Application Process:
Visit the ENRGP student handbook for additional details.
Master of Environment and Natural Resource Degree
All interested applicants will submit a current resume and brief statement of goals to the Graduate Program Coordinator for the MENR Director to review work experience and eligibility for admission. The Program Coordinator will encourage the applicant to schedule an interview/conversation with the MENR Director to discuss the program and the fit with the applicant’s professional goals and experiences. The MENR Director communicates with the applicant regarding the alignment between his or her career goals and the MENR program. Following this conversation the applicant will submit the online application and supporting materials. Once an application is complete, the Program Coordinator will conduct an initial review of that application to see if needed foundation courses have been completed. The Program Coordinator will then forward the application to the MENR Director for final review. The MENR Director will then approve the application for submission, along with a recommendation for admission, to the Graduate Studies Committee.
The graduate program admission letter will inform MENR applicants that MENR students are responsible for funding their own graduate education. Positions as a graduate associate (GRA, GTA) in the School of Environment and Natural Resources are not available to MENR students, but they may pursue other means of assistance, including federal loans, employer reimbursement, and/or graduate associate positions in other units of Ohio State University.
a. An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an environmental or natural resources field or in a related discipline. Applications are also encouraged from professionals in other fields who want to move into environmental or natural resource professions.
b. The following course work must be completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program. These courses will be evaluated and interpreted by the Program Coordinator and the MENR Director:
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- ENR 2100, Introduction to Environmental Science, or a similar course
- Six semester hours of college mathematics and/or statistics
- Six semester hours of physical science
- Six semester hours in biological science
- Six semester hours in English or communications
- Six semester hours in social science
- Six semester hours in the humanities
Students who have taken these courses at another institution may be asked to provide the MENR Director with a course syllabus or description for each course. Students who have not taken these courses at the college level, but feel their professional experience has given them the foundation needed are encouraged to submit a petition to waive the foundation course requirement. To petition, the student should write a separate statement for each course being petitioned. Statements should address what training, skills, and background they gained in their professional roles that have met the spirit of the foundation course requirement. Students are encouraged to provide documentation for any training, certification, or special projects that would be related to the course in question. The MENR Director will have final approval over approving or denying petitions, and may consult with the Graduate Studies Committee or other faculty when needed.
c. A current (no older than five years) GRE score. GRE results should be sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants with 5 or more years of Environmental and Natural Resources professional experience and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher are not required to take the GRE. In-Career applicants should confirm with the MENR Director that the GRE is or is not needed prior to applying and taking the test.
d. An undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with lower than a 3.0 may still be considered for conditional admission based on a combination of GRE scores and professional experience (see Appendix B.4).
e. Applicants must provide a statement describing their focus area, career goals, and how the MENR program will assist them in attaining those goals and a current curriculum vitae or resume.
f. Applicants must solicit three letters of recommendation and have them submitted online. For applicants with fewer than five years professional experience, at least two of those letters should come from faculty in their undergraduate programs, and one letter should be from an immediate supervisor who can discuss the applicant’s professional experience and potential for advancement. Applicants with five or more years of professional experience should include at least one letter from an immediate supervisor who can discuss the applicant’s professional experience and potential for advancement. All letters should address an applicant’s suitability to pursue a graduate degree leading toward professional practice.
g. International students whose first language is not English are required to score at least 550 (written), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 82 in the MELAB or 7 in the IELTS. Scores should be no more than two years old from the proposed semester of admission. The TOEFL is waived if the applicant earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from, or is a citizen of, one of the following countries and regions: Australia, Belize, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, Liberia, United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland), the Commonwealth Caribbean, and the United States.
h. Students seeking to enter the dual-degree program with another OSU graduate program should consult with the graduate program coordinator of that degree. Normally, admission to these programs is restricted to the autumn semester. Students in other graduate degree programs who to want to do a dual degree in Environment and Natural Resources should consult with the SENR graduate program office for guidelines.
i. Graduate students enrolled in another degree-seeking graduate program at Ohio State may request a transfer to the Environment and Natural Resources Graduate Program by submitting an online Intra-University Graduate Transfer application (found on gpadmissions.osu.edu) and attaching an updated statement of purpose and resume. New letters of recommendation (if applicable) should be requested on the online application. The Graduate Studies Committee may request additional materials to assist their evaluation of the transfer request. The request for transfer will be reviewed after all of the materials are received and reviewed by the MENR Director.