The EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) Environmental GIS Associate of Applied Science degree provides the student with a foundation in the natural sciences and a firm understanding of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The student will complete courses in life, physical, and geospatial sciences while gaining necessary skills to work in remote wilderness environments. General education requirements are designed to encourage the student to develop critical and creative thinking, communication, and writing skills. The geospatial thinking component of the program helps the student develop the skills to effectively collect, map, manage, and analyze data. The foundation gained from this program will prepare the student to address and mitigate complex environmental problems. Employment opportunities in this field are vast and include the energy industry, state government, conservation non-profits, wildlife biology, avalanche forecasting, wildland firefighting, and federal agencies such as the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Parks.
The student in this program will complete course work at the CWC Lander Center, CWC Alpine Science Institute, on public lands in the Wind River Mountains and Wind River Basin, and online.
| Course Number | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1080 | Intro to Environmental Science | 4 |
| CHEM 1000 | Intro to Chemistry | 4 |
| CMAP 1200 | Computer Information Systems | 3 |
| CPED 1000 | Co-Op Work Experience I: | 3 |
| OR | ||
| ENR 2050 | Environmental Field Methods | 3 |
| EHS 2500 | Environmental Compliance Technology | 3 |
| ENGL 2002 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENR 2040 | Environmental Regulatory Agencies | 1 |
| ENR 2425 | Mountain Environments | 4 |
| GIST 2310 | Intro to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GIST 2410 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GIST 2110 | Techniques in Cartography | 4 |
| OR | ||
| GIST 2140 | Survey of Remote Sensing Applications | 4 |
| GIST 2135 | Applied GPS for GIS | 3 |
| GIST 1200 | Geospatial Foundations | 4 |
| MATH 1000 | Problem Solving | 3 |
| OEAC 2025 | Wilderness Navigation | 1 |
| REWM 1300 | Intro to Water Resources | 3 |
| SOIL 2010 | Introduction to Soil Science | 4 |
General Education requirements provide students a general knowledge to help them complete a degree at CWC.
| Writing Level I (WR1) | 3 credits |
| American & Wyoming Government (POLS 1000) | 3 credits |
| MATH/APPM/LSCI | (in program) |
| Student must complete six (6) credits of general education courses distributed over two (2) different general education areas, one of which is either WR2 or ORAL. | |
| ARTS/HUM/IT/ORAL/SOC/WR2 | (in program) |
| UNST | 1 credits |
The EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) Environmental GIS Certificate I combines hands-on training in environmental field methods with classroom instruction in environmental, geospatial, and physical science. The student will exit the program with a firm foundation in the field of environmental science and Geospatial Information Systems. This certificate will prepare the student to enter the professional realm with improved technical skills to work in the following industries: energy and natural resources, state government, conservation non-profits, wildlife biology, wildland firefighting, avalanche forecasting, and federal agencies such as the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Parks. Courses from the EHS Environmental GIS certificate program can be applied towards completion of either an Associate of Science in Expedition Science and/or towards the AAS in EHS Environmental GIS.
The EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) Environmental GIS Certificate II combines hands-on training in scientific field methods, mapping, and outdoor skills. The student will exit the program with an introduction to the field of environmental science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), so they can enter the professional realm with improved technical skills. Employment opportunities in this field are vast and include the energy industry, state government, conservation non-profits, wildlife biology, wildland firefighting, avalanche forecasting, and federal agencies such as the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Parks. Courses from the EHS Environmental GIS certificate program can be applied towards completion of either an Associate of Science in Expedition Science and/or towards the AAS in EHS- Environmental GIS.
Students in the EHS Environmental GIS program can receive credit, and professional work experience while participating in backcountry camping expeditions across Wyoming and the world.
If you have an interest in expedition science, environmental science, geospatial information systems technology (GIST), or outdoor education we recommend you live in Lander, WY or in our student housing at the Alpine Science Institute at Central Wyoming College.
Jacki Klancher has been an educator for more than 20 years. Originally from Patricia, Alberta Canada, Klancher has been at CWC for more than 10 years as a professor and she was integral in launching the Interdisciplinary Climate Change Expedition. This undergraduate research program has allowed her to integrate the classroom component of the EHS Environmental GIST and Expedition Science programs with wilderness travel and adventure.
INSTRUCTOR OF GIS AND EXPEDITION SCIENCE
Mara grew up in Lander, Wyoming and loves finding ways to connect students to their local environments and communities. She teaches GIS, environmental science and geography, and she helps facilitate and teach summer backcountry research expeditions.