Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management MS and PhD

The Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management graduate program offers a unique opportunity to blend courses and graduate research in rangeland ecology and management, wildland watershed management and hydrology. Wyoming's diverse rangelands include plains, grasslands, mountains, deserts, foothills, and shrublands, all of which provide abundant opportunities for graduate study.

*Application Notes:

Students may be admitted year round. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for acceptance but no GRE is needed. For your application to be considered, you must contact a potential faculty advisor. The faculty advisor must agree to mentor you and financially support your graduate program via a grant-funded graduate assistantship or a departmental teaching assistantship.

 

Degree Programs

Master's Degree

The M.S. program is geared toward teaching graduate students the tools necessary to conduct robust scientific research on rangelands and communicate with the public and potential stakeholders. The program requires a research proposal, 30 credit hours (at least 12 from Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management and approved by the student's graduate committee), a research-based written thesis, a final public presentation and successful oral defense of the thesis.

Doctorate Degree

The Ph.D. program allows graduate students to conduct robust research on major questions related to rangeland ecology and watershed management. The program requires a research proposal, 72 credit hours (at least 12 from Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management and approved by the student's graduate committee), both a written- and an oral-examination overseen by the graduate committee, a research-based written dissertation, a final public presentation and successful oral defense of the dissertation. The 72 credit hours may include credits earned during a Master’s degree program that are approved by the student's graduate advisory committee.

Find faculty in this area >>

Click here to apply >>

 

More about Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management

Rangelands are complex ecosystems known for their unpredictable weather, varying topography and wide array of soil types as well as for providing critical wildlife habitat and forage for both domestic and wild herbivores. Rangeland managers must have the education, skills and common sense to integrate information about the climate, topography, soils, plants, animals, watersheds and land use into effective management plans. Scientists conducting research on rangelands must possess the practical and analytical tools in order to generate scientifically rigorous, applied data that can be used to manage rangeland resources.