Master of Natural Resources Development
The overall goal of this professional Master's degree (non-thesis) program is to provide working natural resource professionals with an understanding of the interrelationships among ecology, economics, policy and culture, as factors that influence natural resource conservation and management.
The MNRD degree via distance education is currently offered through two departments: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management (ESSM) and Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (WFSC).
The research and academic programs of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management center on ecosystem science, ecosystem management, genetics and systematics, and spatial science. ESSM has a diverse faculty and active research programs in ecohydrology of managed ecosystems, ecological restoration of terrestrial and wetland ecosystems, forest and rangeland ecology and management, genetics and genomics research within an ecosystem framework, global change ecology, human dimensions of ecosystem management, spatial science research focused on ecological and natural resource issues, and urban forestry and broader urban ecosystem issues.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences similarly has a large and diverse faculty engaged broadly in research, from molecular genetics and evolutionary biology, to applied ecological studies of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and their management. The research and academic programs of WFSC center on the biology, ecology and conservation of wild vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), thus complementing the more habitat- and vegetation-oriented programs of ESSM. In addition, WFSC’s focus extends well beyond the shoreline and into the aquatic realm, both inland and marine. An important aquatic dimension of WFSC’s program is aquaculture.
Program objectives
Provide working or in-service natural resource professionals with:
- Additional academic training that supplements student's understanding of the full range of considerations in natural resources management.
- A rigorous graduate degree program that supplements job-skill requirements
- A program delivery strategy that accommodates on-the-job obligations
Requirements
As a professional Master's degree, the MNRD via distance education requires 36 credit hours of academic work. Among these, 24 hours normally will be from courses in the home department (ESSM or WFSC) and selected courses from other TAMU departments; 6 unrestricted elective credits may be applied toward the degree; and, 6 credits will be earned for a professional paper. Up to 9 credits of undergraduate 300- or 400-level courses may be included. All courses will be determined through consultation between the student and the student’s advisory committee, based on the student’s academic needs.
Up to 12 credit hours (of the required 36) for courses taken with a grade of B or better from another accredited U.S. institution may be considered for transfer credit. Any transfer work is subject to review and approval by the student’s graduate advisory committee, department head and the Office of Graduate Studies.
At the conclusion of the MNRD program, the student will be required to submit a professional paper, and take a final oral exam covering the topical area of the paper and associated studies. The exam will be held on the Texas A&M University campus (unless alternative arrangements are approved by the advisory committee).
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Acceptance into the program is limited. Applicants must hold a B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited institution, preferably in science, agriculture, engineering, or education. A minimum of 3.0 GPA in the last 60 undergraduate hours is expected; but individual exceptions can be made based on professional training and achievements beyond undergraduate study. In addition to completing the Texas Common Application, additional materials are required by the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management or by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
Distance Courses
The following distance courses are offered through the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management:
Course # Course Title/Student Credit Hours (SCH)
ESSM 624 Terrestrial Ecosystems and Global Change/Forest Policy/3
ESSM 670 Ecosystems & Markets/Economics Analysis for Forest Resource Decisions/3
ESSM 617 Urban Forestry/3
RENR 405 GIS for Environmental Problem Solving/3
ESSM 676/RENR 650 Leadership Development & Mgmt of Environmental NGOs/3
RENR 689 International Sustainable Community Development/3
ESSM 610 Rangeland Resource Management/3
ESSM 636 Range and Forest Watershed Management/3
ESSM 630 Restoration Ecology/3
ESSM 635 Ecohydrology/3
ESSM 660 Landscape Analysis and Modeling/3
The following distance courses are offered through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences:
Course # Course Title/Student Credit Hours (SCH)
WFSC 405/635 Urban Wildlife & Fisheries / 3 / Offered in Spring only
WFSC 417/617 Biology of Fishes / 4 / Offered in Spring only
WFSC 420/630 Ecology & Society / 3 / Offered in Fall, Spring and Summer
WFSC 422/632 Ethology / 3 / Offered in Fall only
WFSC 604 Ecological Modeling / 3 / Offered Spring only
WFSC 613 Animal Ecology / 3 / Offered in Fall and Spring
WFSC 616 Physiological Ecology of Vertebrates / 4 / Offered in Fall only
WFSC 618 Wildlife Study & Design/3
WFSC 622 Behavioral Ecology of Vertebrates / 3 / Offered in Summer Session I only
WFSC 647 Nutritional Biochemistry of Fishes / 3 / Offered in Fall of odd years
WFSC 681 Seminar / 1 / Offered in Fall only
WFSC 689 Principles of Fisheries Management / 4 / Offered in Fall only
For More Information
Please e-mail the following departmental contacts:
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Dr. Robert Knight (979) 845-5557 / (979) 324-6980, bob-knight@tamu.edu
Ms. Heather Halliburton (979) 862-8993, hhalliburton@ag.tamu.edu
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Dr. William Neill (979) 845-5759, w-neill@tamu.edu
Mr. Felix Arnold (979) 845-5768, fwarnold@tamu.edu
