic: Brew City Aquaponics) | ||
| Field Experimentation and Analysis in Freshwater Sciences | ||
| Analytical Techniques in Freshwater Sciences | ||
| Introduction to Stable and Radioactive Isotopes | ||
| Fish Nutrition and Physiology | ||
| Fish Health | ||
| Fisheries Management | ||
| Cost-Benefit Analysis for Environmental Resource Decisions | ||
| Applied Water Statistics and Data Manipulation | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Introduction to Climate Science | ||
| Air-Pollution Meteorology | ||
| Atmospheric Thermodynamics | ||
| The General Circulation and Climate Dynamics | ||
| Statistical Methods in Atmospheric Sciences | ||
| Seminar in Atmospheric Radiation and Remote Sensing | ||
| Data Analytics | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Limnology I | ||
| Principles of Stream Management and Restoration | ||
| Introduction to Energy, Environment and Sustainability | ||
| Remote Sensing: Environmental and Land Use Analysis | ||
| The Water Environment | ||
| Watershed Analysis and Modeling | ||
| Geographic Information Science | ||
| Water Quality | ||
| Physical Hydrogeology | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical and Computational Modeling | ||
| Climate Change, the Environment and Human Health | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
Electives
With the help of their academic advisor, students will select electives to complete the 120 total credits required for the degree. Electives are tailored to each student’s interests and career goals. Students may choose a related area of specialization outside of the Freshwater Sciences by completing any minor or interdisciplinary certificate offered by UWM, typically comprised of 18-22 credits. In some cases, students may choose to study two related areas, or they may complement a certificate or minor with other courses of interest.
Water Policy Track Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| FRSHWTR 393 | Water Law, Policy, and the Environment | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose at least 9 credits from the following list, including at least 3 FRSHWTR credits: | 9 | |
| Topics in Freshwater Sciences: | ||
| Politics and Policy of Sustainability | ||
| Sustainable Design for Community Development | ||
| Environmental Health of Freshwater Ecosystems | ||
| Economics, Policy and Management of Water | ||
| Cost-Benefit Analysis for Environmental Resource Decisions | ||
| Applied Water Statistics and Data Manipulation | ||
| Environmental Politics | ||
| Data Analytics | ||
| Geographic Information Science | ||
| Intermediate Geographic Information Science | ||
| Economic Statistics | ||
| Intermediate Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to Econometrics and Data Science | ||
| North American Environmental History | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Electives
With the help of their academic advisor, students will select electives to complete the 120 total credits required for the degree. Electives are tailored to each student’s interests and career goals. Students may choose a related area of specialization outside of the Freshwater Sciences by completing any minor or interdisciplinary certificate offered by UWM, typically comprised of 18-22 credits. In some cases, students may choose to study two related areas, or they may complement a certificate or minor with other courses of interest.
Aquatic Science Example Pathway
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
| FRSHWTR 120 | Preparing for a Career in Freshwater Sciences | 1 |
| CHEM 100 | Chemical Science | 4 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to College Algebra (QLA) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 101 | Introduction to College Writing | 3 |
| Humanities GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| FRSHWTR 101 | Elements of Water | 3 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry | 5 |
| MATH 115 | Precalculus | 4 |
| BIO SCI 150 | Foundations of Biological Sciences I | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 3 | ||
| FRSHWTR 202 | Life in Water | 4 |
| CHEM 104 | General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis | 5 |
| MATH 213 | Calculus with Life Sciences Applications | 4 |
| BIO SCI 152 | Foundations of Biological Sciences II | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| FRSHWTR 201 | The Water Environment | 3 |
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research | 3 |
| MTHSTAT 215 | Elementary Statistical Analysis (QLB) | 3 |
| 1st semester World Language | 4 | |
| Arts GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 5 | ||
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics (SS) | 3 |
| COMPSCI 202 | Introductory Programming Using Python | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 361 | Introduction to Environmental Data Systems | 3 |
| 2nd semester World Language | 3 | |
| GER OWC-B | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| FRSHWTR 392 | Water, Energy, Food, and Climate | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 391 | Water and Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 120 | General Physics I (Non-Calculus Treatment) | 4 |
| FRSHWTR 464 | Chemical Hydrogeology | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 7 | ||
| FRSHWTR 660 | Professional and Capstone Planning | 1 |
| GEOG 215 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| AS Elective | 3 | |
| AS Elective | 3 | |
| Humanities GER | 3 | |
