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Program Coordinator:
Dr. Mark Lesser
518-564-4139
Email: mless004@plattsburgh.edu
Hudson Hall 131
The Program
In the M.S. natural resources and ecology program you will explore environmental science with a focus on natural resource issues. Current program strengths are in ecology and field biology and environmental policy and planning. The program offers both a research thesis option or an internship option.
Admission
For admission to the program, applicants must meet SUNY Plattsburgh’s general requirements for admission to graduate study. (See the Graduate Admission Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.) In addition, an applicant should have a bachelor’s degree in a science discipline, a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0, and a satisfactory score on the general portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or equivalent evidence of academic achievement.
Up to nine transfer credits may be accepted from an accredited graduate school. Credits transferred must be part of a proposed program of study approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee, the Department Chair, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
All students must have a graduate advisor assigned prior to acceptance into the program. Students accepted into the program with low GRE scores or a non-science undergraduate degree may be required to complete background undergraduate coursework in addition to the required graduate credits as a condition of entry into the program.
Graduate Advisory Committee
Each candidate for the M.S. in Natural Resources and Ecology degree must have a Graduate Advisory Committee of three or more members, including a primary advisor from a SUNY Plattsburgh science department and at least one other SUNY Plattsburgh science department faculty member. Up to one committee member can be from off-campus. At least two committee members (one of which must be the chair) must hold a doctorate in a science discipline. The remaining committee member must hold at least a master’s degree. The student’s advisory committee determines the program of study (within the curricular requirements listed below), approves the thesis topic, and holds a final defense/evaluation at the end of the student’s program.
Research or Internship Proposal
A detailed proposal must be submitted to the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee, by the end of the second semester of enrollment. This proposal, if approved, will serve as a guide for future research or internship project.
Semester Reports
Email reports summarizing the student’s progress shall be submitted to the student’s Graduate Advisor one week prior to the end of each semester. The student report should review academic progress toward the degree. The reports are reviewed during the evaluation of the student’s progress at the end of each academic year. Reports are required of both full-and part-time students.
Academic Progress Review
The academic progress of each student is reviewed once per year by the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee. Research productivity and graduate assistant responsibilities are also considered during these reviews. If, in a given semester, a student’s cumulative grade point average in courses taken for graduate credit falls below 3.0, or if research productivity and/or fulfillment of degree requirements is deficient, the student may be placed on academic probation or dismissed from the program, depending on the severity of the student’s deficiencies. Deficiency in graduate assistant responsibilities may lead to removal or nonrenewal in the position. Any student who fails to perform at a satisfactory level in all areas being evaluated may be dismissed from the program. A student on academic probation must gain satisfactory standing by the end of the following semester or they may be dismissed from the program. Students placed on academic probation or dropped from the program may appeal the decision to the department chair and, ultimately, to the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
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