205
Graduate Programs
205.70
Renewable Resources
205.70 Renewable Resources
Department of Renewable Resources
751 General Services Building
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H1
E-mail: rrgrads.inquiry@ualberta.ca
205.70.1 General Information
The Department of Renewable Resources offers programs leading to the course-based degrees of Master of Agriculture, Master of Forestry, and thesis-based degrees of Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy.
The Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and the Faculty of Business offer two course-based programs of joint study that enable students to earn both the Master of Business Administration and Master of Agriculture degrees or both the Master of Business Administration and Master of Forestry degrees, after two calendar years of full-time study.
Graduate studies in the Department of Renewable Resources encompass a broad spectrum of scientific and management applications in natural and managed landscapes. Graduate studies in the Department of Renewable Resources fall within the four major research themes of the Department briefly defined as:
Biodiversity Conservation, which aims at understanding how biological diversity is affected by land use practices and human actions; | |
Enhanced Forest Management, which focuses on intensive and ecological management practices to promote wood production and other non-timber values from forests; | |
Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture, which evaluates and develops agricultural and forestry practices that ensure the sustainability of soil and water resources; | |
Land Reclamation, Remediation, and Restoration, which focuses on the impact of a variety of land use activities on ecosystem function and techniques to return landscapes to a functional use. Details are provided in the Department website. |
Thesis research is conducted within the four major research themes, however, the following eight fields of study are the approved specializations for the thesis-based programs: 1) Agroforestry 2) Conservation Biology 3) Forest Biology and Management 4) Land Reclamation and Remediation 5) Protected Areas and Wildland Management 6) Soil Science 7) Water and Land Resources 8) Wildlife Ecology and Management. Inquiries should be directed to the Associate Chair (Graduate Programs), Department of Renewable Resources.
Prospective students should note that the Renewable Resources program is integrated within the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. Opportunities for graduate study are also available in such fields as agroforestry, agronomy, and forest economics in cooperation with the Departments of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology and Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science. Courses and programs of study offered through these departments are listed under their respective headings in this Calendar. General inquiries should be sent to the appropriate department.
Entrance Requirements
The Department of Renewable Resources' minimum admission requirements are an appropriate undergraduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 in the last two years (
60) of undergraduate work (or graduate work) at the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution. Where applicable, a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 88 (internet-based) or an equivalent score on an approved English language examination is required (see §203.2.4).
Note: To remain in a graduate program in the Department of Renewable Resources students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 with no grade less than C+.
Financial Assistance
Most students are either on scholarships or funded by research grants obtained by professors in the Department. A limited number of graduate teaching and research assistantships, administered by the Department, are available to well-qualified candidates. Exceptional applicants will be nominated by the Department for MSc and PhD recruitment scholarships offered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
205.70.2 The Degree of MSc
Program Requirements
Course requirements for the MSc are based on the student's previous training and the anticipated needs in the student's area of specialization. Minimum requirements are REN R 603 and REN R 604 plus 12 acceptable for graduate credit of which 6 must be at the 500 level or above. Courses at the 400-level are acceptable for graduate credit with the approval of the supervisory committee; 300 (or lower)-level courses may be required as part of a student’s program but will not count towards the 12 requirement. Course work should include at least 3 in research methods, statistics, and/or experimental design. Courses may be drawn from those listed for the Department of Renewable Resources, and from other Departments within the University.
In addition, candidates for the degree of MSc must prepare an acceptable thesis presenting results of research conducted. Candidates will be examined orally on their thesis results by committees formed according to §204 of this Calendar.
There is no language requirement other than English for the degree of MSc.
The minimum period of residence is two, four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
Length of Program
Normally, at least two academic years of research are required to complete the MSc.
205.70.3 The Degree of MF
Program Requirements
This program is designed for practising foresters. The normal admission requirement is a BSc in Forestry. Applicants are expected to have completed two years of professional forestry-related experience. The program consists of 30 with a minimum weight of 24 at the graduate level (500 number or higher). The student's program will be developed around the concept of integrated resource management and sustainable development. Course work must include REN R 601, 602, and at least 3 in each of the following four areas: forest resources management, forest biology, statistics/experimental design, forest policy/sociology/human resources. Upon completion of the coursework, students will be required to take, and successfully complete, an oral examination on relevant issues. This examination will be designed to evaluate the student's knowledge and understanding of the broad area of integrated resource management. There is no residence requirement for the MF program.
205.70.4 The Degree of MAg
Program Requirements
The normal admission requirement is a BSc in an agricultural-related discipline. Applicants are normally expected to have completed three years of relevant professional experience. Requirements for the Master of Agriculture degree consist of 30 with a minimum of 24 at the graduate level (500 number or higher). Each program will include REN R 900 (a project equivalent to 6) plus a well-defined series of courses relevant to the topic of the project and within the realm of agriculture such as soil science, agronomy, hydrology, agro-meteorology.
There is no residence requirement for the MAg degree.
Length of Program
Normally, a minimum of 12 months of study and research is needed to complete the requirements for the degree.
205.70.5 The MBA/MF Joint Program
The Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and the Faculty of Business offer a program of joint study that permits students to earn both the MBA and MF degrees in two years of full-time study. Students in the first year of either the regular MBA program or the MF regular program, as well as new entrants, are eligible to apply for the joint program. Applicants are expected to have completed two years of professional forestry-related experience. Refer to §205.9.6 under Business for program details.
205.70.6 The MBA/MAg Joint Program
The Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and the Faculty of Business offer a program of joint study that permits students to earn both the MBA and MAg degrees in two years of full-time study. Students in the first year of either the regular MBA program or the regular MAg program, as well as new entrants, are eligible to apply for the joint program. Applicants are normally expected to have completed three years of relevant professional experience. Refer to §205.9.4 under Business for program details.
205.70.7 The Degree of PhD
Program Requirements
Course requirements for the PhD will be based on the student's previous training and anticipated needs in the student's area of specialization, the total course load being at the discretion of the student's supervisory committee. All students in the PhD program must take REN R 603 (exemptions may apply) and REN R 604. Otherwise there is no fixed minimum course requirement for students who hold a master's degree. Students entering the PhD program, who do not have a master's degree, will be expected to fulfil the MSc coursework requirement (see §205.70.2), in addition to REN R 603 and REN R 604.
Students in the PhD program must pass an oral pre-candidacy assessment within six months of registration and an oral candidacy exam, supervised by a committee formed according to Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research regulations within two years of initial registration.
All candidates for the PhD must prepare an acceptable thesis presenting the results of their research. Candidates will be examined orally on their thesis results by committees formed according to §204.
There is no language requirement other than English for the PhD.
The minimum residence requirements are three academic years of study and research for a student with a bachelor's degree, and two academic years of study and research for those with a master's degree.
Length of Program
The time required to complete the PhD will vary according to the previous training of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a minimum of three years is normally required.
205.70.8 Graduate Courses
Graduate courses can be found in §231, Course Listings. Courses offered by the Department of Renewable Resources include those under the following subject headings:
Environmental and Conservation Science (ENCS)
Forest Science (FOR)
Forest Engineering (FOREN)
Renewable Resources (REN R)
Soil Science (SOILS)
