Graduate Study

Graduate Study

North Dakota State University offers a graduate program in Natural Resources Management leading to the Master of Science degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Students choose from one of six emphasis areas and from a participating department..

M. S. and Ph.D. Programs

Through the NRM graduate program, students gain breadth in relevant planning, analysis, and management while developing depth in one of several area specialties. This approach prepares students to work on problems that require assimilation of data, methods, and strategies from many supporting disciplines. Problem recognition, definition, analysis, and resolution are the ultimate objectives. This graduate program prepares students to compete for and be productive in jobs where problems and issues reach beyond a single discipline or subject area.

Students admitted to the program have an interest in enhancing their expertise in natural resources by broadening their understanding of the complexity of interacting systems from an interdisciplinary approach and elect to pursue this degree to enhance and broaden their area of interest and expertise. This offers a unique quality to the NRM graduate degree program. While most graduate degrees are derived from a narrow focus, the NRM graduate degree takes a holistic approach to the broad complexity of interacting systems involved in the management of natural resources.

The interdisciplinary program prepares students to work on problems that require assimilation of data, methods, and strategies from many supporting disciplines. Problem recognition, definition, analysis, and resolution are the ultimate learning objectives. The program prepares students to compete for, and be productive in, jobs where problems and issues extend beyond a single discipline or subject area.

After selecting one of the six area specialties, students planning a program in Natural Resources Management choose an advisor from the faculty of one of the cooperating units:

• Agribusiness and Applied Economics

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
• Biological Sciences (Botany/Biology)
• Civil Engineering
• Earth and Climate Science
• Entomology
• Environmental Communication
• Microbiological Sciences
• Plant Sciences
• Range Science
• Social Sciences (Sociology/Anthropology/Emergency Management)
• Soil Science
• Zoology

The educational objective of the program is to provide formal training in a chosen area of specialty, appropriate course work in analytical methods, and introductions to other subject matter areas and to provide course work, research, and writing experiences in the general area of environmental problem solving.

MS Guidelines, MS Fact Sheet, PhD Guidelines, and PhD Fact Sheet contain additional information.

Visit the NDSU Graduate School website for more information on application procedures.

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