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Program Description
Natural Resources Management (NRM) in the School of Natural Resource Sciences prepares students for the environmental challenges of the 21st century. The Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) NRM degrees are interdisciplinary curricula offering a broad, systems-based approach toward managing natural resources. NRM graduates are prepared to compete for and be productive in jobs where issues reach beyond a single discipline or subject area. They have the skills necessary to address problems from holistic-ecological and global-social perspectives.
Through the NRM graduate program, students gain a breadth of knowledge in relevant planning, analysis and management areas while developing thorough knowledge in one of the six following specialty areas:
Biotic Resources Science – deals with basic scientific principles that govern the interrelationship between biotic (e.g., plants, animals) and abiotic factors (e.g., climate, soils) in major ecosystems and the use of these principles for environmentally sound management of both natural and agro-ecosystems.
Environmental Communication – is designed for environmentally oriented students preparing for careers in communications fields such as journalism, public relations, broadcast media and the internet.
Natural Resources Economics – prepares students for management, administrative, regulatory, and policy positions that require a broad understanding of natural resources management and allocation.
Physical/Earth Resources Science – leads to an understanding of the physical and chemical aspects of ecosystems. Topics of study include hydrology, water management and quality, waste management, soil properties, energy resources and land-use management.
Pollution Science – focuses on the principles and practices of managing natural resources for pollution control. Topics include the technical aspects of pollution as they relate to water, air/solids, earth/soils, and the impact of environmental pollution on the biotic factors.
Social Sciences – concentrates on human factors (social, anthropological, political) in environmental management and environmental disaster management, while recognizing constraints and opportunities presented by physical and biological factors.
Within each NRM specialty area are one or more curriculums of study developed in cooperation with fourteen different NDSU academic programs and departments. Students select a curriculum and an adviser from one of these participating units:
- Agribusiness and Applied Economics
- Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
- Biological Sciences (Botany and Zoology)
- Civil Engineering
- Communications
- Entomology
- Plant Sciences
- Range Sciences
- Earth and Climate Science
- Geosciences
- Soil Science
- Sociology/Anthropology/Emergency Management
- Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences
The educational objective of the NRM graduate program is to provide formal education in a chosen specialty area, introductions to other subject areas, appropriate course work in analytical methods, and research and writing experiences in the general area of environmental management. Problem recognition, definition, analysis and resolution are the ultimate learning objectives.
Admissions Requirements
The graduate program in Natural Resources Management is open to qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. To be admitted to the program, the applicant must:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from
an educational institution of recognized standing.
- Have adequate preparation in a specialty
area and show potential to undertake advanced study and research
as evidenced by academic performance and experience.
- Have
earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all
baccalaureate
courses
of at least 3.0 or equivalent. Students awarded a previous graduate
degree with a GPA of 3.0 or equivalent may be admitted in full
standing.
General Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores may be recommended or required of students. Consult with the NRM Program Director.
TOEFL scores are required of all international applicants. Students should consult the participating academic unit regarding these requirements.
Applications should be submitted
directly to the Graduate School. Applications should specify
Natural Resources Management
as the selected program of study.
Official transcripts (transcripts having an appropriate seal or stamp) of all previous undergraduate and graduate records must be received by the Graduate School before the application is complete. When a transcript is submitted in advance of completion of undergraduate or graduate studies, an updated transcript showing all course credits and grades must be received prior to initial registration at NDSU.
Three letters of recommendation are required before action is taken on any application. Personal reference report forms are available from the Graduate School.
Financial Assistance
Both research and teaching assistantships may be available through the participating academic units. Application for financial aid must be made directly to a department. Applicants are considered on the basis of scholarship and potential to undertake advanced study and research. Limited scholarships are available. Contact the
NDSU Student Financial Services office
for information and applications.
Degree Requirements
To qualify for the M.S. degree, the candidate must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 semester units in their selected curriculum, an oral examination and a thesis or comprehensive study paper.
To qualify for the Ph.D. degree, the candidate must satisfactorily complete a course of study of not less that 90 semester units (including 30 semester units from the M.S. degree or equivalent), both a written and an oral preliminary examination, a research-based dissertation, and an oral defense of the dissertation. In addition, the candidate presents a final public seminar based on the dissertation research.
For more specific information, please refer to the Natural Resources Management Graduate Student Guidelines available on the NRM Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/nrm/
NRM program courses are offered by NRM and the other participating academic units. These include:
Agribusiness and Applied Economics – 670, 701, 711, 739, 741
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering – 664, 682, 758, 765
Agricultural Systems Management – 654, 675
Anthropology – 658, 662, 680
Biology – 680, 750, 776, 777
Botany – 660, 671, 672, 720, 762, 764, 782
Civil Engineering – 610, 621, 672, 673, 677, 678, 679, 768, 770, 775, 776
Computer Science – 653, 658, 668, 728, 734, 737, 765
Economics – 656, 661, 670, 672, 681, 741, 743
Entomology – 610, 731, 732, 742, 750, 765, 770
Communications – 636, 642, 643, 700, 711, 725, 755, 767, 785, 786
Geosciences – 612, 613, 614, 628, 640, 650
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering – 640, 660
Microbiological Sciences –652,
654, 660, 661, 665, 674, 675, 750, 762, 770, 775, 785
Philosophy – 681
Plant Pathology – 655, 656
Plant Sciences – 653, 665, 686, 724, 734, 753, 763
Political Science – 620, 621, 642
Range Science – 650, 652, 653, 656, 658, 660, 716, 717, 765
Sociology – 603, 605, 610, 612, 613, 620, 622, 631, 639, 643, 645, 665, 700, 701, 723
Soil Science – 610, 633, 644, 647, 665, 680,
721, 733, 755, 763, 782, 784
Statistics/Mathematics – 660, 661, 662, 663, 725
Zoology – 640, 652, 654, 656, 658, 660, 662, 670, 672, 674, 675, 676, 677, 682, 750, 760, 770
NRM Courses Offered
631 NEPA & Environmental Impact Assesment 2 units - The interaction and effects of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
with national environmental policy; implementation of the NEPA; public opinion on the state of the
environment.
632 Environmental Impact Statement 2 units - A comprehensive overview of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
planning process, document preparation, and project management.
653 Rangeland Resource/Watershed Management 3 units
- Study of the management of physical/biological settings and processes along with human activities on water and watersheds considering preventative and restorative strategies in a rangeland setting.
654 Wetland Resource Management 3 units - Principles of wetland systems, management, functions, assessment and improvement. Prereq: RNG 336.
690 Graduate Seminar - Natural Resources Management 2 units - Employment of problem-based learning
on topics relating to natural resources management. Prereq:
Graduate standing.
701 Terrestrial Resources Management 3 units- Management and ecology of heterogeneous landscapes where ecosystem processes and human activities interact as dynamic components. Prereq: BOT 660 and 764, or program director approval.
702 Natural Resources Management Planning 3 units- Presentation of the principles, practices, and key policy issues of
natural resources management and planning.
720 Natural Resources Administration and Policy 2 units - A comprehensive analysis of the theory of externalities and their application to the design of natural resources policy. Prereq: Econ 681, NRM 702, or program director approval.
730 Environmental Law 3 units - Overview of the subject of environmental
law.
793 Individual Study / Tutorial 1-5 units
794 Practicum / Internship 1-8 units
796 Special Topics 1-5 units
797 Master's Paper 1 unit
798 Master's Thesis 1-10 units
799 Doctoral Dissertation 1-15 units
