Professional Science Master's in Conservation Biology

The Professional Science Master?s (PSM) in Conservation Biology provides students with high-quality training in evaluating, understanding, and providing solutions to society?s conservation challenges. The program will teach relevant skills, provide expertise to meet STEM workforce needs, prepare graduates for careers in the public and private sectors. The Professional Science Master?s (PSM) in Conservation Biology provides students with high-quality training in evaluating, understanding, and providing solutions to society?s conservation challenges. The program will teach relevant skills, provide expertise to meet STEM workforce needs, and prepare graduates for careers in the public and private sectors. By producing experts who are able to synthesize research, think critically, and provide leadership in conservation biology, this program has the potential to transform both the professionals who work in the discipline as well as the field of conservation biology. The PSM in Conservation Biology will combine traditional biological sciences with business, communications, law, politics, urban and regional planning, and environmental engineering. The goal of the program is to produce biologists capable of working within the broader arena of environmental politics, law, and economics; to communicate issues of conservation biology to diverse audiences; and to recommend solutions to policy makers, the general public, and industry. The program consists of at least 31 hours of graduate-level instruction, which includes a core of coursework in Conservation Biology and provides an overview of the disciplines within this interdisciplinary field. A required professional development component involves a mentored biology course that will help students develop presentation skills and provide them with the tools to write effective proposals. An interdisciplinary selection of professional courses will be enhanced through an internship experience offered by partnering industries, government agencies, and organization.