The MS program requires a minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate course work and 6 semester hours of thesis research and writing for a total of 30 semester hours. This degree program allows students to obtain a specialized advanced degree in any of the subject areas within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry (ATCOF), including Forest Management, Forest Economics, Recreation Management, Resource Interpretation, Wildlife Management, Agroforestry, Wood Science, Urban Forestry, Forest Entomology, Hydrology, Forest Ecology, Silviculture, Soil Science and Spatial Science. The M.S. degree program is appropriate for students who have an undergraduate degree in forestry or a related field and also for students with degrees in other areas. Background work may include courses in each of the following areas: Forest Biology, Forest Resources Inventory, Social Forestry, Forest Ecosystem Management and Forest Resources Administration.

The MF is a non-thesis cooperative program between the Colleges of Forestry and Business and requires a minimum of 38 semester credit hours of graduate course work. This degree is intended for professional foresters with at least five years of experience who wish to further their education in the areas of Business, Forest Management or Forest Economics. A final comprehensive exam (either written, or oral or both) is required during the last semester enrollment.

Advisory Committee and Degree Plan

Immediately after admission and enrollment for the first semester of course work, the student must consult his/her major professor and develop an advisory committee. This committee will consist of no fewer than three members of the graduate faculty; two must be from the ATCOF. The advisory committee, chaired by the major professor, will then assist the student in the development of a degree plan that includes the required background courses and the graduate course work needed for the field of interest of the student. This degree plan should be filed with the associate dean during the first semester of course work. Subsequent duties of the advisory committee are to assist the student in the development of a formal research proposal (applicable only to M.S. students) that should be completed prior to initiating the research activity and to serve as the examining committee. It is the student's responsibility to insure that all paperwork is completed prior to deadlines as stipulated in the university calendar.

Distance Education

The proposed MSRI program has been approved by the SFA Board of Regents. Final approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is under review.
Once finalized, this web-based MS degree in Resource Interpretation program will enable interpreters to apply the philosophy and techniques, the curriculum and training, and the certification review process of the National Park Service's Interpretive Development Program (IDP) to their graduate studies in interpretation.

Forms for masters students (MS-Word unless otherwise noted)

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