12 MSES Concentrations

 

Ecology and Conservation

(15 credit hours)

 

The Ecology and Conservation concentration focuses on problem-solving techniques applied to current ecological issues. The diversity of the earth’s living species in both natural and managed ecosystems offers students a variety of study areas within ecology and conservation, including forest ecology and management, fisheries and wildlife management, soil and watershed management, endangered species, and wetlands. Courses should be selected in consultation with a concentration advisor.

 

As a reminder, MSES students should prioritize their core courses and appropriate course sequencing. Students may not use MSES core courses to fulfill concentration requirements.

 

REQUIREMENTS: (6 credit hours)

 

Field and Identification Core – Select two courses from the following list:

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
+SPEA-E 563 Wildlife Management	P: E527 (or E527 waiver) or permission of instructor
+SPEA-E 561 Wildlife Techniques	P: Undergrad or graduate biology/ecology course
SPEA-E 528 Forest Ecology and Management
SPEA-E 540 Wetlands Ecology and Management (4 cr.)	P: E527 or permission of instructor
SPEA-E 546 Stream Ecology	P: E556 or permission of instructor. Carries capstone credit for MSES and MPA-MSES.
SPEA-E 555 Plants and Plant Communities
SPEA-E 556 Limnology (4 cr.)	R: undergraduate courses: general biology, general chemistry with lab
*+BIOL-B 300 Vascular Plants
*+BIOL-L 376 Biology of Birds

 

⁺If taking the approved undergraduate courses, please notify O’Neill Records, as your record will need updated manually. Approved undergraduate courses taken while the student was an undergraduate DO NOT count toward the concentration. Approved undergraduate courses must be taken during the graduate career.

 

*⁺Indicates an undergraduate course outside of O’Neill—please see notes above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELECTIVES: (9 credit hours)

 

Ecology and Conservation Electives – Take an additional three classes from the above list or from the additional electives listed below:

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 504 Sustainable River Management
SPEA-E 517 BMP Design for Healthy Urban Watersheds	R: E545
SPEA-E 520 Environmental Toxicology
SPEA-E 522 Urban Forest Management
SPEA-E 534 Restoration Ecology	P: E527 or E540 or permission of instructor
SPEA-E 545 Lake and Watershed Management
SPEA-E 550 Soil Science and Management	R: one semester of college chemistry
SPEA-E 555 Conservation Planning
SPEA-E 555 Sustaining Urban Ecosystems	R: upper level ecology course
SPEA-E 557 Conservation Biology	P: E527 or waiver of E527
SPEA-E 591 Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resources	P: grad course in ecology, envl. policy or envl. management or a waiver of one of these

 

*Registration in courses outside of O’Neill requires an Outside-Program Course Request Form (may be obtained in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal) approved by the appropriate Faculty Program Director. Please refer to the page outlining the policy on outside course substitutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Energy and Climate Change Science

(15 credit hours)

 

The MSES Energy and Climate Change Science concentration trains students in the scientific and technological aspects of energy generation, utilization, and impacts of these practices as well as science and technology associated with the study of climate change and its impacts. Courses should be selected in consultation with a concentration advisor to ensure the best fit for student interests in this broad and dynamic field.

 

As a reminder, MSES students should prioritize their core courses and appropriate course sequencing. Students may not use MSES core courses to fulfill concentration requirements.

 

REQUIREMENTS: (3 credit hours)

 

The following course is required.

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 574 Energy Systems in Transition

 

ELECTIVES: (12 credit hours)

 

Select four of the following courses. Two may be out-of-O’Neill courses.

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 505 Renewable and Nuclear Energy and Climate Change	R: E574
SPEA-E 515 Fundamentals of Air Pollution	R: E536
SPEA-E 591 Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resources	P: grad course in ecology, envl. policy or envl. management or a waiver of one of these
SPEA-R 674 Energy Economics and Policy	P: V517
*GEOG-G 532 Physical Climatology
*GEOG-G 544 Climate Change Impacts
*EAS-G 534 Dynamic Meteorology: Synoptic to Global Scale	P: GEOG-G 532 or consent of instructor
*EAS-G 537 Synoptic Meteorology and Climatology	P: GEOG-G 532 or consent of instructor
*EAS-G 540 Physical Meteorology, Climate, and Paleoclimate
*EAS-G 556 Wind Power Meteorology	Consent of instructor
*EAS-G 576 Climate Change Science

 

*Registration in courses outside of O’Neill requires an Outside-Program Course Request Form (may be obtained in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal) approved by the appropriate Faculty Program Director. Please refer to the page outlining the policy on outside course substitutions.