| Additional Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| FRSHWTR 661 | Undergraduate Capstone | 3 |
| Social Science GER | 3 | |
| AS Elective | 3 | |
| Cultural Diversity GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Water Policy Example Pathway
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
| FRSHWTR 120 | Preparing for a Career in Freshwater Sciences | 1 |
| CHEM 100 | Chemical Science | 4 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to College Algebra (QLA) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 101 | Introduction to College Writing | 3 |
| Humanities GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| FRSHWTR 101 | Elements of Water | 3 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry | 5 |
| MATH 115 | Precalculus | 4 |
| BIO SCI 150 | Foundations of Biological Sciences I | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 3 | ||
| FRSHWTR 202 | Life in Water | 4 |
| CHEM 104 | General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis | 5 |
| MATH 213 | Calculus with Life Sciences Applications | 4 |
| BIO SCI 152 | Foundations of Biological Sciences II | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| FRSHWTR 201 | The Water Environment | 3 |
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research | 3 |
| 1st semester World Language | 4 | |
| MTHSTAT 215 | Elementary Statistical Analysis (QLB) | 3 |
| Arts GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 5 | ||
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics (SS) | 3 |
| COMPSCI 202 | Introductory Programming Using Python | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 361 | Introduction to Environmental Data Systems | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 393 | Water Law, Policy, and the Environment | 3 |
| 2nd semester World Language | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| FRSHWTR 392 | Water, Energy, Food, and Climate | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 391 | Water and Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 464 | Chemical Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GER OWC-B | 3 | |
| Social Science GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 7 | ||
| FRSHWTR 660 | Professional and Capstone Planning | 1 |
| GEOG 215 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| WP Elective | 3 | |
| WP Elective | 3 | |
| Humanities GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| FRSHWTR 661 | Undergraduate Capstone | 3 |
| WP Elective | 3 | |
| Additional Elective | 3 | |
| Cultural Diversity GER | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Freshwater Sciences BS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Freshwater Sciences BS program will be able to:
- Describe the intricacies of aquatic life and ecological interactions within the physical environment.
- Examine and analyze the interconnectedness of biological, ecological, physical, climate, and economic systems related to water.
- Analyze the hydrologic cycle, including atmospheric, surface, and groundwater dynamics, and address water quality concerns.
- Examine chemical and biogeochemical interactions within global earth systems and water management.
- Engage in multidisciplinary data collection, analysis, and communication, utilizing various methodologies including geographic systems, modeling, sampling, and genomics.
Accelerated Program Option
This program is offered as part of an accelerated graduate program. For more information, see Accelerated Graduate Degrees.
This fast-track program enables high-achieving students to begin their mater's degree in their senior year of the freshwater sciences program. Up to 21 credits can be applied toward both a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree. The five-year program consists of 3.5 years in undergraduate status and 1.5 years in graduate status.
To be considered for admission to the Graduate School prior to completing their bachelor's degree, students must meet the minimum criteria for admission established by a Freshwater Sciences, MS: Aquatic Science (Professional) or Freshwater Sciences, MS: Water Policy (Professional) program, and the Graduate School. Students must also be in progress to complete 105 bachelor's credits prior to their first term as a graduate student.
Once admitted to the accelerated graduate program, you must meet the academic standards of the Graduate School.
How It Works
- Meet with your undergraduate academic advisor during your 5th semester to determine your eligibility for the program.
- Meet with the graduate program manager to discuss the accelerated graduate program and the application process by the end of your 5th semester.
- Apply to the graduate program between the end of your 5th semester and the start of your 6th semester. This application process will include a one-to-two page personal statement and letters of recommendation from faculty who can speak to your critical thinking and writing skills, and your ability to manage an increased workload. Students must also be in progress to complete 105 bachelor's credits prior to their first term as a graduate student.
- If your program of study is approved, work with your undergraduate advisor to register for two graduate-level courses (6 credits) in your 7th semester. Note: to earn credit for these courses, you must receive a grade of "B" or better.
- You will be a graduate student and pay graduate school tuition your 8th semester.
School of Freshwater Sciences Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.500 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.