M.S. Marine Conservation and Resource Management

What is Marine Conservation and Resource Management?

The Master in Marine Conservation and Resource Management graduate program provides students with advanced, science-based training to protect and manage vital marine ecosystems.  Through interdisciplinary coursework, hands-on projects, and internships with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and environmental firms, students gain the academic knowledge and professional skills necessary to contribute to the sustainable management of marine resources. Designed to accommodate working professionals and prepare graduates to make an immediate impact in the fields of:

conservation planning

fisheries and wildlife management

restoration ecology

marine spacial planning

environmental statistics

Coursework

For the most accurate and official program requirements, please consult the Graduate Bulletin. Website information is for general reference only and may not reflect recent updates.

▼   Minimum Requirements for Admission

Applications for Fall admission are due by June 1 of each year.

Enrollment normally begins in the fall semester; however spring admissions will be considered on a case by case situation. In addition to the general admissions requirements of the Graduate School, minimal requirements for admission in full standing to the MS Program in Marine Conservation and Resource Management are:

  • A baccalaureate degree in a discipline related to marine sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and engineering) or conservation biology (economics, sociology) from an accredited four year college or university.

  • An undergraduate minimum grade-point average of 3.0 overall (4.0 point system). In exceptional cases, applicants with at least a 2.5 GPA on all undergraduate work OR at least a 2.75 GPA on the last 60 hours of graduate work may be considered.

  • The applicant will be required to submit:

    1. A completed application including a statement indicating the student's interests and professional goals.

    2. Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended.

    3. GRE score is NOT required for admission.

      • You may optionally submit your GRE scores if you wish for them to be considered as part of your application to any graduate program in the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences.

▼   Required Credit

Required Credit 
A minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of course credit beyond the baccalaureate degree is required for students pursuing an MS degree.

Details about the curriculum are provided on the following collapsible lists.

▼   Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit
A maximum of twelve (12) credit hours of graduate courses taken at another accredited university in the same (or closely related) subject as that of the masters program may be considered as part of the MS degree requirements at USA.

  • Only grades of "A" or "B" or "S" may be accepted as transfer credits.
  • The School's Associate Director or MCRM Graduate Coordinator will evaluate transfer credit
▼   Time Limit

Time Limit

All requirements for the MS degree must be completed within 2.5 years from the date of matriculation.

A student who has not satisfactorily completed a M.S. degree within the 2.5 year period must apply for a defined extension to complete the degree. 

The request must be recommended by one of the following:

  • Major Professor
  • Director, Associate Director or Graduate Coordinator
  • Director of Graduate Studies

The request must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School

Failure to complete the degree within the defined extension period may result in a recommendation of dismissal by the Director of Graduate Studies to the Graduate Dean.

▼   Program Completion Requirements

A key element of the program is completion of one of the following. The requirements for these options are below:

1) Participation in a Professional Internship

We recommend that students pursue the internship route in order to develop professional experience. To fulfill the requirements of the program by performing an internship, a student must perform an internship of approximately 6-month duration working 20 hours a week (approximately 480 hours of internship) in the field of Marine Conservation and Resource Management. 

2) Completion of a Capstone Research Project

In some cases, students may opt for a capstone research project. A capstone project provides an opportunity to go more in depth on a topic to address the complex problems facing marine and coastal systems. With the help of a faculty mentor and the Graduate Coordinator, a student pursuing the capstone project will design and perform a project to resolve a problem related to conservation and/or resource management. The project shall result in a paper of modest length (about the length of a journal article). 

3) Fulfilling Requirements for an Approved Graduate Certificate

Graduate certificate tracks must be approved by Graduate Coordinator. These require the completion of key courses in each discipline.

Students may complete a graduate certificate and an internship or capstone but are not required to do so.

Course work taken towards a graduate certificate may count towards elective and directed studies requirements with approval from the Stokes School of Marine & Environmental Sciences Associate Director or Graduate Coordinator.

▼   Coursework
  • All students must complete the core courses of the program. 

  • At least two (2) statistics courses are required for the program.

    • If you did not have statistics as an undergraduate, ST 540 or other statistics course approved by the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences Associate Director or Graduate Coordinator must be taken. 

  • Two (2) seminar courses are required.

  • The remaining six (6) credits should be met through elective courses that are approved by the Associate Director or Graduate Coordinator. 

Core Courses

Course Number

Course Name

Credit Hours

MAS 510

Oceanography and Marine Bio

3

ENS 520

Natural Resource Management

3

MAS 521

Marine Conservation Biology

3

SY 567

Environmental Sociology

3

Statistics Courses (Select 2)

Course Number

Course Name

6 hours

MAS 560

Mar Exp Eco

ST 540

Stat in Research I

ST 550

Environmental Statistics

ST 560

Applied Design & Analysis of Experiments

Seminars 

Course Number

Course Name

Credit Hours

MAS 592

Seminar

1

GIS 501

Responsible Conduct of Research

1

Directed Studies

Course Number

Course Name

Credit Hours

MAS 594

Directed Studies 

4

Select two elective courses, at least one must be outside MAS to fulfill interdisciplinary requirement of program

▼   Electives 

 

MAS Elective Courses 

Select two courses, one of which must be outside MAS.

Course Code

Course Name

MAS 525

Chemical Ecology

MAS 551

Quantitative Methods in Fisheries in Ecology

MAS 555

Fisheries Oceanography

MAS 560

Mar Exp Ecol

MAS 575

Marine Ecosystem Modeling

MAS 581

Advanced Marine Ecology

MAS 583

Field Marine Science I

MAS 584

Oceanographic Experience

MAS 588

Field Marine Science II

MAS 590

Special Topics

MAS 601

Physical Oceanography

MAS 602

Chemical Oceanography

MAS 603

Geological Oceanography

MAS 604

Biological Oceanography

Non-MAS Elective Courses

Course Code

Course Name

BLY 520

Biometry

CE 579

Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering

CH 514 &CH 514L

Environmental Chemistry with Lab

ENS 521

Environmental Policy

ENS 590

Special Topics

GIT 520

Computer Applications in Earth Sciences

GIT 560

Remote Sensing II

GIT 561

Environmental GIS

GIT 562

Web Mapping & Online GIS Applications

GIT 563

GIS for Business and Urban Analysis

ST 540

Stat in Research I

ST 545

Stat in Research II

ST 550

Environmental Statistics

PHA 643

Molecular and Cellular Toxicology

  

▼   Capstone or Internship

Although an internship is recommended to develop professional experience, in some cases, students may opt for a capstone research project

Internship

A student must perform an internship of approximately 6-month duration working 20 hours per week (approximately 480 hours of internship) in the field of Marine Conservation and Resource Management.

Capstone

A capstone project provides an opportunity to go more in depth on a topic to address the complex problems facing marine and coastal systems. With the help of a faculty mentor and the Graduate Coordinator, a student pursuing the capstone project will design and perform a project to resolve a problem related to conservation and/or resource management. The project shall result in a paper of modest length (about the length of a journal article).