Natural Resources

Natural Resources with Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Emphasis, Doctor of Philosophy

Doctoral | On Campus

*This program is eligible for the STEM OPT Extension.

Admission criteria

Application deadline: Rolling

• Minimum GPA: 3.2 undergraduate GPA for the last 60 hours of coursework
• Experience in research or management of natural resources. Practical skills are strongly considered.

Minimum Language Requirements

Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Required Application Materials

For the Graduate School

• Completed online Graduate Application for Admission
• Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)

For the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Program

All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School online application system.

• A minimum of three letters of recommendation and the accompanying evaluation sheets from people who can attest to the candidate’s scholastic and conservation field work abilities
• Statement of purpose
• TOEFL scores (when applicable)
• Publications (optional)
• Resume or CV

We require applicants to contact specific faculty to determine the availability of research assistantships prior to applying to the program.

An applicant contemplating graduate work in fisheries, limnology, conservation biology or wildlife should have a strong background in biological and physical sciences, including biology, botany, zoology, ecology, physiology and genetics. In addition, such taxonomic courses as plant taxonomy, invertebrate zoology, ichthyology, ornithology and mammalogy are highly desirable, as is a background in chemistry, mathematics, statistics and physics.

A background of 25 to 30 hours in biological sciences courses is desirable. Minor deficiencies may be remedied during the graduate program; major deficiencies may require preparatory coursework prior to consideration for admission.

Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences degrees emphasize resource management at organismal, population, or ecosystem scales. An emphasis on resource management helps distinguish our program from basic biology; therefore, course work in fisheries or wildlife management, environmental science, resource policy, or other applied ecology fields is advantageous.

Natural Resources with Forestry Emphasis, Doctor of Philosophy

Doctoral | On Campus

*This program is eligible for the STEM OPT Extension.

Admission criteria

• Minimum GPA: 3.0 in last 60 hours
• Particular attention is given to the record of the last 2 years of undergraduate study, and/or the type and quality of professional experience since completion of the undergraduate degree. Doctoral candidates must demonstrate a higher level of achievement in each of these criteria.

Minimum Language Requirements

Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Required application materials

For the Graduate School

• Completed Graduate School online application
• Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)

For the Forestry Program

All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School online application system.

• 3 letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to evaluate scholarly capacity and professional qualities
• Statement of purpose (an explanation/essay of your academic and career background and goals)
• Résumé
• Sample publication (optional)

Natural Resources with Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Emphasis, Doctor of Philosophy

Doctoral | On Campus

*This program is eligible for the STEM OPT Extension.

The Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Emphasis Area (HDNR) addresses research and management questions including peoples’ attitudes, knowledge, values, perceptions, and behaviors associated with natural resources.  As an interdisciplinary emphasis area, HDNR considers applicants with backgrounds in social sciences, environmental education, natural resources management and conservation, or related disciplines.

The Ph.D. degree in HDNR is designed to prepare students for careers in academic research and teaching, or advanced scientific professions. The Ph.D. degree is conferred upon students who have demonstrated a high level of achievement in their particular specialization and have completed independent research contributing to knowledge in their respective field.

Admission Criteria

Fall deadline: Rolling
Spring deadline: Rolling

• Minimum GPA: 3.0 in last 60 hours
• TOEFL required (for non-native English speaking applicants only)

Minimum Language Requirements

Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Required Application Materials

For the Graduate School

• Completed Graduate School online application
• Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)

For the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Program

All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School online application system.

• Statement of interest
• Résumé or CV
• TOEFL scores (if applicable)
• A minimum of three letters of recommendation and the accompanying evaluation sheets from people who can attest to the candidate’s scholastic ability and experience relevant to graduate study
• Publications (optional)

Natural Resources with Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Emphasis, Doctor of Philosophy

Doctoral | On Campus

*This program is eligible for the STEM OPT Extension.

Admission Criteria

Application deadline: Two months prior to the start of the academic semester for which the applicant is applying.

