The School of Renewable Natural Resources is concerned with the management and conservation of natural ecosystems with emphasis on the desert, rangeland, and forest ecosystems of arid and semi-arid environments. All students are urged to gain a broad understanding of social and political institutions as they affect fundamental relations of humans and their environment, particularly those involving plants, animals, soil and water resources, and climate. Applicants for the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree programs are required to submit three letters of recommendation and scores on the Graduate Record Examination. Requirements for Doctoral Degrees, in this Catalog.
Concentrations are available in rangeland management, rangeland science, and dryland forestry.
Applicants are expected to have completed an undergraduate major in rangeland management or similar natural resources field with strong training in biological, physical, and social sciences equivalent to that required for the bachelor's degree at The University of Arizona. Applicants lacking these prerequisites will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Students working toward the M.S. degree shall complete at least 30 units including a thesis for which as many as 5 units may be earned. Graduate work in this major provides training and research opportunities in natural resources with an emphasis on natural resources management and policy decision-making in the context of technical elements and economic, legal, political, and social factors. This interdisciplinary program is appropriate for continuing students and mid-career professionals interested in broadening their expertise in natural resource policy, administration, planning, management, and ecology.