Natural Resource Management (Cooperative)

Coordinator: Frank T. Kuserk

In conjunction with Duke University, the environmental studies and sciences program at Moravian College offers a cooperative program in natural resource management leading to the Master of Environment Management (M.E.M.) or Master of Forestry (M.F.). Students pursuing either degree enroll in a specially designed three-year Moravian curriculum that provides basic background in the biological sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and economics. After completion of the three-year curriculum and degree requirements at Moravian College and upon recommendation by the College, students may apply to the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Students should plan to take the Graduate Record Examination in the fall of the junior year at Moravian. Scores from the GRE and undergraduate grades are used as guidelines for admission to Duke. Because of the competitive nature of this program students should contact the program coordinator as early as possible.

After students have completed the first year of study at Duke and have earned enough credits to meet Moravian's graduation requirements, Moravian College will award the bachelor's degree. The professional degree is awarded by Duke when students have completed the second year of graduate study. Students who follow the program may earn the B.S. and M.E.M. or M.F. in five years.

In both degree programs at Duke, different instructional tracks allow students to develop areas of specialization. Those pursuing the M.E.M. may study resource ecology, air and water resources, ecotoxicology, or resource economics and policy. Those seeking an M.F. may study forest management science or forest productivity (silviculture).

The Major in Natural Resource Management

Students in the natural resource management program complete a minimum of 23 course units at Moravian. In addition to the requirements listed below, students should fulfill the following requirements for general education. Students interested in natural resource management should select Mathematics 107 to fulfill their Quantitative Reasoning (F2) requirement and Biology 112 or 119 to fulfill their Science (F4) requirement. In the Multidisciplinary category, they need choose only four of the six categories. They also need complete only one of the two Upper-Division category requirements.

The natural resource management major consists of five biology course units, including Biology 112 and 119 and three electives selected with the approval of the program advisor to complement the student's career interests and study plans at Duke. Electives may be chosen from Biology 210, 230, 265, 350, 351, and 360. The major also includes Mathematics 107, 170 and 171 (or 106-166 and 171); Chemistry 113-114; Computer Science 105 or 120; Physics 109-110 or 111-112; and Economics 152.

Students planning to study forestry at Duke take Biology 230. Those planning for an M.E.M. in resource ecology with a specialization in ecotoxicology may take Chemistry 211-212 in lieu of Physics 111-112 and are encouraged to select Biology 265, 350, and 351 as electives.