Students entering this program are also required to have successfully completed at least 30 total credit hours of courses in engineering, physics, chemistry, geology, biology, pharmaceutical sciences or mathematics. Specifically, students must have successfully completed coursework equivalent to ISU MATH 120 (Essentials of Calculus) and ISU CHEM 121/122 (General Chemistry). Grades of "C" or better must be recorded to count toward these requirements. Students may be granted conditional acceptance based on their willingness to complete one or two missing courses as deficiencies, if they are close to meeting the admissions requirements. Such acceptance is left up to the discretion of the individual departments/colleges.
Students must also obtain admission from two academic departments/disciplines. Admission requirements vary between departments, and there may be departmental requirements beyond those of the Graduate School which the student must fulfill to gain departmental admission.
Within the framework of the basic degree requirements, an advisory committee is chosen to work with the student to create an individualized program of study. The advisory committee consists of two ISU faculty advisors, one from each of the two listed departments. The faculty member in the primary department acts as the student's major advisor and provides direction to the student regarding all relevant aspects of the program. The committee should assist the student in selecting courses appropriate for the program of study. An initial program of study must be developed and submitted to the Hazardous Waste Management Council (HWM) for approval no later than the second semester of enrollment. Changes in the initial program may be made with the approval of the major advisor. The final program of study is submitted to the HWM Council for graduation clearance. A Graduate Faculty Representative is appointed to the student's committee in the final term of study to monitor and participate in the final comprehensive exam or thesis defense.
The objective of the Interdisciplinary Studies program in Hazardous Waste Management is to allow the student to combine courses in Hazardous Waste Management with related courses in areas of primary interest. At least 30 credits are required for the degree, of which at least 15 must be at the 600 level. At least 10 credits must be completed within each of the two listed departments, with the remainder of the course work representing the Hazardous Waste Management required and elective course work. No more than 9 credits may be transferred from another university, with the exception of courses cross-listed with the University of Idaho, which will be accepted as resident credits. Thesis and non-thesis options are available for the degree. A maximum of 10 credits of research and thesis may be counted toward the degree; these credits may apply towards the 15 credits at the 600-level requirement. There are specific program-wide and department-specific requirements for the thesis and non-thesis option. Students should confer closely with their advisory committee members in deciding the most appropriate option.
Department/academic disciplines participating in the program include: Biological Sciences, Business, Chemistry, Engineering, Geology, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physics, Political Science, and Occupational Education (Occupational Training Management).
Currently a number of the Hazardous Waste Management courses are being offered only in Idaho Falls, although efforts are made to provide instruction to Pocatello students as often as possible via the telecommunications system. Many courses are instructed during evening hours. Due to these factors and the interdisciplinary nature of the program, it may be anticipated that completion of the M.S. degree may take longer than for other "traditional" M.S. degrees.
BIOS 587 Environmental Science and Pollutants 3 cr ENGR 570 Survey of Hazardous Waste Management Problems 3 cr ENGR 606 Environmental Law and Regulations 3 cr ENGR 655* Hazardous Waste Management Seminar 1 cr*Course must be completed two times in order to satisfy requirement.
BIOS 581 Independent Problems (HWM/BIOS) 2 cr BIOS 623 Soil and Groundwater Bioremediation 3 cr BIOS 624 Microbial Ecology 3 cr CHEM 535 Environmental Chemistry 2 cr CHEM 537 Environmental Chemistry Laboratory 1 cr ENVE 504 Engineering Risk Assessment 3 cr ENGR 589 Principles of Hazardous Waste Site Remediation 3 cr ENGR 606 Environmental Law and Regulations 3 cr ENVE 607 Hazardous Waste Management 3 cr ENGR 608 Waste Treatment Technologies 3 cr ENVE 609 Treatment of Radioactive Waste 3 cr ENVE 612 Treatment of Hazardous Chemical Waste 3 cr ENVE 614 Hazardous Waste Site Remediation 3 cr ENGR 659 Special Topics in Engineering Science 3 cr GEOL 520 Principles of Geochemistry 3 cr GEOL 530 Principles of Hydrogeology 3 cr GEOL 617 Environmental Geochemistry 3 cr PSCI 621 Biological Action of Chemicals 3 cr PSCI 622 Principles of Toxicology 3 cr PHYS 605 Radiological Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance 3 cr IEHS 630 Seminar in Emergency Planning and Preparedness 3 cr GRAD 720 Supervised Internship in Hazardous Waste Management 1-6 crSpecial Requirements Department of Biological Sciences:
Students who have not taken an undergraduate ecology course will be required to complete the ecology bridge course BIOS 521 prior to enrollment in BIOS 587, a required course.
All students choosing this option will be required to complete Hazardous Waste Management Problems BIOS 581, an independent study course.
Students who have insufficient background to complete the engineering course work included in the program of study will be required to take the engineering bridge course, ENGR 501.