 

 

Environmental Chemistry, Toxicology, and Risk Assessment (ECTRA)

(15 credit hours)

 

This concentration addresses the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment and the hazards and risks to human health and the environment associated with chemical pollution. Courses on the chemical/physical/biological fate of pollutants in soil, aquatic, and atmospheric systems are included. Additional courses study the hazards associated with chemicals used by modern society, technologies available to manage and remediate contaminated sites, the toxicological effects of chemical exposure, and methods to assess risks associated with chemicals in the environment. Courses should be selected in consultation with a concentration advisor.

 

As a reminder, MSES students should prioritize their core courses and appropriate course sequencing. Students may not use MSES core courses to fulfill concentration requirements.

 

REQUIREMENTS: (9 credit hours)

 

ECTRA Core – Select one course from each of the following three groups:

 

Environmental Chemistry (select one):

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 515 Fundamentals of Air Pollution	R: E536
SPEA-E 539 Aquatic Chemistry	R: E536
SPEA-E 564 Organic Pollutants: Environmental Chemistry and Fate	R: E536 or undergraduate organic chemistry

 

Toxicology (select one):

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 514 Changing Landscape of Toxic Chemical Regulation
SPEA-E 520 Environmental Toxicology

 

Risk Analysis:

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 560 Environmental Risk Analysis	P: E538, V506, or consent of instructor. A firm foundation in math and/or science is useful. Carries capstone credit for MSES and MPA-MSES.

 

 

 

 

 

ELECTIVES: (6 credit hours)

 

ECTRA Electives – Select an additional two courses from the above lists or from the additional electives listed below.

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 537 Environmental Chemistry Laboratory	P: E536. Requires substitution form.
SPEA-E 542 Hazardous Materials
SPEA-E 554 Groundwater Flow Modeling
SPEA-E 562 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
*EAS-A 547 Atmospheric Instrumentation

 

*Registration in courses outside of O’Neill requires an Outside-Program Course Request Form (may be obtained in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal) approved by the appropriate Faculty Program Director. Please refer to the page outlining the policy on outside course substitutions.

Water Resources

(15 credit hours)

 

The water resources concentration emphasizes scientific principles of water quantity and quality. Courses provide information and problem-solving skills using biological, chemical, and physical descriptions of water in the environment. Courses should be selected in consultation with a concentration advisor.

 

As a reminder, MSES students should prioritize their core courses and appropriate course sequencing. Students may not use MSES core courses to fulfill concentration requirements.

 

REQUIREMENTS: (9 credit hours)

 

Water Resources Core – Take three courses including at least one course from each section.

 

Physical and Chemical Aspects of Water (select at least one course):

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 539 Aquatic Chemistry	R: E536
SPEA-E 554Groundwater Flow Modeling
SPEA-E 555 Watershed Hydrology
*GEOG G-551 Physical Hydrology

 

Ecological Aspects of Water (select at least one course):

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 516 Fisheries Management
SPEA-E 540 Wetlands Ecology and Management (4 cr.)	P: E527 or permission of instructor
SPEA-E 546 Stream Ecology	P: E556 or permission of instructor. Carries capstone credit.
SPEA-E 556 Limnology (4 cr.)	R: undergraduate courses: general biology, general chemistry with lab

 

ELECTIVES: (6 credit hours)

 

Water Resources Electives – Select an additional two courses from the above lists or from the additional electives listed below.

 

	P=Prerequisite, C=Corequisite, & R=Recommendations
SPEA-E 504 Sustainable River Management
SPEA-E 517 BMP Design for Healthy Urban Watersheds	R: E545
SPEA-E 534 Restoration Ecology	P: E527 or E540 or permission of instructor
SPEA-E 545 Lake and Watershed Management
SPEA-E 557 Conservation Biology	P: E527 or waiver of E527
SPEA-E 591 Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resources	P: grad course in ecology, envl. policy or envl. management or a waiver of one of these
GEOG-G 567 Ecohydrology

 

*Registration in courses outside of O’Neill requires an Outside-Program Course Request Form (may be obtained in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal) approved by the appropriate Faculty Program Director. Please refer to the page outlining the policy on outside course substitutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSES Specialized Concentration

(15 credit hours)

 

A student, whose educational and professional goals are not satisfied by O’Neill’s concentrations, may design a Specialized Concentration that best suits his or her needs in consultation with a faculty advisor with final approval required by the relevant faculty program director(s). The student, the student’s advisor, and the appropriate Faculty Program Director must sign a Specialized Concentration Form that specifies the courses that will comprise the customized concentration. This form is available in Forms section of the Current Student Portal. The completed Specialized Concentration Form must be submitted prior to enrolling in the courses outlined. The concentration must be declared within the first 24 credit hours of the student’s academic program.

