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Program Regulations

The program of study for each student will be planned and supervised in accordance with existing University and School policies. The student's Advisory Committee (which includes the student's Advisor) must insure that each M.F. candidate's course work meets the standards of a Master's program. A minimum of 30 course work credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree is required, as well as an oral examination. The proposed Master of Forestry will have completely specified course work requirements.

Master of Forestry (Plan B and Plan C)

The Master of Forestry (M.F.) degree program will be Plans B and C only, and will be directed at students who want a course work-only professional degree or who may be interested in working on a small project with a report. Students in this program will most likely lack a forestry background at the Bachelors level, and would find the Master of Forestry degree more appropriate than any of the other options within the School. The structure of this program is significantly different from our present Master of Science in Forestry and from the proposed Master of Science Degree programs in Forest Ecology and Management, Applied Ecology, and Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology. In addition to a Bachelors degree, students applying for this program are expected to have had 1 semester of Chemistry, and 1 semester of Elementary Statistics. The curriculum for Plan C is listed below. Students completing plan B may choose to take 2-6 research credits in lieu of the required course work listed below, upon consultation with their advisor. Curriculum:34 credits, depends on previous course work (at a minimum 30 credits)

Fall Semester (11 credits)
FW5510 Measuring Forest Resources & Vegetation of North America (4 cr)
FW3020 Forest and Landscape Ecology (3 cr)
FW3330 Soil Science (4 cr)
Spring Semester (13 credits)
FW3110 Natural Resource Policy (3 cr)
FW3540 Remote Sensing/GIS (4 cr)
FW4130 Biometrics (2 cr)
FW5080 Advanced Forest Economics and Finance (3 cr) NEW COURSE
FW5800 Master's Graduate Seminar (1 cr)
Fall Semester (10 credits)
FW5510 Special Topics in Natural Resources (1 cr)
FW5700 Graduate Field Forestry (7 cr)
FW5760 Graduate Tropical Forestry (2 cr)

Advisory Committee

The student's Graduate Advisory Committee should be appointed by the second semester of residence. The Advisory Committee will consist of at least four members, including one member designated as Chair. The chair is the student's graduate advisor. The Chair must be a member of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science and the Michigan Tech Graduate School faculty. At least one member of the Advisory Committee must be from outside the School. The Advisory Committee must approve the report (Plan B), and the necessary course work to successfully complete the project. The student's Advisor is responsible for ensuring the report (Plan B) is within the capability of the student and can be completed within a reasonable period of time. The Advisor and the Advisory Committee are responsible for ensuring the report (Plan B) and course work (Plans B and C) fall within the Masters program selected by the student and the student's Advisor. The role of the Advisory Committee for Plan C students is to help the student choose course work, keep track of the student's progress in his/her course work, and to test the student's knowledge on his/her course work at the student's oral defense.

General Procedures

A plan of work showing the courses to be taken, the topic of the report (Plan B), and the report format (Plan B) will be prepared by the student with his/her Advisor. The student's Advisory Committee will review the course work (Plans B and C) and design of study (Plan B) by the end of the second or third semester in residence. For a plan B Masters, the study plan must be presented to the student's Advisory Committee no later than the end of the second semester in residence. A copy of the approved study plan will be given to all committee members once approved by the Advisory Committee.All graduate students are required to be enrolled each academic term following entry into the Masters program until completion of all degree requirements. A full-time student on an assistantship must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester and not more than 12 credit hours each semester. During the summer, a full-time student on an assistantship must enroll for one credit hour.All Masters students will go through an oral defense. The oral defense for Plan B Masters students will focus around the student's report and their course work. Early in the student's last semester, a draft of the report should be submitted to the student's Advisor. Following review and revisions by the Advisor, the report should be submitted to the student's Advisory Committee at least two weeks before the scheduled oral examination. Plan B students must give a scheduled oral presentation before their defense. The oral defense for Plan C students will focus on their course work. All work required for the M.F. degree must be completed within five years after first registering for classes.

Grades

All grades must be B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better in the major subject area. The Associate Dean of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science can approve no more than six credits of C (2.0) in a cognate department. The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

The master’s degree demonstrates advanced ability. The master’s student must complete the following:

• choose an advisor and file a Recommended Advisor form (M2-GSO)
• file a Degree Schedule form (M4)
• complete the coursework requirements
• complete an oral examination
• finish the degree within the prescribed time limit
• submit an approved document in plans A & B
• Forms are available on-line at http://www.gradschool.mtu.edu/trackingforms.html

Advisor

Initially the advisor may be the Director of the Graduate Program, but as soon as possible, and no later than the end of the second term in residence, a permanent advisor should be chosen. This Michigan Tech graduate faculty member advises the student on course selection. The advisor is an important factor in the graduate student’s timely and successful completion of the program of study.

Degree Schedule

The Degree Schedule form (M4) is used to list all the courses that are to be applied to the degree requirements, including those yet to be taken. The completed M4 should be submitted in the term prior to the defense term. It must be approved before the defense is scheduled.

