On-Campus
Master’s Graduation Requirements
The campus-based thesis option is designed for individuals with an undergraduate degree in forestry, natural resources, environmental science or in one of the biological, physical or social sciences basic to agroforestry. It is geared to those who wish to gain the skills required to conduct original research resulting in an MS thesis and refereed publications. The MS thesis in agroforestry is designed to be a flexible degree that can meet the advanced educational goals of a wide range of students.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited institution
- Undergraduate GPA: 3.0 in last 60 hours
- Minimum TOEFL scores: 80 (internet)
- Minimim IELTS score: 5
- GRE scores (past five years) are optional but strongly encouraged – Minimum 300 (150 Verbal and 150 Quantitative)
* Students whose GPAs and GRE scores do not meet the requirements will be evaluated individually. Applicants will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Degree Requirements
- 30-credit hours of graduate credit, with at least 15 hours comprised of 8000-level courses.
- Not more than 12 hours of the minimum 30 hours are permitted for research, problems, special investigations and special readings.
- Student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 (A=4.0) in all course work presented for the degree.
- Each student’s coursework requirement, including the selection of specific courses, will be listed in the student’s plan of study (M-1 form) and approved by their graduate committee.
All students in the Agroforestry Emphasis Areas will be required to take the following core courses:
- Agroforestry Theory, Practice and Adoption
- Ecological Principles of Agroforestry
- Agroforestry Economics and Policy
- Agroforestry for Watershed Restoration
Thesis Committee
A thesis committee is composed of three members of the MU faculty: a major adviser from the academic program, a second reader from the academic program and an outside reader who is a member of the graduate faculty from a different (non SNR) MU graduate program.
Thesis requirement
Students in the thesis option will complete 30 credit hours of coursework with no more than 12 credits for thesis research. Students choosing the thesis option will prepare a written research proposal and make an oral defense of that proposal within 12 months of their initial enrollment in the program. Students in the thesis option will write a thesis based on their research and participate in a public oral defense of their thesis announced at least two weeks prior to the defense date.
Students with thesis option must
- submit a plan of study within six month of initial enrollment,
- present a written proposal of their research or project proposal to be reviewed and approved by members of the students’ Masters Committee within one year of initial enrollment in the emphasis area, students,
- submit a written thesis or project report following the guidelines specified by the Graduate School. All students must present a public oral defense of their dissertation or project announced at least two weeks prior to the defense date. Electronic media may be used to facilitate the defense for online/distance education students when appropriate.
- Every candidate should review the Dissertation & Thesis Guidelines from the Graduate School and should consult the Emphasis Area Coordinator for academic program style requirements.
Online
Master’s Graduation Requirements
The MS with an emphasis in Agroforestry curriculum is a 30-credit non-thesis degree through the University of Missouri, School of Natural Resources, with a 16-credit required core including a professional paper, 15 or more credits at the 8000 level, plus elective course work and optional 3-credit field internship.
The Graduate Certificate in Agroforestry is a 12-credit, four core course curriculum. The online MS in agroforestry is designed to be a flexible degree that can meet the advanced educational goals of a wide range of students.
This online agroforestry MS is designed for professionals working in natural resources around the globe who already have an undergraduate degree in a related field. In addition, the online Masters is open to all individuals holding accredited B.S. or B.A. degrees who wish to expand their breadth and depth of knowledge in the field of agroforestry (NOTE: additional background coursework may be required).
Core Courses in the Online MS Include:
All students in the Online MS and Graduate Certificate in Agroforestry will be required to take the following core courses:
- Agroforestry Theory, Practice and Adoption
- Ecological Principles of Agroforestry
- Agroforestry Economics and Policy
- Agroforestry for Watershed Restoration