 

MSES specialized concentrations consist of a minimum of 15 credit hours.

 

Although no specific guidelines exist for the courses to be included in a Specialized Concentration, students must take O’Neill courses unless approved by a faculty advisor(s) and the appropriate Faculty Program Director(s). Students must name their Specialized Concentration. However, these names will not appear on their IU transcript. Instead, after “Major” the words “Specialized Study” will appear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSES Thesis Concentration

(18-24 credits)

 

Students who wish to pursue their own research may do so under the MSES thesis concentration. Note that a master’s thesis is generally not required for admission to doctoral programs, although research experience (for example, through graduate assistantships or research internships) is strongly recommended. Students interested in research experience and considering a future doctoral degree should talk with the MSES faculty advisors to determine what kinds of research experience will be most useful to them. It may also be useful to explore webpages of possible doctoral-program websites to determine the desired research experience for applicants in your chosen field.

 

Students pursue the MSES thesis concentration under the guidance of a major professor and thesis committee comprising at least 3 O’Neill faculty (including the major advisor). Students must find a faculty member willing to work with them as a major professor, and must do so early in their degree, preferably in their first semester. Because of the need for close faculty guidance, O’Neill can only support a few MSES thesis projects at any one time. Many more students obtain research experience (sometimes including co-authorship on journal articles) as GAs and research interns.

 

After the student has found a major advisor, the two work together to determine whom to ask to join the MSES thesis committee. Once the committee has been established, the student files a Nomination of Advisory Committee for the MSES Thesis form (available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal) with the O’Neill Records Office (oneillrc@indiana.edu).

 

MSES thesis concentrations must have a minimum of 18 credits, comprising environmental science coursework and research credit (E625), and may have as much as 24 credits. The mix of research and courses is designed and agreed upon among the student, major advisor, and other committee members, and is recorded on an MSES Thesis Coursework form (available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal) submitted to the O’Neill Records Office (oneillrc@indiana.edu) for approval by the MSES program director.

 

Students taking the MSES thesis concentration must still meet the requirements for at least 6 credits of Economics/Management/Policy coursework, which will typically fall outside the thesis concentration. The capstone requirement and experiential requirement are met by the thesis concentration: students do not need to take a specific capstone course nor are they required to complete an internship. This does not prevent MSES thesis students from taking a capstone course or undertaking an internship if they wish to do so. However, MSES thesis students who choose to take an internship would not register it with the Career Hub.

 

Once the thesis research is completed, the student writes up the results as a master’s thesis. MSES thesis formatting instructions are in the document MSES Thesis Components, Formatting, and Submission (available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal). Students and major professors may also choose to publish the MSES thesis research as a journal article. The process of preparing a journal article is separate from the MSES thesis submission process, but the MSES thesis and the article may be quite similar in their content and formatting.

 

 

 

 

When the full MSES thesis is drafted, the student must successfully defend the thesis, providing a public presentation (typically 30-45 min) about the research and then making a closed-door defense to the thesis committee (typically 1-2 hr). If the thesis is accepted, the committee signs the MSES Thesis Acceptance form (available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal). If revisions to the thesis are required, the committee may sign the acceptance form at the defense or may request to see the finalized revisions before signing.

 

After the MSES thesis is accepted and the acceptance form has been signed by the entire committee, the student sends a copy of the final version of the MSES thesis (which includes the signed acceptance form) as a Word document, to the major advisor. The advisor, in turn, transmits electronic copies of the final thesis to the MSES program director, the O’Neill Records Office, and to the librarian who is the head of the Business/O’Neill Information Commons using the appropriate form (available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal).

 

This accomplishes two aims. First, it confirms to the Master’s Programs Office and to the O’Neill Graduate Records Office that the thesis research (and, usually, the concentration) is completed, and assigns final grades to any E625 research courses that were part of the thesis work. Second, it provides a copy of the MSES thesis to be added to the IU Library System and to be made available to the ProQuest, LLC Dissertation and Thesis portfolio. Researchers and other members of the public can search both the IU Library System and the ProQuest database to find the MSES thesis.