Renewable Natural Resources (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview

LSU has a long tradition in natural resource education and research, beginning with its first forestry class in 1911 and continuing to the present School of Renewable Natural Resources. The importance of renewable resources to Louisiana is evident in the $4 billion annual economic impact to the state from natural resource commodities (e.g., timber harvesting, wood products, recreational hunting, hunting leases, recreational and commercial fishing). However, the benefits of sustaining viable natural resources go far beyond their economic value and include a diversity of ecosystem services, including storm amelioration, water quality improvement, wildlife habitat, hydrologic processing, and maintenance of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. Today, programs in the school are focused on both basic and applied research and teaching in the fields of aquaculture, fisheries, forestry, forest products, watershed function, wetlands, and wildlife. The school has established close working relationships with private landowners, private industry, commodity groups, nonprofit conservation groups, and federal and state agencies, both in the U.S. and abroad. Combined with the research expertise of the school’s faculty, the abundance and diversity of renewable natural resources in Louisiana provide a rich environment for graduate study.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials supplied by third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. All documents will be scanned and stored electronically, and faculty in the School of Renewable Natural Resources will have access to all material submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying for graduate study. International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL (minimum 213 on computer-based, 550 on paper-based, or 79 on Internet-based exams), IELTS (minimum 6.5) score, or PTE (minimum 59) score. The following documents should accompany all applications submitted to the Graduate School: transcript(s) of undergraduate study, transcript(s) of all graduate work, GRE scores (verbal and quantitative), three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. The statement of purpose should include:

1. Educational and work experience in the chosen area of concentration.
2. Educational goals and career plans.
3. Reasons for pursuing graduate studies in the school.
4. A brief outline of research interests and potential thesis topics.
5. Any other information that would assist faculty members with their admission recommendation.

If Graduate School admissions criteria are met, all documents will be forwarded to the graduate advisor in the school and evaluated by the appropriate faculty group for an admission recommendation.

Financial Assistance

Graduate research assistantships are awarded to incoming graduate students on a competitive basis and typically range from $16,000 to $22,000 per year. Outstanding applicants in forestry-related areas of research are eligible to compete for Gilbert Foundation Assistantships, which range from $22,000 to $25,000 per year and include a full tuition exemption. Rockefeller Scholarships, with awards of $1,000 per year, are available to Louisiana students and to out-of-state students after one year of residence in the state. Wildlife students conducting waterfowl research are eligible to compete for the Bosch Memorial Assistantship. All graduate students can apply for small travel grants from the Graduate School to attend scientific meetings, and wildlife and fisheries students are also eligible for Glasgow Travel Grants administered by the school. To be considered for fellowships and state-funded assistantships, applications must be received by August 15 for the following spring semester and February 1 for the following fall semester.

Graduate Faculty

(check current listings by department by clicking this link)

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Forestry

Wildlife

Programs

• Renewable Natural Resources, Ph.D.

• Renewable Natural Resources, M.S.