Rangeland & Forest Resources Graduate Program (RAM)

Graduate Studies
The Rangeland Ecology and Management Emphasis seeks to attract graduate students eager to perfect their managerial and administrative capacities or who wish to pursue research and teaching careers.

Graduate degrees are aimed at providing students with background in the applicable natural and social sciences and the ability to communicate and apply their knowledge in research, teaching and resource management careers. The University of Arizona offers strong supporting curricula in basic sciences, is designed to encourage interaction with other resource disciplines such as wildlife ecology, forest-watershed management, recreation and landscape architecture.

Career Opportunities
The Emphasis in Rangeland Ecology & Management seeks motivated graduate students who wish to pursue careers in research, teaching, or resource management.

Graduate programs are aimed at providing students with skills and experience in the natural and social sciences and ability to communicate and apply their knowledge in research, teaching and resource management careers. The University of Arizona offers strong supporting curricula in earth system science, social science, and agriculture. The organizational structure of the School of Natural Resources is designed to encourage interaction between students and faculty in resources disciplines such as wildlife ecology watershed management, and landscape architecture.

Program of Study
Graduate students who emphasize Rangeland Ecology and Management have excellent employment potential in either the private sector or with resource management agencies at the local, state, national, and international levels. Recent M.S. and Ph.D. graduates have accepted positions in consulting firms, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) , U. S. Geological Survey, USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, USDI National Park Service, USDI Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and universities.

Design of study programs is flexible, and can be tailored to match the interests of the individual student. Students may specialize in any of several areas, usually related to ongoing research projects and faculty expertise. These areas of specialization include plant-herbivore interaction, fire ecology, rangeland policy, soil-vegetation interactions, global change, and long-term vegetation dynamics. Students may also choose from a wide variety of minor subjects, including soil science, watershed management, animal science, wildlife ecology, plant science, ecology, and global change.

Research
Arizona's wide array of climates and vegetation life zones, ranging from desert to alpine, provide excellent opportunities for year-around field research. In addition to cooperative research on federal and state rangelands and private ranches, the university owns or has access to the 53,000 acre Santa Rita Experimental Range, Walnut Gulch Experimental Watersheds, V-Bar-V research ranch, University Agricultural Center, and other areas. Laboratory and greenhouse facilities are available on campus and, in addition, the range facultty maintain close working relationships with the Aridland Watershed Project (ASDA-ARS), Plant Material Center (SCS), and Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station (USFS).

Faculty affiliated with the Rangeland Ecology & Management emphais are well-known for their expertise in rangeland inventory and monitoring, fire ecology, ecology of non-native plant species, plant herbivore interactions, and rangeland policy. Numerous research opportunities are available, as evidenced by the current interests and activities of Program faculty.

Admission and Financial Aid
A limited number of graduate research or teaching assistantships are available. In addition, part-time employment in research can sometimes be arranged within the program or with USDA cooperators. Information on the School, graduate programs, admission and assistantship applications can be obtained from the Academic Coordinator at the address below. In addition to Graduate College requirements, applicants must submit a letter of intent, three letters of recommendation, and general GRE test scores to:

Cheryl Craddock
Academic Coordinator
The University of Arizona
School of Natural Resources
Biological Sciences East, Room 325D
Tucson, AZ 85721
snrinfo@cals.arizona.edu
520-621-7260

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