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Sustainable Military Lands Management Graduate Certificate

12
Credits to Earn Your Certificate
95%
CSU Online Grad Students Secured Plans Related to Their Career
93%
Grad Students Would Choose CSU Online Again
$498M
In research expenditures in FY23
Certificate Overview Open Accordion
CSU's online land management certificate

Earn a military land management certificate online

Enroll in one of the few online certificate programs in the country of its kind to learn the breadth and complexity of military land resource management. The Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Military Lands Management (SMLM) was designed for both civilian and military land management professionals. Gain the knowledge and skills to work with the rapidly evolving practices, technologies, and analytical tools necessary to support conservation and sustainable management of natural and cultural resources on Department of Defense lands.

Why study military land resource management?

The demand for highly skilled and educated environmental professionals to manage military lands is rapidly increasing. Military lands are critical assets for training and testing exercises, but they also contain diverse and often rare natural and cultural resources that must be protected. Managing and sustaining these lands requires knowledge of ecological concepts and new technical and communication skills in a wide range of natural and cultural resource areas.

In this program you will:

  • Gain an overview of military lands in the United States in historical, geographical, and environmental contexts.
  • Learn general practices and theory of land management and cultural anthropology.
  • Study the ecological principles of military training and testing, and learn about the disturbances caused by these activities.
  • Explore cultural resource laws, policies, management, and preservation as they apply to military lands.
  • Prepare to lead stewardship-related matters on military lands.

Gain knowledge and credentials for career trajectory

Earning your military land management certificate online can lead to job opportunities and career advancement in a wide array of federal and state land resource management agencies. The skills and credits you earn can help you gain entry into the field, or get promoted within an agency with which you already work.

Study on a flexible schedule

Courses for this program are delivered online and are available worldwide to anyone with access to the Internet. The online format allows you to participate in class discussions and assignments when it's convenient for your schedule. Canvas, CSU's online learning platform, provides user-friendly access to course materials, discussion groups, assignments, exams, chat, and other learner services.

Although this online certificate program offers flexibility, it still requires the same amount of work and time as an on-campus program. It is recommended to spend nine to twelve hours per week on a three credit course, on activities such as:

  • Downloading and reviewing instructor notes
  • Completing assigned and optional readings
  • Communicating with instructors and students via blogs, threaded discussions, and email
  • Completing individual or group projects
  • Studying for exams
  • Taking exams
  • Writing course-related papers
Learning Experience Open Accordion

When you take this program's conservation and land management courses online, you can study at any time and location convenient for your schedule.

The SMLM certificate allows you to work with experts in the field and tenured professors with years of experience. Draw off current research and literature in this field of study and network with other professionals with backgrounds in this area.

This certificate is offered through a partnership with the Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR), which is leading course development through the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML). As Colorado's land-grant institution, Colorado State University is recognized as a national leader in graduate education for the disciplines of natural resources, cultural resources, and environmental science.

WCNR has traditionally worked closely with federal land management agencies (e.g., U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service) in the professional development of their workforce. As part of the College, the Department of Forest, Range and Watershed Stewardship (FRWS) and the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands house extensive applied research and management expertise in conservation and sustainability of Department of Defense (DoD) lands.

Faculty Open Accordion

The faculty who teach in the Sustainable Military Lands Management graduate certificate program bring a wealth of knowledge to courses, with specialties ranging from watershed management and modeling to cultural resources management.

Dr. William W. Doe

Dr. William W. Doe

Dr. William (Bill) Doe has taught a broad range of courses in physical and cultural/regional geography, water resources, land use planning, and environmental studies for the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, NY), Western Illinois University, and Penn State University. He is a former military engineer and environmental geographer with research and applied expertise in military lands management, watershed management and modeling, renewable energy, and sustainability practices for universities and federal installations.

Dr. Doe is currently employed at the University of Colorado-Boulder, in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, where he coordinates external research opportunities with federal and state agencies, and industry partners. From 2010-2014 he was the Chief Executive Officer of Veterans Green Jobs, a Denver-based non-profit providing employment for veterans in the renewable energy, energy efficiency, and natural resources conservation sectors. He also previously held positions as Associate Dean for Research in the Warner College of Natural Resources at CSU, and as a senior research scientist/scholar and Associate Director with the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) at CSU.

