Following in the footsteps of Wisconsin alumni like Gaylord Nelson and John Muir, our students become catalysts for change as managers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and scholars.
The Nelson Institute programs are appropriate for people with a broad variety of natural and social science backgrounds, including resource planning and management, earth sciences, biological sciences, engineering and design, landscape architecture, geography, economics, sociology, and many other fields. For students with a keen interest in the environment and for those who plan to work as environmental professionals, we provide a distinctive interdisciplinary education.
The Environmental Studies Certificate Program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to broaden their studies through course work related to the environment. Please visit the Undergraduate Environmental Studies Certificate web pages for more information about our undergraduate opportunities.
Students at the graduate level can pursue interdisciplinary studies through master's and Ph.D. degrees and special graduate-level certificate programs. Students interested strictly in biological aspects of conservation for their graduate work will find that other programs at UW-Madison (ie. Botany, Wildlife Ecology, Zoology) might better suit their needs.
We also seek applicants with "real world" experience in aspects of environmental studies. Applications with a background in fields not related to the environment but who have a strong interest in environmental problems may be admitted if a compelling application is presented.
For an overview and introduction to graduate study in the Nelson Institute check out our "Where Environmental Leadership Begins: Graduate Study at The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies" slide show.
The Nelson Institute has three graduate degree programs:
five graduate-level certificates, Ph.D. minors in all of our programs and certificates and additional opportunities for graduate students:
Please use the links below to learn about the application process for the Nelson Institute graduate programs and graduate-level certificates.