International Conservation and Development (ICD) is a concentration within the M.S. in Resource Conservation that addresses the ecological and social aspects of environmental change, biodiversity conservation, and rural development.  ICD allows students to pursue independent conservation and development projects through international professional field assignments. The ICD core curriculum and overseas experience integrate biophysical and social dimensions of land and resource management in the context economic development and social justice. Defining features of ICD include:

• Opportunity to combine graduate coursework with international field research;
• Flexibility to identify and develop independent projects;
• Committed, interdisciplinary faculty; 
• An integrated core curriculum;
• Close collaboration among a cohort of graduate students;
• The M.S. in Resource Conservation with a concentration in International Conservation and Development

ICD students have addressed a wide range of issues around the world, including protected area management in Bhutan, community conservation in Belize, watershed management in Nicaragua, non-timber forest products management in Ethiopia, agroforestry in Zambia, reduced impact logging in Bolivia, and wildlife conservation in Mongolia. Students utilize a variety of approaches and generate diverse products based on their fieldwork, including extension education materials, field guides and peer-reviewed publications. 74 students have completed ICD studies, and program graduates are employed by international and domestic organizations in both the public and private sectors, including Conservation International, WOOF, USAID, the US Forest Service, and international consulting firms, while others have completed doctoral studies and are now university faculty members.

General Graduate Program Requirements

Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page. 

The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing. 

The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any requirement is C. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.

MASTER OF SCIENCE - RESOURCE CONSERVATION; INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCENTRATION

The ICD concentration involves completion of a core curriculum, additional coursework in an area of academic and professional interest, and completion of an international assignment with an international conservation and development organization or the US Peace Corps.

Specialized coursework is available within the College of Forestry and Conservation in broad disciplines of protected area management, environmental sciences, forest management, watershed management, wildlife biology, range management, recreation management, and remote sensing/geographic information systems. In addition, students can complete relevant coursework in any department or program at UM, including Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Conflict Resolution, Environmental Studies, Geography, and Sociology.

The specific courses (program of study) that a graduate student enrolls in will be tailored to each individual, based on their academic background, professional interests, and the focus of their thesis work. However, the minimum requirements for the M.S. Degree include:

• 30 graduate semester credits beyond the Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 20 of the total credits must be taken within the major discipline. 
• At least 20 of the total credits must be in coursework and at least half of the coursework credits (minimum 10 credits) must be at the 500-level or above. Courses below the 400-level do not count towards the M.S. course requirements.
• Up to 10 of the 30 credits may be taken as research (699) and/or thesis (697).
• Enroll in one credit of graduate seminar per year. (Requirement may be waived by faculty advisor in favor of a different course/seminar if there is a time conflict.)
• Complete a research methods course related to the field of study
• At least one course in graduate level statistics (or comparable analytical course) at the university. 
• Thesis or Professional Paper Options:
  • The thesis option includes:
    • A formal research proposal presenting the conceptual and empirical framework of the research.
    • A thesis – written thesis, seminar, and defense. 
  • The professional paper option includes:
    • A formal project proposal presenting the conceptual and empirical framework of the professional paper.
    • A professional paper – written paper, seminar, and defense.

Course Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
Complete all of the following courses:
NRSM 571	International Conservation & Development	3
NRSM 575	Environment & Development	3
Graduate Seminar
Complete at least 2 credits of the following courses. Students typically complete 3-5 credits.		2
FORS 594	Graduate Seminar
NRSM 594	Seminar
PTRM 594	Conservation and Social Science Seminar
WILD 594	Graduate Seminar in Wildlife Biology
Research Methods
Complete one of the following courses:		3
FORS 505	Sampling Methods
NRSM 500	Conservation and Social Science Methods
WILD 540	Research Design
Statistics
Complete one of the following courses:		3-4
Any Statistics (STAT) or Mathematics (M) course.
FORS 505	Sampling Methods
FORS 538	Ecological Statistics
WILD 562	Wildlife Habitat Modeling
WILD 571	Estimation of Demographic Parameters
Electives, Research, and Thesis/Professional Paper/Portfolio
Complete 16-22 credits of graduate-level coursework in consultation with your advisor or committee.		16-22
Total Hours		30-36