Applicants should have completed course work in microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistics, and computer science, and must have a minimum B average in undergraduate work. The department has considerable experience in working with students who do not have undergraduate majors in economics or resource economics. In our experience, many who study resource economics for a M.S. degree in the Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics have taken undergraduate degrees in fields other than economics, agricultural economics, or resource economics. In recent years, we have had M.S. students with backgrounds in physics, biopsychology, biology, zoology, history, English, psychology, and engineering. Some of these students have come to our program after job experiences or public service which have convinced them of the importance of resource and environmental economics in public policy formation. Others have developed their interests too late in their undergraduate careers to conveniently adjust their majors. We welcome these students because often they have insights, skills and knowledge about the physical and biological world that combines well with the subject matter of resource and environmental economics. We take pride in having the program flexibility that allows us to develop individual programs for such students and then to produce graduates who are competitive with their peers at other first-rate departments throughout the world.

Master's students can select between two options: the Thesis option or the Non-Thesis option. Under both options, a written comprehensive examination is required.

Students in the non-thesis option are required to complete a total of 34 credits, 33 of which must be formal course work. The remaining credit is awarded for completion of a major paper under the supervision of the major professor and acknowledgement by the Graduate Program Director. The student must complete the major paper under the Master's Non-thesis Research course (REN 598). Courses required are REN 501, 502, 528, 534, 535, and 576.

Students in the thesis option must complete a minimum of 30 credits. Of these credits, at least 24 are formal course work, with the remaining 6 credits comprised of Master's Thesis Research (REN 599). A Master's thesis is typically more complete and rigorous work than a major paper. In addition, the Master's thesis must be signed by a 3-member committee, and the student must defend the thesis. Courses required are REN 501, 502, 528, 534, 535, and 576.

At least half of the credits for the Master's program must be at the 500 or 600 level. The other half may be at the 400 level. No courses below the 400 level can be taken for program credit. However, these courses can be taken for non-program credit, in order to fill deficiencies in preparation. All courses are included in determining the student's grade point average.

The M.S. program in Resource Economics allows a great deal of flexibility for the student to pursue individual interests. REN 501 must be taken each semester by full-time graduate students in residence, but only 1 credit may count toward the program. Students frequently include courses from business, statistics, oceanography, marine affairs, community planning, engineering and natrual resource science.

Master's students are allowed to transfer up to one-fifth of their credits from another institution. Transfer credits must be approved by the graduate school.

The usual semester course load for students not on an assistantship is 12 credits. Students not on an assistantship must take a minimum of 9 credits to be considered on full time status. A normal load is 9 credits for a student on an assistantship; 6 credits is the minimum for full-time students on assistantships.

Students are required to take Written Comprehensive Examinations at the end of their first academic year in the program, other than in cases of exceptional circumstances and with advanced permission from the Director of Graduate Studies. The exam is offered in May. The exam is composed of three parts: microeconomic theory, environmental and natural resource economics theory, and econometrics.

Our experience is that there is a strong demand for our M.S. graduates, both in the private and public sector. These include positions in government agencies, private consulting firms, non-governmental organizations, and private industry. Our M.S. graduates, several have been hired as researchers in environmental and natural resource economics by major consulting firms, some are working in government agencies which oversee regulations of natural resources, and others are employed by industries which harvest or otherwise utilize natural resource products. Many of our M.S. students go on for further graduate education, pursuing the Ph.D. degree.