NRSM Graduate Studies Handbook

Welcome from the NRSM Director of Graduate Studies!

The NRSM program is part of the Graduate School, but is supported academically and administratively through the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). The NRSM program is made up of faculty in many different departments, including Forest Resources; Entomology; Applied Economics; Biosystems and Bioproducts Engineering; Anthropology; Curriculum & Instruction; Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior; Educational Policy & Administration; Landscape Architecture; Plant Pathology; Sociology; Soil, Water, and Climate; Veterinary Biosciences; and the University of Minnesota Extension Service. 

Because of the breadth of the program, and the fact that many of the faculty serve in other graduate programs, it is easy to get confused about where exactly a person may fit within the overall structure. People have appointments in (or are employed by) departments, which can be (and often are) separate from their role within the graduate program. Faculty may have students from several different programs or departments working on the same research team. This can create confusion and can lead to misunderstandings and assumptions. For example, awards or fellowships are sometimes program-specific and sometimes department-specific. There may be a student in your research group (or lab) who is eligible for something that you are not eligible for because you are not in the same program or the same department. As a student, it is important to know which program or department you belong to.

The information in this handbook and other University catalogs, publications, or announcements is subject to change without notice. University offices can provide current information about possible changes.