The courses listed on the M4 must meet certain requirements, described in each option below, and they must be approved by the advisor and the department chair. Courses taken while an undergraduate at Michigan Tech may be used for graduate degree credits if the Senior Rule form (available from the Graduate Program Assistant) has been appropriately filed. Courses taken while a post-grad may be used on the Degree Schedule with departmental approval.

Plan B: Report Option (Not offered by all programs)—This plan requires a report describing the results of an independent study project. Of the minimum total of 30 credits, at least 24 must be earned in course work other than the project.

Course work	24 credits
Report	2–6 credits
Total (minimum)	30 credits
Distribution of course work credit
5000–6000 series (minimum)	12 credits
3000–4000 level (maximum)	12 credits

Plan C: Course Work Option (Not offered by all programs)—This plan requires the minimum 30 credits be earned through course work.

Distribution of course work credit
5000–6000 series (minimum)	18 credits
3000–4000 level (maximum)	12 credits

Oral Examination

Examination by and approval of a faculty committee is required for awarding a master’s degree. This committee will examine the general professional knowledge, course work, and (in plans A and B) the written documents of each master’s candidate. The defense is scheduled and the committee nominated via the Scheduling of Final Oral Examination form (M5), which must be in the Graduate School office two weeks prior to the defense date.

Examination Committee—Must be nominated by the chair of the major department, usually in consultation with the advisor, and approved by the dean of the Graduate School. At least three of the four examiners must be members of the graduate faculty and one of the graduate faculty must be from outside the major department.

Thesis or Report

Distribute copies to the Examining Committee at least two weeks prior to the examination date.

Defense—Must be scheduled and the committee nominated via the Scheduling of Final Oral Examination form (M5). The committee’s written evaluation must be filed on the Report on Oral Examination form (M6). The student must be enrolled to defend.

Timeline to Degree

First reconcile this suggested chronology with your program’s requirements. The sequence may not be the same as written here. When you consult your advisor for your degree schedule, take this timeline to the meeting so you and your advisor are in agreement on your plans.

Date	Done	Task
		Enrolling for the first time—Get into course work under the direction of the Director of your Graduate Program.
		Make sure the Graduate School has official final transcripts showing proof of your previous degrees (if they are not from Michigan Tech).
		Fill out Patent, Research, and Proprietary Rights form in your department office.
		Get a Social Security Number if you will be getting a GRA or GTA, or otherwise working.
		Start looking for a faculty advisor for research projects; she/he should be chosen by the end of the second term in residence—your program will have its own way of handling this. File an M2-GSO form.
		If your research involves animal subjects, human subjects, or recombinant DNA, you must obtain approval from the appropriate administrative review committee(s). Applications for approval(s) may be found on the Research web site. If you need further assistance, please contact the Research Compliance Administrator by phone 906-487-3403.
		Inform the Office of Student Records and Registration of any changes in your status, address, student identification number, expected graduation date, etc.
		During the semester prior to your defense (or earlier), complete the M4, Degree Schedule* in consultation with your advisor—if there are problems, you have a term in which to correct them. Because it is approved by your advisor/Graduate Program Director and your department chair, any changes must also have their approval. If credit transfers are necessary, use the Transfer Credits form.
		At least two weeks prior to your defense, complete M5, Schedule of Oral Examination, in consultation with your whole committee. This names your four-member examining committee and schedules your oral examination. (Check program policy on choosing your committee.)
		At least two weeks prior to your defense, distribute readable copies of the thesis/report to the examining committee.
		Oral Examination—Faculty and students will be invited to hear at least your presentation. It is wise to attend a few of these early in your tenure at Tech. Some programs also require a couple of preliminary seminars during your research. The examination for the course work option varies with the programs allowing this option. Take your M6, Report on Oral Examination, to the exam for signatures. (Your advisor/program may retain your M6 for up to two weeks following the defense while you make corrections; research grades are not changed until the M6 is in the Graduate School.
		Submission of final document (Plan A & B)—Make corrections as indicated by your committee. Get the new original signed. Plan B report: 1 copy to the Graduate School, in a sturdy binder suitable for archiving in the Library. (Your advisor/program may want more copies.) Plan A thesis: The Graduate School requires the approved copy converted to .pdf and saved on CD. See the thesis procedures page for instructions on how to submit and format the thesis.
		The Goal: Graduation—no more than five calendar years after you started Graduate School. When you have completed your degree requirements, you can usually receive a certification letter immediately. Your transcript will indicate degree granted by the 4th week of the next semester. Your diploma will be mailed to you about 90 days after the term ends. Leave a valid address with the Graduate School.
		Be sure the Graduate School and your advisor are aware of your commencement plans at the beginning of the commencement semester.
* All these forms can be sent to the Graduate School by your Graduate Program Assistant via campus mail. Copies of signed forms will be returned to you and the program. Be sure to keep a file of your paperwork.