Program Director:          Dr. Shawn DeKeyser
Program Location:         School of Natural Resource Sciences, Morrill Hall 205
Telephone Number:       (701) 231-8180
Degrees Offered:            Ph.D., MNRM, M.S.
Application Deadline:     International applications are due May 1 for fall semester and August 1 for spring and summer semesters. Domestic applicants should apply at least one month prior to the start of classes.
English Proficiency        TOEFL ibT 71
Requirements:                 IELTS 6

Program Description

Natural Resources Management (NRM) in the School of Natural Resource Sciences prepares students for the environmental challenges of the 21st century. The Masters of Natural Resources Management (MNRM), Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) NRM degrees are interdisciplinary curricula offering a broad, systems-based approach toward managing natural resources. NRM graduates are prepared to compete for and be productive in jobs where issues reach beyond a single discipline or subject area. They have the skills necessary to address problems from holistic-ecological and global-social perspectives.

Through the NRM graduate program, students gain a breadth of knowledge in relevant planning, analysis and management.

In cooperation with the following NDSU academic programs and departments, students select a curriculum and an adviser from one of these participating units:

• Agribusiness and Applied Economics
• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
• Biological Sciences (Botany and Zoology)
• Civil Engineering
• Communications
• Entomology
• Plant Sciences
• Range Sciences
• Earth and Climate Science
• Geosciences
• Soil Science
• Sociology/Anthropology/Emergency Management
• Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences

The educational objective of the NRM graduate program is to provide formal education in a chosen specialty area, introductions to other subject areas, appropriate course work in analytical methods, and research and writing experiences in the general area of natural resource management. Problem recognition, definition, analysis and resolution, along with critical thinking are the ultimate learning objectives.

Admissions Requirements

The graduate program in Natural Resources Management is open to qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. In addition to the Graduate School requirements, applicants may be recommended or required to take the GRE general exam. Consult with the NRM Program Director.

Financial Assistance

Both research and teaching assistantships may be available through the participating academic units. Application for financial aid must be made directly to a department. Applicants are considered on the basis of scholarship and potential to undertake advanced study and research. Limited scholarships are available. Contact the NDSU Student Financial Services office for information and applications.

To qualify for the M.S. degree, the candidate must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 semester units in their selected curriculum, an oral examination and a thesis or comprehensive study paper.

To qualify for the Ph.D. degree, the candidate must satisfactorily complete a course of study of not less than 90 semester units (including 30 semester units from the M.S. degree or equivalent), both a written and an oral preliminary examination, a research-based dissertation, and an oral defense of the dissertation. In addition, the candidate presents a final public seminar based on the dissertation research. For more specific information, please refer to the Natural Resources Management Graduate Student Guidelines available on the NRM Web site .