Program Objectives
The directed training WATER program will motivate and produce highly qualified researchers and environmental practitioners in aquatic and watershed sciences to meet the global demand for the evolving field of environmental research sector employees. The vision of the WATER program is similar to that of a MBA or PSM (Professional Science Masters) program, for which graduates are recognized for their advanced experiences and training skills and employers have an expectation of the readiness of graduates for the workforce.
The WATER program will help satisfy an increasing demand for trained graduates, and reduce any transition time by improving the technical, professional, and business skills of graduates. Employers will recognize and demand WATER graduates knowing that the value-added technical and professional training has been combined with exceptional research and practical experience that surpasses graduates currently leaving traditional academic research programs.
The WATER program provides fundamental interdisciplinary research and professional skills that enable applicants to enter the workforce with exceptional technical and professional training in the aquatic sciences. The training options of the WATER program will have broad appeal to both participant students and future employers. It will provide graduates with:
- an interdisciplinary skill set and advanced level of understanding and communication essential for the interface of science and community;
- experience in the development of collaborative solutions and approaches to address emerging environmental issues; and
- opportunities to apply information from the learning modules and adapt their new professional science skills from within their traditional research projects as well as courses on techniques and subjects outside of their focused research area. Graduates from the WATER program would be pre-trained environmental researchers and practitioners, a group that makes up 66% of the current workforce in this field (ECO Canada 2010).
The training program includes both short-term and long-term objectives. The short-term objectives are to:
- Meet immediate science needs by developing applied projects with partners that are focused on developing solutions to real world problems using environmental technologies in aquatic ecology, hydrology, ecotoxicology, and environmental chemistry.
- Provide directed training in professional science skills through technical training courses and exchanges within academia, industry, or government research groups to top calibre students.
- Provide cross-training in a number of disciplines, thereby gaining a broad aquatic environmental science culture.
- Provide innovative multidisciplinary applied courses and workshops that will provide HQP with a fundamental understanding of science education, dissemination, and communication.
The long-term objective (i.e. program outcome) is to deliver a new cohort of aquatic and environmental scientists, possessing remarkable interdisciplinary knowledge and experience, with the tools and understanding needed to solve the environmental challenges and crises related to global water resources.
