Master of Natural Resources Student Requirements
Welcome to the Master of Natural Resources (MNR) degree program. Degree’s requirements, how students can fulfill them, and timelines for completing the degree. More information can be found on the MNR catalog page.
MNR Course Information
MNR Core Requirements
Students in the MNR degree have course work focused around five core requirements related to natural resource management and then will apply this knowledge in a capstone project report. The purpose of this interdisciplinary curriculum is to give students enough exposure to these various disciplines to see the “big picture” of natural resource management, and to understand their interrelationship. These core requirements comprise 15 of the 33 credits required for degree completion.
Quantitative Methods (3-credits): Students will gain an understanding of experimental design and sampling strategies appropriate to their discipline, and be able to identify high quality and meaningful studies.
Ecological Foundations (3-credits): Students will learn to understand ecological principles at individual, population, community, and ecosystem levels and apply these principles to management practices.
Human Dimensions (3-credits): Students will understand human linkages (such as land use, attitudes, historical context and cultural context) to natural resources and how these linkages affect management decisions. Students may also be able to apply economic principles to natural resource management.
Spatial Information Management (3-credits): Students will gain a working knowledge of tools and techniques for representing and analyzing spatial data (e.g., Geographic Information Systems and Analysis).
Policy & Administration (3-credits): Students may understand the differences between treaties, laws, regulations, and policies, and gain a working knowledge of major federal laws that affect natural resource management. Students may also learn leadership and administrative skills relevant to management positions in resource agencies.
Natural Resource Distance Learning Consortium
Utah State University is a member of the Natural Resource Distance Learning Consortium (NRDLC) and MNR students may take up to 15 credits from other Universities within the consortium, and apply them to their program of study with committee approval. When taking a course from another institution, you are required to register for the course through them, and pay their tuition rates. Please be aware some Universities charge out-of-state tuition, and some charge a $20-$30 application fee for registration.
Program of Study
The Program of Study is a contract between you, your Graduate Program Coordinator/Committee and the School of Graduate Studies outlining which courses you will take to meet the School of Graduate Studies requirements and complete your degree program. Students will submit a completed Program of Study (POS) to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Graduate Program Coordinator will review the POS and submit it to the School of Graduate Studies for signatures and approval.
To make revisions to a Program of Study contact your Graduate Program Coordinator who will update the courses listed in DegreeWorks and submit a ServiceNow Program of Study request to the School of Graduate Studies for processing.
MNR Student Graduate Committees
Graduate Committee Members
Student’s committee members will consist of three faculty members in the Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) or an approved adjunct professor in the AGNR or from another College or University. The Chair of your committee will be chosen based on your MNR goals and area of specialty.
Graduate Committee Meetings
The purpose of the student’s first committee meeting is to introduce them to their committee members, review their Program of Study, and begin discussions of possible capstone projects.
• MNR students’ first committee meeting takes place the first semester they begin the program. This meeting may be held either in-person, phone call or as a conference call.
Capstone Experience
The Capstone Experience is a project derived from each student’s disciplinary or career interests. The purpose of the project is to demonstrate a student’s interdisciplinary knowledge of the MNR’s core learning objectives, synthesize and apply them to a specific problem for management purposes. As part of the capstone project a student is required to write a professional report describing the problem analyzed, statistical methods used for the analysis, and any relevant findings. The report should demonstrate a student’s competency in communicating ideas, and ability to present this information professionally. Depending upon the project, students are allowed to take 3 or 6 credits of NR 6600 Natural Resources Integrative Experience to be applied to their MNR degree program. Students will receive guidance and approval for their capstone projects, and the number of credits they will receive for the project by their committee.
Proposal
Students are required to submit a proposal for the capstone project which includes:
• A cover page with the number of capstone credits the student intends to complete.
• The problem identified for analysis (i.e., Problem Statement).
• The proposed method(s) to be used for identifying both the issues involved.
• Potential management solutions; and, other information suitable to the student’s project.
Please visit the MNR Proposal & Capstone Project page to see examples of proposals and capstones.
3-credit Requirements
Students are expected to submit a written report identifying a problem and the issues associated with it. Students must take an interdisciplinary approach to identify the problem, including: a description of the human dimension aspects of the problem; economic concerns; policies and laws affecting it; ecological features; the science used to quantify or qualify the problem and administrative considerations. The capstone report should show the relationship between these aspects of the problem and the current management approach.
Students doing a 3-credit capstone project are required to submit the initial report to Graduate Program Coordinator by the first week of the semester they intend to graduate. The report will be sent to the student’s Committee Chair within 48-hours of receipt, and the Chair will respond with edits within 2-weeks. Students are required to submit a revised report within 4-weeks of receipt.
6-credit Requirements
Students receiving 6-credits for their capstone project will submit a written report identifying a problem and issues associated with it using an interdisciplinary approach. This will include: a description of the human dimension aspects of the problem; economic concerns; policies and laws affecting it; ecological features; the science used to quantify or qualify the problem; and, administrative considerations. In addition to identifying and analyzing the problem, students will identify solutions, methods of implementation, and expected results. Again, students are expected to approach the solutions from an interdisciplinary management perspective.
Students doing a 6-credit capstone project are expected to submit the initial report to the Graduate Program Coordinator by the first week of the semester they intend to graduate. The report will be sent to the student’s Committee Chair within 48-hours of receipt, and the Chair will respond with edits within 2-weeks. Students are required to submit a revised report within 4-weeks of receipt.
Graduation
Notification of Intent to Graduate
Students will notify the Graduate Program Coordinator of their intent to graduate one semester prior to the semester they intend to graduate. The Graduate Program Coordinator will work with the student to ensure: their POS is up-to-date; they are on track with submission of their capstone report; and, they are aware of the School of Graduate Studies required paperwork and deadlines for graduation.
QANR Commencement 2024 Information