• Completion of an MS degree or equivalent. A waiver of the MS degree requirement may be made by the candidate’s doctoral program committee.
• Atmospheric science applicants: Undergraduate program should include integral calculus and one year of college physics.
• Soil science applicants: Completed courses in general and organic chemistry, calculus, geology and physics. Inadequacies in courses must be remedied through additional course work immediately after admission.

Minimum Language Requirements

Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Required Application Materials

For the Graduate School

• Completed Graduate School online application
• Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)

For the Soil, Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences Program

All application materials for graduate admission into the SEAS program must be submitted to the Graduate School online application system.

• Letter of self-evaluation and professional goals
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume (optional)
• Official scores from TOEFL or IELTS is required from international applicants.

Natural Resources with Water Resources Emphasis, Doctor of Philosophy

Doctoral | On Campus

*This program is eligible for the STEM OPT Extension.

The Water Resources emphasis area is an interdisciplinary graduate degree program within the School of Natural Resources. It encompasses all fields of natural sciences represented in the School and, through collaboration, involves related expertise from throughout the University of Missouri and beyond. Participating faculty in the Water Resources emphasis area are engaged in both the scientific understanding of water resources (biological, chemical and physical) and its management, and the decision-making processes used to address competing societal values (social, economic and legal). The program has no geographic boundaries but the location of MU suggests most research will be directed to better understanding of water movement, biogeochemical cycling and biological processes of forested- agricultural and urban landscapes of the midcontinent. The lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and subsurface waters of the region are prime areas for basic and applied research. One of the program’s major global impacts is the training of highly qualified graduate professionals that are equipped to address many of the complex contemporary water resource problems around the world.

Admission Criteria

Application deadline: Rolling

• Minimum GPA: 3.0 in last 60 hours
• Experience in research or management of water resources. Practical skills are strongly considered.

Minimum Language Requirements

Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Required Application Materials

For the Graduate School

• Completed Graduate School online application
• Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)

For the Water Resources Program

All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School online application system.

• A minimum of three letters of recommendation and the accompanying evaluation sheets from people who can attest to the candidate’s scholastic and water resources related field work abilities
• Resume or CV
• Letter of professional goals (2 page limit), indicating education, research and career goals
• Publications (optional)
• TOEFL scores (when applicable)
• Applicants who wish to pursue a PhD without a MS degree are required to submit either a research paper (e.g., an undergraduate thesis) OR a research proposal for the work proposed for the PhD at MU with your intended thesis advisor (10 page limit). This document should have clearly defined objectives and hypotheses. Format is flexible, but guidance on proposal structure can be found in materials required for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). For the research paper, please follow the format of a peer-reviewed journal article in your discipline.

Applicants should contact specific faculty to determine the availability potential advisors, available position(s) in the potential advisors lab and of available research assistantships prior to applying.

An applicant contemplating graduate work in water resources should have a strong background in physical sciences, including calculus, chemistry, and physics. Those considering interdisciplinary degrees should also have a background in biology, botany, zoology, ecology and other natural sciences. A background of 25 to 30 hours in physical sciences courses is desirable. Minor deficiencies may be remedied during the graduate program; major deficiencies may require preparatory coursework prior to consideration for admission.

The Water Resources graduate degree program is integrated by a set of common courses from which students can customize their Course Plans. Students and their Advisors are not restricted to those courses, but are expected to draw from the list first when developing Course Plans.

Upon successful completion of the School of Natural Resources Water Resources graduate program, students will possess strong technical skills in water resources and related sub-disciplines. Graduates will have developed a holistic understanding of the hydrologic cycle related to ecosystem processes as and the interdisciplinary background necessary to understand and address contemporary watershed management, water quality and integrated natural resources problems. Graduates will have an appreciation of the complex interactions of biophysical processes and tightly coupled socioeconomic interactions necessary to implement water resource policy.