The Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Specialization
The research interests of the School of Natural Resources water faculty are diverse and represent many components and processes of the earth’s hydrologic cycle including: atmospheric moisture transport, surface and vadose zone hydrology, groundwater, limnology, wetlands, water chemistry, isotope hydrology, contaminant transport and remediation, environmental geophysical methods, remote sensing and mathematical modeling. Research includes both field and laboratory investigations in Nebraska and the world.
Resources/Facilities
The School of Natural Resources is housed in the newly renovated Hardin Hall on UNL’s beautiful East Campus. The new building has excellent laboratory, office, and classroom facilities to support research, teaching and outreach regarding natural resources. Hydrologic Sciences students have access to a number of resources and facilities, including the Groundwater Chemistry Laboratory for inorganic water chemical and trace metal analysis, the Water Sciences Laboratory for pesticide, oxygenate and stable-isotope analysis, the Soil Environmental Chemistry and Xenobiotics Laboratory for organic contaminant, RDX and xenobiotics analyses. Students may use geophysical equipment for seismic, resistivity, and electromagnetic surveys, and borehole logging.
Our mathematical groundwater modeling capabilities include computer codes such as Visual MODFLOW, GMS, SUTRA, PHREEQC, and NETPATH and high-speed computational facilities. Through the Water Sciences Laboratory and the Conservation and Survey Division, students have access to Geoprobe® and soil probe trucks, water well and geologic test hole drilling equipment, and an extensive geologic core library. Students may also work with the Water Center, the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (in Remote Sensing / GIS), and the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Field research opportunities are available at the Rogers Memorial Research Farm, Gudmundsen Sand Hills Laboratory and a number of instrumented research sites.
Faculty Point-of-Contact
If you are interested in the Hydrologic Sciences graduate specialization, please feel free to contact the following SNR faculty member:
| Advising Faculty | Specialty Area |
| Jerry F. Ayers | Hydrogeology / Environmental Geophysics |
| Xun-Hong Chen | Hydrogeology / Groundwater Modeling |
| Steven D. Comfort | Soil Environmental Chemistry |
| Dean E. Eisenhauer | Hydrologic Engineering |
| Thomas G. Franti | Water Resource Engineering |
| Anatoly Gitelson | Remose Sensing |
| David C. Gosselin | Hydrogeology / Geochemistry |
| F. Edwin (Ed) Harvey | Physical, Chemical and Isotope Hydrogeology |
| Kyle D. Hoagland | Limnology / Aquatic Ecology |
| John C. Holz | Water Quality |
| Kenneth G. Hubbard | Meteorology / Climatology |
| J. Michael Jess | Water Law and Policy |
| Patrick J. Shea | Chemistry and Transport of Organics |
| Joseph M. Skopp | Soil Physics |
| Mary Exner Spalding | Water Quality/ Agrochemicals in Ground Water |
| Jozsef Szilagyi | Watershed Hydrology / Hydrologic Modeling |
Example Courses
- Chemistry of Natural Waters
- Contaminant Hydrogeology
- Environmental Geophysics
- Environmental Isotope Hydrology
- Hydrogeology
- Hydrologic Modeling of Small Watersheds
- Hydrology
- Limnology
- Soil Physics
- Vadose Zone Hydrology
- Water Law
- Water Quality Strategy
- Water Resources Seminar
- Wetlands
Admission Requirements
Potential SNR graduate students in this specialization must meet the following requirements and provide the requested information:
- A bachelor’s degree in a related field that includes the following preparatory course work:
- 2 semesters - Calculus (three semesters recommended)
- 1 semester - Statistics
- 2 semesters - General Physics
- 1 semester - Computer Programing (Fortran recommended)
- 2 semesters - General Chemistry
- 1 semester - Earth Science, Physical Geology, Physical Geography, or equivalent
- 1 semester - General Ecology, Life Science, Limnology or equivalent
- GRE scores of 500 verbal, 620 quantitative, and 4.0 analytical writing
- TOEFL score of 600 paper-, 300 computer- or 79 web-based (applies only to international applicants for whom English is not the first language)
- GPA of 3.0 (on a 4-point system)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
Program Requirements
Print document containing complete program requirements.
Career Opportunities
Students specializing in Hydrologic Sciences are employed in a wide variety of water related fields including watershed and surface hydrology, hydrogeology, water resources, water quality, limnology, climatology and wetland hydrology and are employed by universities, government, engineering firms, industry and environmental organizations.
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