Au Sable Certificate Programs

Au Sable’s certificate programs help you bridge the gap between your college education and your next steps as an environmental professional. Whether you want to restore ecosystems, track wildlife, teach outdoor programs, or use GIS to shape environmental policy, our certificates provide hands-on training, career-aligned coursework, and pathways to professional credentials.

Prepare for your environmental career—before you graduate!

Whether you’re drawn to wildlife, wetlands, forests, or environmental education, Au Sable’s field-based certificates offer specialized training to help you move confidently into your first job or graduate program.

Our certificates combine immersive field coursework with hands-on experience and clear pathways to professional roles and recognized credentials in environmental science and conservation.

Au Sable offers seven career-oriented certificates

Explore career-aligned programs and find the right fit for your career goals. Each tab includes:

  • Program overview and learning outcomes

  • Sample careers and entry-level job titles

  • Certificate requirements and course options

  • Connection to professional certifications

  • Restore ecosystems. Rebuild resilience. This certificate prepares students to support restoration projects, manage invasive species, and monitor habitat recovery using science-based methods. Learn more!

  • Use maps and policy to drive change. Gain experience with geospatial tools and environmental law to support conservation planning, permitting, and data analysis roles in agencies or advocacy groups. Learn More!

  • Teach, interpret, and inspire through nature. Learn to design and lead environmental education programs while gaining species ID skills and teaching practice. Ideal for parks, nature centers, and outdoor education careers. Learn more!

  • Manage landscapes with ecological insight. Train in forest management, plant ID, GIS, and hydrology to support sustainable land use and conservation goals in public, private, or nonprofit sectors. Learn more!

  • Conserve aquatic life and water systems. Develop expertise in aquatic ecology, fish sampling, stream assessment, and water quality. Ideal for fisheries technician and hydrologic monitoring roles. Learn more!

  • Protect and assess our most vital ecosystems. Train in wetland identification, delineation, and permitting. This certificate prepares you for regulatory, consulting, and conservation work in wetland science. Learn more!

  • Track and study biodiversity in the field. Become skilled in population monitoring, wildlife observation, and ecological fieldwork. Ideal for students pursuing wildlife biology, conservation science, or research assistant positions. Learn more!

How it Works

Earn a certificate in just one summer! Each certificate includes 3–4 Au Sable courses (typically 12–14 credits, 270–315 contact hours). Students study during May term, Summer I, Summer II, or online. Click here for a suggested pathways to complete a certificate in one summer.

Build your résumé with applied skills! Certificate coursework integrates field methods, species identification, data analysis, and professional tools like GIS, restoration planning, and environmental education.

Connect to real careers! Each certificate links to specific job titles and professional certifications to help you prepare for a defined career pathway in environmental science.

No transfer credits needed. You must complete all courses through Au Sable (minimum grade = C). Certificates are stackable, meaning you can earn more than one with careful course planning.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CERTIFICATES in 2026

Au Sable is excited to offer a $1,000 certificate grant to any student who commits to pursuing one of our new certificates! To be eligible, students must:

  • Declare their intent to pursue a certificate on their Au Sable application

  • Enroll in three courses that contribute toward the chosen certificate

Special Opportunity for Alumni! Au Sable alumni who wish to return and complete a certificate by taking one or two additional courses are eligible for $350 certificate grant per course.

Pathways to Professional Credentials

Our certificates are aligned with real-world credentials from leading environmental organizations:

  • Certified Wildlife Biologist® (The Wildlife Society)

  • Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner-in-Training (SER)

  • GISP / Pre-GISP (GIS Certification Institute)

  • Wetland Professional-in-Training (SWSPCP)

  • Environmental Educator Certification (NAAEE/MEECS Pathways)

See individual certificate pages for more information.

Apply Now!

Enrollment opens October 1. Certificates are open to students enrolled in partner colleges and other institutions. Apply through your home institution or contact admissions@ausable.org.

Next Steps