The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University offers a variety of Master of Science degrees in forest sciences and molecular genetics, which services students who desire Plan A (thesis option), B (report option), and C (course work only option) Masters degree programs.

Master of Science in Forestry (Plan A, B and C)
The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University presently offers a Master of Science in Forestry, which services students who desire Plan A, B, and C Masters degree programs in forest ecology, forest management, molecular genetics, wildlife ecology and wood science. Contact: Dr. Linda Nagel (lmnagel@mtu.edu)

Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management (Plan A, B, C)
The Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management degree program (Plans A, B, and C) will be directed at students doing research projects or acquiring a course work-only degree in the fields of forest ecology and forestry. The program will encompass students studying in the areas of forest ecology, forest soils, entomology, silviculture, forest management, biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling, forest productivity, wetland and riparian ecology, forest policy, forest protection, and remote sensing and geographic information systems. Contact: Dr. Chris Webster (cwebster@mtu.edu)

Master of Science in Applied Ecology (Plans A, B, and C)
The Master of Science in Applied Ecology degree program (Plans A, B, and C) will be directed at students doing research projects or acquiring a course work-only degree in the fields of forest ecology and forestry. The program will focus on the study of forest biodiversity, invasive species, conservation biology, wildlife management, avian and mammalian ecology, population dynamics, and wildlife habitat. Contact: Dr. David Flaspohler (djflaspo@mtu.edu) for more information on this program.

Master of Forestry (Plan B and C)
The Master of Forestry (M.F.) degree program is intended for students who have completed a bachelors degree in another field, but wish to redirect their career to forestry.  The entire curriculum for this program is required courses, although electives can be selected if a student enters with credit for some of the classes.  This program is designed as a course work program (Plan C), but students can elect to include a limited research project with the associated report (Plan B). Contact: Dr. Jim Pickens (jpickens@mtu.edu) for more information on this program. <more information>

Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology (Plans A, B, C)
The Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology degree program (Plans A, B, and C) will be directed at students doing research projects or acquiring a course work-only degree in the fields of forest ecology and forestry. The program will provide skills and knowledge in the areas of genetic engineering of trees, lignin and cellulose biosynthesis, tree genomics and bioinformatics, genetic control of flowering and pollution tolerance in trees and molecular ecology. Please contact Dr. Victor Busov (vbusov@mtu.edu) for further information on this program.

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Peace Corps Masters International Directed Programs

LORET MILLER RUPPE MASTER’S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM
 

The Master's International Program is a partnership between Michigan Tech and the Peace Corps, which affords students the opportunity to incorporate Peace Corps service into a graduate program in forestry or forest ecology and management. The program involves nine months of intensive forestry education at Michigan Tech and two years of fieldwork with Peace Corps. The first fall semester (commonly known as Integrated Field Practicum) is located at the Ford Center and Research Forest in Alberta, Michigan and focuses on fundamental field skills in forestry or applied ecology.  The spring semester is spent at the Michigan Tech campus in Houghton, Michigan. Students then take part in three months of Peace Corps technical, cross-cultural and language training in the country where they will work.  This is followed by two years of Peace Corps service working to improve the environment with people who use and depend upon a healthy ecosystem for their livelihoods and that of their children. Students will return to Michigan Tech to complete their degree, typically in one additional academic semester.
 
The Master's International Program is designed for students who hold an undergraduate degree and demonstrate an interest in the environment, international development, and community service. The program will consider applicants with any undergraduate major. The only class prerequisite is one semester or one quarter of college-level chemistry. Students may be accepted contingent upon completion of a chemistry course. One course in introductory statistics is recommended, but not required.  Students without a statistics course will be required to take an introductory statistics course as part of their program of study.  A second language, especially French, followed by Spanish, is considered desirable from the applicant's perspective. If you have one year of college-level or two years of high school-level language, it will open up a wider set of possible placements within Peace Corps.  If you haven't taken a language course and are still in an undergraduate program, you should consider taking a year of French, Spanish, or Arabic.
 
Students must also apply to and be accepted by the Peace Corps.  Students should indicate their interest in the Master's International Program on the Peace Corps application. Once the application is received, the student will be assigned a recruiter who will guide him/her through the Peace Corps application process.
 
Students participating in the Master's International Program at Michigan Tech receive a Master of Science in Forestry or a Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management as well as all of the benefits associated with Peace Corps service. Peace Corps benefits include transportation to and from the assigned country, a monthly living allowance, a $6,000 readjustment allowance disbursed when the student completes two years of Peace Corps service, medical care and coverage while a Peace Corps volunteer, and noncompetitive eligibility for federal jobs. In addition, students do not pay tuition or fees to Michigan Tech for academic credit earned while in the Peace Corps. Please contact Dr. Blair Orr (bdorr@mtu.edu or 1-800-966-3764) for more information on this program.
 
Further information about the Peace Corps is available by calling 1-800-424-8580, option "1" after you connect, or by accessing the Peace Corps web site (http://www.peacecorps.gov). The Michigan Tech Peace Corps URL is  http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/

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Last updated: February 25, 2008