Earth System Science & Policy (M.S.) Requirements

Admission Requirements

Applicants who are seeking admission to School of Graduate Studies must meet all of the minimum general education requirements identified in the graduate catalog. In addition, students must fulfill the requirements below for admission to Earth System Science and Policy M.S.degree program.

1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Have satisfactorily completed a minimum of college-level algebra plus 3 credits of college statistics or calculus.
3. Have completed a minimum of 12 semester credits in the natural or physical sciences, e.g., physics, chemistry, geosciences, biology or related sciences.
4. Have earned a minimum average GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, on all upper division college-level coursework.
5. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog. 

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master of Science degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Earth System Science and Policy Department.

The overarching goal of all the degree programs offered in Earth System Science and Policy is to facilitate the acquisition of skills required to solve environmental problems or to seize opportunities presented by a changing environment. Much of the responsibility for learning rests upon the student.

1. Students enrolled in the MS program will take the following sequences. Students will complete the basic two-semester core sequences of courses during their first year of study.

   Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   ESSP 503	Environmental Policy & Science	3
   ESSP 504	The Biosphere	3
   ESSP 505	Energy Issues and Earth Systems	3
   ESSP 506	Ecosystem Services: Valuing Nature in a Market Society	3
   ESSP 507	Earth Systems Processes and Vulnerability Analysis	3
   ESSP 508	Hydrological Cycle in Earth Systems	3
   ESSP 590	Colloquium Series	2

2. A minimum of 36 credits beyond the baccalaureate is required, including six to nine credits for thesis.
3. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500 level.
4. A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
5. By the end of the first semester the student will select a chair of her/his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair, recommend membership on the Advisory Committee by the end of the second semester. The Advisory Committee will have 3 members, at least two of whom must be from the ESSP faculty. If the student is pursuing a minor concurrently with the MS in ESSP, one of the committee members will be from the department of the minor.
6. Students must file with the School of Graduate Studies an approved program of study before the completion of fifteen credits of coursework.
7. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.00 from the start of the graduate program in ESSP, and comply with the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. Grades poorer than “C” will not be accepted as fulfilling degree requirements.
8. MS students must complete oral and written examinations to qualify for candidacy in the Master of Science program. These will occur no later than the end of the third semester of coursework and will entail a 15 to 30 page written description and an oral presentation of their intended research project.
9. Successful completion, and oral defense, of a thesis is required for the MS degree.
10. All exams will be administered and evaluated by the student’s Advisory Committee.

    Course List

    Code	Title	Credits
    ESSP 503	Environmental Policy & Science	3
    ESSP 504	The Biosphere	3
    ESSP 505	Energy Issues and Earth Systems	3
    ESSP 506	Ecosystem Services: Valuing Nature in a Market Society	3
    ESSP 507	Earth Systems Processes and Vulnerability Analysis	3
    ESSP 508	Hydrological Cycle in Earth Systems	3
    ESSP 590	Colloquium Series	2
    Electives		7-13
    ESSP 998	Thesis	4-9
    Total Credits		31-42