Masters Degree

Degree Requirements

Requirements and policies related to committee structure, advising, and examinations are consistent with those in the OSU Graduate Catalog. Each student works with an advisor and graduate committee to develop a Graduate Study Program.

The Masters Graduate Committee consists of at least 4 members including: the Major Professor, the Minor Professor, and a representative of the OSU Graduate School. The Major and Minor Professors must be members of the ES Graduate Faculty, each from a different academic unit. The intent of these requirements is to provide disciplinary breadth on the Committee. The Masters Graduate Committee must be approved by the ES Graduate Program Director.

To encourage the development of interdisciplinary Graduate Study Programs, guidelines for course selection are flexible. Students must complete at least 45 graduate credits. A program of study must include a set of ES Graduate core courses totaling 9 Cr for M.S. students. In addition to the ES Graduate core courses, students must complete courses that constitute an area of concentration (or track). Upon completion of course work and thesis requirements Masters students will graduate with a major in Environmental Science, and would also qualify for a minor in Environmental Science. Students pursuing a Masters Degree may also have the option to pursue other, existing minors relevant to environmental science. The Program of Study would therefore consist of the following minimum credits in five programmatic areas:

  1. ES Core Courses: 9 Cr
  2. Methods and Numerical Skills 6 Cr
  3. ES Area of Concentration: 15 Cr
  4. Elective Courses: 0-9 Cr
  5. Thesis or Project: 6-12 Cr