Graduate Programs
The Department offers masters and doctoral degrees in two areas: Forest Resources and Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation.
Forest Resources
The Graduate Program in Forest Resources is a center for advanced study and research in a broad range of topics related to forest resources, including forest ecology and management, watershed and wetlands science, urban forestry and arboriculture, building materials and wood technology, sustainable building practices, human dimensions and natural resource policy, and remote sensing/geographic information systems applications in natural resources. In addition, collaboration with the Graduate Program in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation provides strength in forest wildlife biology with a focus on the interaction between forest management and wildlife habitats and populations at both the stand and landscape level. Because of the University’s location in southern New England, much of the research in natural resources deals with complex problems involving both biological and social issues in a landscape that is a mixture of urban, suburban, and rural areas. However, research programs are not limited to these problems; graduate students conduct projects and find employment throughout the world.
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Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation
The Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation program focuses on a major branch of applied ecology and encompasses all areas of scientific endeavor relating to management of these resources. The prime impetus for our graduate program in wildlife and fisheries conservation is the need for an adequate science base and appropriate experience for decision-making. We conduct basic and applied research at the organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels, and provide for specific professional training in several important concentration areas. A major portion of our research focuses on relationships between animal species and their supporting aquatic and terrestrial environments. Basic research priorities are guided by the specialization of individual faculty members, whereas applied research is directed toward satisfying the scientific needs of public agencies for their regulatory and management responsibilities. Our professional programs provide extensive academic and on-the-job training in the areas of natural resources conservation, data analysis, and education; these are areas of particular faculty expertise and ones we believe serve important roles in wildlife and fisheries management and conservation efforts.
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Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs include Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Plant Biology, and Public Policy and Administration. Many NRC faculty are members of one or more of these programs, so it is possible for graduate students to work with an NRC professor as their major advisor while studying in these interdisciplinary programs. Visit their web sites for more information.
