The non-thesis option is intended for students whose career objectives require supplementary and facultative knowledge of natural resource sciences. This option is particularly useful to those requiring broad training. The major difference between the thesis and non-thesis M.S. is in the requirement of additional course work instead of research and writing of a thesis.

Course requirements: Non-thesis option M.S. students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of course work beyond the B.S. degree. At least 18 credit-hours must be at the 600-level or above, including two credits of seminar (798). Only one credit of NRSC 608T (Teaching Methods) may be applied toward this requirement. Non-thesis M.S. students must also have a minimum of 15 credit-hours in a major area.

Seminar Papers: Non-thesis M.S. students are required to write two scholarly papers in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements, and to present each in a separate seminar based on the content of each paper. These seminars should be scheduled and presented during a regularly scheduled graduate seminar period. Both seminars must be scheduled before the final written and oral examinations.

The scholarly papers are independent and in excess of requirements for other graduate level courses. Subjects for scholarly papers should be selected by the graduate student with the help of the Advisor and subject to approval by the student's Advisory Committee. Subjects should be decided early in the student's program to allow time for thorough library research, writing, and revision as required. Each paper will consist of an organized comprehensive review of the literature and should include: (1) an introductory section which describes the purpose of the paper and delineates the subject area to be covered, (2) the main body of the paper which consists of the review of literature, (3) a critical analysis or discussion of the material covered, (4) a summary or conclusion section, and (5) a bibliography. Citations in the text and bibliographic listings should follow the style used in a recognized scientific journal. Upon completion, copies will be furnished to members of the Committee at least 5 school days prior to the final examination. One departmental copy will be bound in a hard cover and will be given to the Graduate Coordinator and one final unbound or bound copy (at the Advisor's discretion) will be given to the Advisor. The cost of binding and printing will be the student's responsibility.

Final Examinations: The Graduate School requires that all non-thesis M.S. students pass a written comprehensive final examination on their knowledge of the discipline. In addition, the Department requires an oral examination, at least part of which is devoted to the contents of the two seminar papers. The student's Advisor is responsible for selecting the Examining Committee, and for scheduling the final written and oral examinations. The Advisory Committee is ordinarily appointed as the Examining Committee. At the conclusion of the oral examination (which must be scheduled after the written examination), the Committee reports its findings to the Graduate School via a form which goes to the Dean of Graduate Studies. An additional departmental report is retained by the Graduate Coordinator.

Download the 28 page Graduate Program Handbook in PDF format (152kb). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. If you would like more information about the Graduate Program, please contact the NRSL Graduate Coordinator at NRSLGC@umail.umd.edu