18VAC145-30-60: Course requirements

The education required pursuant to subdivision 1 of § 54.1-2206.2 of the Code of Virginia must include the following:

1. For a bachelor's or graduate degree to be approved by the board, it shall, at a minimum, contain coursework in the following:

a. Biological sciences, including courses such as general biology, botany, or zoology; general ecology; plant, animal, aquatic, or wetlands ecology; invertebrate zoology; taxonomy; marine science; fisheries biology; plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, or plant morphology; relevant environmental sciences; and similar courses;

b. Physical sciences, including courses in soils, chemistry, hydrology, physics, geology, sedimentology, oceanography, coastal processes, environmental engineering, and similar courses; and

c. Quantitative sciences, including courses in math, computer sciences, basic statistics, population dynamics, experimental statistics, and similar courses.

2. The applicant must have successfully completed a course of instruction, of a minimum of 32 hours, in state and federal wetland delineation methods that includes the proper identification of vegetation, soil, and hydrology indicators and a field component.