Curriculum for a Graduate Certificate in Conservation Biology

Rationale

The purpose for a graduate Certificate in Conservation Biology is to provide students with interdisciplinary training outside the boundaries of current MU graduate degree programs. There is no single graduate program at MU that effectively prepares students for the interdisciplinary nature of a career in conservation biology. The need for a certificate is driven by these factors: 1) a student's need to provide prospective employers with effective credentials in the field of conservation biology; 2) an employer's need to be confident that an employee has the skills and knowledge to handle complex assignments or tasks at the interface of biology, resource management, and public policy; and 3) MU's need to attract the best available graduate students, which we can only accomplish if we meet the student and employer needs.

Program Description

The purpose of the curriculum for a certificate in Conservation Biology is to provide interdisciplinary coursework and experience beyond that offered in existing degree programs. The certificate curriculum requirements intend to help a student reach a higher level of competence in conservation biology. To accomplish this goal, we require that each student complete:

• Interdisciplinary Coursework (click for more details)
  • Ph.D. students: 15 credit hours of coursework, 12 of which may overlap with the degree course of study.
  • M.S./M.A. students: 9 credit hours of coursework, ...of which may overlap with the degree course of study.
  • Coursework must include one course each from the following areas: Science, Techniques and Policy. (See approved course list.)
  • Total credit hours need not exceed Graduate School degree requirements
• Practical Internship (click for more details)
  • 160 hours of an internship exploring an area complementary to the student's conservation career goals, under the guidance of a mentor, yielding a tangible product (e.g. paper, publication, presentation).

Certificate Requirements

Basic Requirements
To obtain a Conservation Biology Certificate, students must complete all requirements of their graduate degree program and adhere to the regulations established by the Graduate School at MU concerning minimum acceptable grade point average and residency requirements.

Process for Completing the Certificate

1. Enroll in a graduate degree program at MU.
   
2. Develop course of study (i.e. select courses and internship).
   
3. Send completed [Proposed Course Of Study Form] to Chair of Curriculum Committee via Janice Faaborg, Academic Advisor (303 ABNR).
   
4. Verify enrollment from Curriculum Committee (i.e. you should receive an email from the Curriculum Chair).
   
5. Send completed [Proposed Internship Form] to Chair of Curriculum Committee via Janice Faaborg, Academic Advisor (303 ABNR).
   
6. Verify internship approval from Curriculum Committee (i.e. you should receive an email from the Curriculum Chair).
   
7. Complete coursework and internship.
   
8. If you need to change your course of study midway through the program, send an ammended [Proposed Course Of Study Form] to the Curriculum Committee.
   
9. Provide the Curriculum Committee with a [Course Of Study Form], transcripts, and documentation of a completed internship from the internship supervisor to demonstrate that you have fulfilled the requirements of the certificate stated on the Proposed Course of Study form.

The interdisclipinary nature of conservation biology