Prospective Graduate Students

Graduate Program Coordinator: Dr. Russell Congalton
E-mail: russ.congalton@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-4644
Office: 217 James Hall

The Department of Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire offers a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources with options in six areas, Forestry, Water Resources, Soil Science, Wildlife, Environmental Conservation, and General Natural Resources.

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The M.S. in Natural Resources Degree Program

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Admission Requirements
What the Program Involves
Program Requirements
Teaching and Research Facilities

Introduction

Natural Resources has a primary objective to provide people with the knowledge and skills necessary to become future leaders in the stewardship of the world's natural resources. Our faculty, representing a wide range of disciplines and interests, is committed to an interdisciplinary approach to natural resource education, and many participate in at least one of the other departmental programs. Faculty members have successfully obtained grants in support of their research from many sources, including the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, National Science Foundation, N.H. Fish and Game, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state agencies, private corporations, and many others. Faculty and their graduate students participate in regional, national, and international professional meetings and have published extensively in national and international journals. Faculty typically supervise no more than 5 graduate students at any one time, so there will be a great deal of personal attention to your interests and scholastic development.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are expected to have completed either an undergraduate degree in a field related to the option they are interested in pursuing, or show adequate preparation in basic courses that support that option. Otherwise, qualified students who lack background courses may be admitted to the program provided they are prepared to correct the deficiencies.

Environmental Conservation: students are expected to have adequate preparation in their area of interest.
Forestry: students are expected to have adequate preparation in forestry or related biological sciences, and/or an undergraduate degree in forestry.
Soil Science: students are expected to have adequate preparation in chemistry and mathematics, as well as biological or earth sciences.
Water Resources: students are expected to have adequate preparation in chemistry and mathematics, as well as biological or earth sciences.
Wildlife: students are expected to have adequate preparation in biological sciences, chemistry and mathematics.
General Natural Resources: students are expected to have adequate preparation in general natural resources including biology, ecology, and social sciences.

Prior to submitting an application, applicants should contact one or more potential graduate faculty advisors to discuss programs and funding, and secure a commitment on the part of a faculty member to serve as graduate advisor. Environmental Conservation is the only option with an application deadline, which is March 1 for fall admission. All other options have a rolling admission.

What the Program Involves

Each graduate student develops a unique program of study within the general framework of the Natural Resources M.S. degree program. The Natural Resources M.S. program has three components: required specified course work, required elective course work, and thesis research. The first required course, Approach to Research, focuses on the scientific process, hypothesis formulation, methods development, and proposal writing. The second required course is any of a number of "quantitative" science courses. In addition, graduate students in the department are required to participate in a Natural Resources Seminar, and to improve their instructional skills by serving as a teaching assistant for at least one semester in one of the department's many undergraduate courses. Students are required to complement their academic program with graduate-level courses that provide skills needed to complete the research project or advance the student's career objectives. Students typically take 16 semester hours in 4-6 courses to meet this requirement.

Finally, each student completes a research project and writes a thesis. The project is developed in consultation with and is regularly reviewed by the student's major advisor and an advisory committee. Members of this advisory committee may be drawn from other faculty in the Department of Natural Resources, faculty in other departments in the University, or members of relevant, external research organizations. The major advisor helps students select an appropriate advisory committee. M.S. research projects do not have a fixed term; however, they typically span periods of 1-2 years, in addition to time spent on academic activities.

Program Course Requirements

NR 903 - Approach to Research; 3 credits
One course in Quantitative Methods
NR 993 - Seminar; 1 credit (a "hot topics" seminar)
NR 996 - NR Education; 1 credit (teaching assistance in one course)
NR 899 - Thesis (6 credits)* or NR 998 - Directed Research Project (4 credits)**
One course in Ecology, preferably with a field component (requirement of EC option only)

A total of 30 credit hours is needed to complete a master's program. Additional coursework is to be chosen by the graduate student, in conjunction with the major professor and the student's advisory committee.

* The thesis option will provide a research-based thesis that is the foundation for a peer-reviewed publication.

** The directed research option shall consist of original research designed and conducted, culminating a scholarly paper that is suitable for publication in the respective field of scholarship.

Research and Teaching Facilities

A wide range of field-oriented teaching and research is conducted on University-owned lands that are managed by the Department of Natural Resources' Office of Woodlands and Natural Areas.
A necropsy lab is available for instruction and research-related activities.
The wildlife program maintains a teaching collection of skins, hides and skulls of most New England mammals and birds.
The New Hampshire Water Resource Research Center (WRRC) is an institute that serves as a focal point for research and information on water issues in the state and region, and is housed in the Department of Natural Resources.
Jackson Estuarine Laboratory features well-equipped facilities for conducting research in a variety of topics related to marine science. The laboratory also provides diverse education opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to learn research and analytical skills.
The Complex Systems Research Center research and graduate education programs strive to foster interdisciplinary approaches to define and solve problems of global and regional environmental change.
The department administers and maintains its own computer lab to support research and teaching activities, which includes ten PC-based workstations, a projector and a printer. All computers include MS Office, statistical, and GIS software.

Related Graduate Programs at UNH

Resource Administration and Management: this is an interdisciplinary program and M.S. candidates can be enrolled either in the Department of Natural Resources or the Department of Resource Economics. Students may specialize in management of publicly and privately owned natural resources or in administration of natural resource laws and policies.
Master of Arts in Environmental Education: this M.S. degree program is for K-12 teachers, environmental educators, related professionals, and individuals wishing to enter the field, sponsored by the UNH Department of Education and Natural Resources in conjunction with UNH Continuing Education.
Cooperative Doctoral Program: the Department of Natural Resources also participates in the Natural Resources and Earth System Science Ph.D. Program (NRESS), an inter-departmental degree offered at UNH.

Application procedure

Prior to submitting an application, applicants should contact one or more potential graduate faculty advisors to discuss programs and funding, and secure a commitment on the part of a faculty member to serve as graduate advisor. Once you have this verbal commitment, request an application from the Graduate School, (603) 862-3000.

Brook On your application to the Natural Resources Master's program, you must indicate the option you wish to be considered for: Environmental Conservation, Forestry, Soil Science, Water Resources, Wildlife Ecology, or General Natural Resources.

Environmental Conservation is the only option with an application deadline, which is March 1 for fall admission. All other options have a rolling admission.

Graduate School: Admissions Regulations & Policy
Graduate School: Registration Information & Policy

Information for International Students

Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must provide TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 computer-based) is required for admission. GRE’s test scores are required and may be submitted with your application. If you are currently a non-U.S. citizen living outside the U.S., you are required to complete a pre-application form, which can be found at the Graduate School's International Information web site.

The average cost for a foreign student is approximately $30,000 per year, which includes tuition, fees, room and board, and other living expenses. Unfortunately, financial aid for foreign students is very limited.