Dr. Doe served on active duty for 22 years as an Army Corps of Engineers officer with assignments in civil works, water resources management, combat engineering and environmental R&D. While on active duty, he was on the faculty as Academy Professor and Program Director of Geography and Environmental Studies at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point.

He is an active member of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) and volunteers for veterans' organizations. He received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Military Academy and advanced degrees from the University of New Hampshire and Colorado State University. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on military lands management, including Modern Military Geography (Routledge Press, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-415-87095-5).

Robin Rothfeder

Robin Rothfeder is an Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Policy in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at CSU. Robin's classes use social-ecological challenges and opportunities as the focal point for engaged, interactive learning experiences. His teaching in the MNRS program focuses on environmental impact analysis as governed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). His research covers two broad topics: (a) collaboration in social-ecological systems, and (b) water resource planning, policy, and management. In both areas, he takes an interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach aimed at meeting real-world community needs.

Robin has a diverse interdisciplinary background, including undergraduate degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Economics from the University of California-Berkeley, as well as a master’s degree in Environmental Humanities and a PhD in Ecological Planning from the University of Utah.

Danny C. Reinke, PhD

Dr. Reinke has more than 20 years of NEPA experience working for private consulting firms and for DoD and other federal agencies. Currently he works at Edward AFB, CA where he is a Senior Environmental Scientist for NEPA and Natural Resources issues.

Before coming to Edwards AFB he worked for the Army National Guard at both the installation and NGB headquarters level where he developed the initial NEPA guidance for the Army National Guard. Dr. Reinke received a BS in Biology/Chemistry from Southwester Oklahoma State College (1973) and a MS in Botany (1975) and PhD in Plant Ecology (1980) from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Reinke is a member of numerous national and international environmental organizations and is the senior author of two books. “The NEPA Reference Guide” 1999 Battelle Press and “Endangered Species, Legal Requirements and Policy Guidance” 2001 Battelle Press both coauthored with Lucinda Low Swartz.

Curriculum Open Accordion

Military land management courses online

Students must complete 12 credits to earn the Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Military Lands Management (SMLM). Courses are offered on a regular semester basis using a 16-week format, with one lesson offered each week. It is recommended that you begin the program by completing NR 550 first.

Note: This certificate may have courses in common with other graduate certificates. A student may earn more than one certificate, but a given course may be counted only toward one certificate.

If you plan to take any combination of NR 550, NR 551, NR 552, and NR 567, you may be interested in the Graduate Certificate in Applied Global Stability: Natural Resources.

How to Apply Open Accordion

Application Deadlines

Fall semester July 15
Spring semester November 15
Summer semester April 15

Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.

Apply Now

1Review Admission Requirements

The online Sustainable Military Lands Management graduate certificate requires that students have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

2 Complete Online Application

Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received.

  • Select "Sustainable Military Lands Management (Certificate) – Distance" when choosing the Program of Study. (Note: You must first select "Certificate" at the top.)

3 Submit Transcripts

Request one official transcript from the institution where you earned your bachelor’s degree. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required.

Electronic (preferred):
Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial.

Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.

Mail (if necessary):
Graduate Admissions
Colorado State University – Office of Admissions
1062 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

Check Your Application Status

View your application status at any time to ensure your application checklist is complete or to check on updates.

Once your complete application, including supporting materials, is received, the department admission committee will review your application and notify you of their decision.

For International Applicants

Proof of English language proficiency is required for applicants from countries or United States territories where there are official languages other than (or in addition to) English. This includes the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Learn more about English language proficiency requirements.

Questions?

We love learning about your goals and answering any questions you have.

Morgan Parsley
Prospective Student Support Coach
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Program Details

Courses
Online
Credits
12
Tuition
$726 per credit
Same in-state tuition for all.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships Tuition/fees are just part of the cost to attend CSU. Learn more about the full Cost of Attendance
Certificate Awarded
Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Military Lands Management
Time Frame
3 semesters
Admission Reqs.
  • Undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution.

Application Dates

Fall semester
July 15
Spring semester
November 15
Summer semester
April 15

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