Changes in curriculum in MNR to attract more students, fire ecology
The University of Idaho Faculty Senate approved to split up the Master of Natural Resources program into two degree options — an Integrated Natural Resources option and a Fire Ecology and Management option.
Ronald Robberecht, director of the MNR program, said offering the Fire Ecology and Management option would make UI an appealing choice to students looking for a specialized fire degree.
“It’s quite a built up market already there,” he said, speaking at the UI Faculty Senate meeting last week. “We get inquiries from people with fire interested areas where we can’t really give them specialties.”
Robberecht said the curriculum for the Fire Ecology and Management option would focus on wildfire science and management, whereas the Integrated Natural Resources degree option would follow the traditional curriculum laid out in the current MNR master’s degree.
Like the traditional MNR degree, Robberecht said he expects the Fire Ecology and Management option to attract working professionals hoping to update their academic credentials.
Over the past decade, Robberecht said state agencies have pushed employees to upgrade their education credentials, which has partially driven the success of the current MNR program and other master’s programs.
“That’s actually driving a lot of professional programs across the country,” he said.
Robberecht said about two-thirds of the students in the current MNR program are employed at state land management agencies, and most are between 35 and 50 years old.
Since many of the potential students are working professionals, Robberecht said both degree options would be fully available online. He said many MNR students cannot attend class on UI campus due to work and family responsibilities, but are still driven and self-motivated individuals.
“We have to really adjust our way of business for them,” Robberecht said.
Students would also have the opportunity to take classes on UI campus or a hybrid between on-campus classes and online courses, Robberecht said.
Although the online classes allow more accessibility to students, Robberecht said UI has to compete with other western universities offering similar programs through online platforms. He said Oregon State University, Utah State University and Montana State University are just a few of the other universities vying for graduate students in similar programs.
Despite the competition, Robberecht said the traditional MNR degree has been a success at UI, with 70 students currently enrolled in the program. He said he hopes the new Fire Ecology and Management option sees a similar turnout.
Both degree options would be a course based, non-thesis degree program that would require 28 course credits and include a research project.
As for the cost of the programs, Robberecht said the new degree options are cost effective since most of the students pay their own way through the degree and don’t use the campus infrastructure.
He said the fire ecology degree option could also have the potential to break into the international market, attracting students from South America and Africa.
The university’s curriculum committee and graduate council approved the curriculum change, followed by the Faculty Senate. The curriculum change will now go to the Idaho State Board of Education for approval, Robberecht said.
If approved, the program would begin fall 2015.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]