One of the many strengths of UW Online Collaboratives and its partner campuses is the synergy and expansive learning opportunities it offers students looking to continue their education.
For Annissa Derbique, a recent master’s degree graduate from UW-Green Bay, this synergy is what helped her discover the 100 percent online UW Online Collaboratives Biodiversity Conservation and Management graduate certificates while she was enrolled in another program.
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When she was about halfway through her in-person Environmental Science and Policy program, which she completed through UW-Green Bay, Annissa decided to take several courses from the Biodiversity Conservation and Management program, some of which counted toward her master’s.
“I didn’t want to just stop and completely switch over [to Biodiversity Conservation and Management], but I did like the courses that were offered,” she says. “And I thought, ‘Well, I’m really interested in these two certificates, and I think I can fit all the courses in before I graduate.’ So that’s kind of how I decided I was going to get these two because they pertained to what I was going for with my career goal. There were a couple of courses that didn’t substitute [for courses in my master’s degree program], but I did want to work toward those certificates.”
She received two stackable graduate certificates: Conservation Data Management and Analysis and the Foundations of Biodiversity Conservation and Management. Each certificate requires the completion of three courses.
“I thought the certificates would be really useful in my field,” she says. “I’m more on the ecology and restoration side of things. So, it really helped with brushing up on the statistics side of it and data analysis because that’s always important in research. Especially being on the thesis track [of my master’s degree program], it really helped me bring those skills over to my research and be able to use them that way.”
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Annissa has always had a passion for the environment. She has bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and biology, with an emphasis in ecology and conservation.
“That’s always kind of been my passion all the way leading up,” she says. “It was just nice to be able to get more into the analysis part of it [in the graduate certificate] and get more into better restoration techniques. They talk a lot about field safety.”
Annissa now works as an ecological restoration technician, a role that she balances with teaching.
“I do a lot of invasive plant species control, planting, seedings, mapping of different areas and stuff like that,” she says. “And through UWGB, I teach chemistry labs, which is fun.”
Annissa enjoyed her time in the Biodiversity Conservation and Management graduate certificate program so much that she’s now working as a tutor for one of the courses. She tutors for BCM 705: Conservation Research and Monitoring, which she completed last spring. BCM 705 requires students to work with statistics and learn the R programming language, which can be challenging.
“A lot of people who are enrolled right now are people coming back to college,” Annissa explains. “Maybe they’ve never done these programs before, and R is new to them. If you’ve never done programming, it’s kind of scary to think about. I think the professors do a good job explaining how it works. If you don’t have R on your computer, we have a virtual lab that is free to use.”
As a tutor, Annissa helps students virtually with their assignments.
“If they’re struggling with a code, they can send you a screenshot, or they can send you their individual file,” she says. “Or, if they want to meet online, they can share their screen and show me exactly what they’re doing.”
The assignments in BCM 705 gradually build into a group project and a final project in which students can apply what they have learned. The projects offer students the opportunity to study their topics of choice.
“It’s kind of cool because I get to learn about their specific interests as well,” Annissa says. “If they’re into bumblebees or spiders or birds, they form their own project based on that.”
As her career progresses, Annissa says she sees herself continuing in her field position or moving to a full-time teaching role.
“It’s kind of nice because I could almost get the best of both worlds if I do choose that teaching path,” she says.
As a recent graduate, Annissa notices parallels between her students’ experiences and what she recalls from her own.
“I wasn’t a student all that long ago myself,” she says. “I just graduated with my master’s last spring. It’s interesting being on the other side of it just because it’s new to me. But I try to teach in a way of what I would have wanted if I were a student. I think about, ‘If I were a student, what do I need to make sure that I would understand it? Would I enjoy this?’ Especially chemistry – it’s not a lot of people’s first choices, if I’m being honest. I will try to make it fun.”
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Many students also work full-time outside of school, but find flexibility in the program’s online format.
“They might have a job during the day, and I do too,” she adds. “So we’re both available generally in the evenings. Maybe if you’re younger, the evening doesn’t sound too appealing to meet [with a tutor], but if you both have jobs during the day, students are [likely to say] ‘Yeah, I’ll meet at 6:00 p.m.’”
It also benefits students who cannot physically travel to a college campus.
“Some students have said they like the format, especially if they’re coming back to school. They say: ‘I have a full-time job, and I don’t live in Green Bay, or I don’t live near one of the UW [campuses]. I don’t have to worry about leaving my job.’ It’s nice to have that option so you can go higher in your education and not have to choose between your job or going to school.”
If students are wondering if the program is right for them, especially after earning an in-person bachelor’s degree through a traditional college campus, Annissa encourages them to give it a try.
“I think if people are worried about an online format, don’t worry about it,” she says. “It’s very flexible. You still get pretty quick communication with the instructors, at least my experience being in the courses with them and now being a TA for it. You get that feedback you need. You get the help you need, and they’re there to help you. And if you’re coming back to it from a different program or a completely different field, it’s good that you’re trying to expand your knowledge. I wouldn’t be nervous. You can take the leap. It’ll be fine.”
For students who are considering graduate-level education, Biodiversity Conservation and Management further offers them the opportunity to work toward one or more stackable graduate certificates without committing to a full master’s degree program. To earn the master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Management, students must complete all three graduate certificates and a capstone project.
“You can commit to a certificate,” Annissa says. “And then maybe from there decide, ‘Do I want to complete the whole thing?’ So that’s really nice. If you’re not sure, you can start with a certificate and be like, ‘OK, I do like this,’ and then apply for the whole thing.”
Are you interested in the Biodiversity Conservation and Management program? Contact an enrollment adviser today to learn more about which path is right for you.