Information for Prospective Students

Applications are due December 15, 2007 to assure maximum consideration for assistantships and fellowships. Most fellowship decisions are made by mid-January. However, we will also consider applications submitted after this deadline until March 15, 2008 .

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The Program

The Conservation Biology Graduate Program was established in 1990 and is the largest interdisciplinary program at the University of Minnesota. It has 85-90 students and equal number of faculty members from 22 departments, 7 colleges and 11 agencies. The program offers MS and Ph. D. degrees in Conservation Biology as well as joint degrees (JD/MS, JD/PhD) with the Law School and a minor. A specialized "track" is available for students who want to focus on fisheries and aqatic biology.

The Conservation Biology program is highly interdisciplinary and offers graduate opportunities that truly integrate problem-solving across the social and biological sciences. The students partner with local, state and federal conservation agencies and national and international non-government organizations to improve conservation and management of biodiversity. Student research projects range from the effects of walleye fishing tournaments on walleye survival, genetic diversity in the endangered Great Lakes piping plover population, improvement of oil and gas road reclamation in the Badlands, the role of exotic earthworm in forest degradation, community based monitoring of tigers in Nepal, and lion-human conflict in Tanzania to name a few. Click here for more research titles.

The best way to get to know the Conservation Biology Graduate Program is to learn about our students -- what they've accomplished through their research, who they've partnered with to help solve key conservation problems, and how they've managed to develop skills they can use throughout their careers. Take a little time to hear a few Conservation Biology students.

Research, teaching and outreach in conservation biology have been promoted through various University of Minnesota institutes and centers, notably the Bell Museum of Natural History, the Raptor Center, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Cedar Creek Natural History Area, Itasca and Cloquet Field Stations, the Institute for Social, Environmental and Economic Sustainability, the Center for Community Genetics, Invasion Biology Research Consortium, and the Center for Global Change. The University's location within a government and commercial center has created numerous partnerships with federal and state agencies, as well as non-profit organizations to address conservation biology issues. In addition, 18 members of the Conservation Biology program are adjunct faculty from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Zoo, the Pollution Control Agency, and The Nature Conservancy.

The University

The University of Minnesota, one of the top three publicly funded research institutions in the United States, is located in the heart of the Twin Cities. Founded in 1851 by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, the University is unusual in combining a state land-grant institution with a major metropolitan research university. This provides an extraordinary concentration of intellectual resources.

Statement on Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is against the law. It is prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and by the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Sexual harassment is broadly defined to include behavior which is not considered overtly sexual. Although not specifically prohibited, consenting sexual relationships between faculty and student, or supervisor and employee, are actively discouraged. The University of Minnesota has had a strongly enforced policy on sexual harassment since 1981 and encourages the reporting of violations. Call 612-624-9547 for additional information.

Statement of Equal Opportunity and Diversity

University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

The Graduate School and Educational Psychology Department embrace the University of Minnesota's position that promoting and supporting diversity among the student body is central to the academic mission of the University. A diverse student body enriches graduate education by providing a multiplicity of views and perspectives that enhance research, teaching, and the development of new knowledge. A diverse mix of students promotes respect for, and opportunities to learn from, others with the broad range of backgrounds and experiences that constitute modern society. Higher education trains the next generation of leaders of academia and society in general, and such opportunities for leadership should be accessible to all members of society. The Graduate School and its constituent graduate programs are therefore committed to providing equal access to educational opportunities through recruitment, admission, and support programs that promote diversity, foster successful academic experiences, and cultivate the leaders of the next generation.