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Program overview

This program is designed for recent graduates from a range of disciplines and for individuals with experience in private organizations or public agencies dealing with natural resources and the environment. Some students enter directly from undergraduate programs, but most have had some work experience between their undergraduate degree and REM.  

Relevant disciplines of undergraduate training or experience include: biology, engineering, chemistry, forestry and geology, as well as business administration, economics, geography, planning and a variety of social sciences.  

The MRM degree provides training for careers in private or public organizations and preparation for further training for research and academic careers. Students take an integrated sequence of courses in complementary fields, pursue further courses in their area of specialization in the School and throughout the University, and complete a research project on a topic involving more than one traditional discipline.  

The aim is to increase familiarity and competence in understanding the dynamics of natural resources, the strategies and techniques of natural resource and environmental planning and management, and the biological, physical, social, economic and institutional implications of resource decisions. Students also become familiar with various quantitative methods of analysis and aids to decision making. In the field of natural resources, in particular, it is important that an academic program stress problem-solving as well as creative and critical thinking skills, rather than focusing solely on subject matter such as fisheries, resource economics, or forestry.

Some courses are scheduled in the evenings or for week-long blocks. The optional Co-operative Education Program allows students to work in a private organization or a resource management agency to gain first-hand experience while obtaining their degree.

Example MRM Student Schedule

Research project (REM 699)

Because of the heavy course load, the research project is usually scoped to be smaller than a Master’s thesis in a single-discipline department, but of equivalent quality. Many projects result in papers that are published in high-quality journals, and many MRM students have received awards and presented at conferences.  

Student research projects are intended to incorporate methods and/or ideas from more than one discipline. Student research often evaluates the effectiveness of existing natural resource management policies and, where appropriate, develops alternatives. Innovative strategies often emerge from research into the biological dynamics of natural resources, or the institutional, social, economic or public policy aspects of their management.

The emphasis in course materials and research programs is not simply to identify and describe resource and environmental problems, but to better understand causes and design acceptable solutions. Researchers apply a range of approaches, including cost-benefit analysis, simulation modeling, legal and institutional assessment frameworks, and social surveys to address critical and emerging natural resource management issues on local, national, and international scales.

Student research is often conducted in collaboration with resource management agencies to facilitate implementation of research results. For a selection of completed student research projects, see student research.

Program overview

Applicants hoping to be accepted into the MRM Thesis stream need to apply to the program under the same criteria and requirement as the Project and Planning Stream applicants with the same deadlines and intake dates.

Students in the thesis stream complete seven courses and a master’s thesis. Both the Project and Thesis MRM streams require high-quality research and writing, but the thesis stream is more research intensive, producing a final thesis document that is larger in scope and makes a distinct original contribution to the academic knowledge base in their field. Students are expected to complete the program in 6 semesters (2 years).