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.
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:
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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.
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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.
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The applicant will be required to submit:
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A completed application including a statement indicating the student's interests and professional goals.
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Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended.
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GRE score is NOT required for admission.
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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.
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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
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
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.
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.
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All students must complete the core courses of the program.
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At least two (2) statistics courses are required for the program.
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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.
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Two (2) seminar courses are required.
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The remaining six (6) credits should be met through elective courses that are approved by the Associate Director or Graduate Coordinator.
Core Courses |
||
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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
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 |
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).