Learn with us
We’re building the future workforce the world needs through our innovative programs and certificates.
We offer educational opportunities for every stage of learner — whether you’re just starting out, or decades into your career. Our natural infrastructure certificate is meant for graduate students who would like to certify their expertise in natural infrastructure, while our shortcourses are held several times a year on focused natural infrastructure topics, and attract workers from around the country at all stages of their careers.
Our fully funded graduate programs offer another level of involvement with IRIS: they provide the opportunity to join our team in Athens, Georgia and contribute to meaningful research, all while completing a paid graduate degree. Want to help support our students? Donate below.
IRIS COURSES AT UGA
Fundamentals of Natural Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions (ENVE 8310)
Fundamentals of Natural Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions, ENVE 8310, 3 Hours
Offered every fall semester.
Description: What is natural infrastructure? What are nature-based solutions? What purpose do they serve? How do they work? How does science and engineering inform their design, construction, and operation? How does current policy shape, enable, and constrain their use? These and other questions will be addressed in this graduate course, one of the requirements for the new Natural Infrastructure Graduate Certificate.
The White House defines nature-based solutions as: “Actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges, simultaneously providing benefits for people and the environment.” In 2022, President Biden issued Executive Order 14072 that included commitments for “deploying nature-based solutions to tackle climate change and enhance resilience.” A diversity of public and private organizations in the US and around the world are advancing and implementing these approaches to achieve a range of purposes and benefits.
The course will introduce students to the concepts, theories, and applications of natural infrastructure (NI) and nature-based solutions (NbS) at multiple scales, including site, watershed, and regional scales. Students will be presented with the best available information on innovative use of natural processes and systems to support sustainable and resilient systems and multi-purpose benefits (social, environmental, and economic) in different upland, riverine, coastal, and infrastructure contexts. The course will also provide students with knowledge on the integration of design, engineering, ecological, and economic perspectives in planning, implementing, and adaptively managing NI and NbS that work in harmony with conventional infrastructure and human systems.
Instructors:
Todd S. Bridges, Ph.D.
Office: Boyd 708C Email: todd.bridges@uga.edu
Brian P. Bledsoe, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
Office: STEM2 3214 Email: bbledsoe@uga.edu
Engineering Design of Natural and Hybrid Infrastructure (ENVE 8320)
Engineering Design of Natural and Hybrid Infrastructure, ENVE 8320, 3 Hours
Offered every spring semester.
This immersive engineering design course will equip students with natural infrastructure design concepts and their applications in riverine and coastal settings. Students will have access to state-of-the-art information, exploring the essence, relevance, and practical implementation of engineering and ecological design principles to enhance infrastructure performance, efficiency, and benefits across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Design projects will be a core component of the course, offering students the opportunity to actively contribute to real-world projects that utilize natural infrastructure in both riverine and coastal contexts.
Field Experiences in Natural Infrastructure (ENVE 8330)
Field Experiences in Natural Infrastructure, ENVE 8330, 1 Hour
Offered every fall and spring semester.
Experiential, field-based course covering various topics related to the planning, design, and execution of natural and hybrid infrastructure for water resources, civil, and environmental systems. Students explore these topics through fieldwork components, engaging in hands-on activities and gaining practical experience through observing and analyzing interactions of natural and conventional infrastructure.
NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
Want to engineer a better future for people and nature, and get paid to do it?
Join us in the Classic City of Athens, Georgia, home to an amazing music scene, an abundance of delicious restaurants, fun bar life, and classic southern living, for a fully funded Master’s or PhD program in all things nature-positive infrastructure.
Thanks to our partners at Ducks Unlimited, we are now offering the Natural Infrastructure Fellowship, a paid Master’s program that funds students to conduct practice-oriented research on natural infrastructure methods and engineering guidance. This includes contributing to the field through tool development, cost and economic analysis, monitoring and adaptive management, and uncovering social dimensions of climate resilient infrastructure.
We also offer other funded Ph.D. and Master’s positions depending on research needs and availability. Reach out to our team or check the job board to learn about potential positions.
PROFESSIONAL courses
We believe we can have the most impact by offering educational opportunities in natural infrastructure for people at all stages of their career, whether they’re just starting out or a seasoned practitioner.
You can find the locations, times and topics for upcoming short courses below, as well as browse past IRIS short courses, by clicking on the title of each project.
Register Now: Nature-Based Solutions (NBS): Planning, Design & Construction Course (Fall 2026)
NAtural Infrastructure Certificate
Become a certified natural infrastructure expert.
In fall 2024, the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) and the UGA College of Engineering School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering (ECAM) launched the Graduate Certificate in Natural Infrastructure. The certificate equips graduate students with the skills and expertise necessary to address complex infrastructure challenges using nature-based solutions and Engineering With Nature® principles. The curriculum emphasizes integration of natural and conventional infrastructure, alignment of engineering and natural processes, interdisciplinary collaboration and problem solving, and systems thinking.
IRIS students gain experience in the nature-infrastructure nexus through a diverse combination of field, classroom and professional experiences.
