Paul Smith's College of Arts & Sciences
AC-4: Graduate Program

Paul Smith’s College (PSC) is a thriving college, broadly recognized for outstanding experiential education. The college’s mission is to (i) develop career-ready graduates through hands-on, personalized education, (ii) educate, research and advocate on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people that inhabit it, and (iii) help the Adirondack region be ecologically and economically sustainable. The college currently has several strong baccalaureate programs in natural resources conservation areas that collectively provide a proven and strong foundation for realizing our vision and for achieving our mission. All of these programs are designed to prepare students for “real work” through our model of applied experiential education, the hallmark of a PSC education since our founding in 1946. The MS in Natural Resources Conservation program uses our experiential education approach to provide students with enhanced credentials that increase their job competiveness and ability to serve in leadership roles in public and private sectors. Offering an MS program also recognizes an increasing demand for credentials beyond the baccalaureate in this field, and as the only 4-year degree granting institution in the Adirondack Park, PSC has the responsibility and is uniquely positioned geographically to offer the only MS program in the Adirondack Park. According to the NYS Department of Labor prospects for employment of program graduates in the North Country region are very favorable with projected employment growth over the next 10 years for related occupations of 15.9% compared to 7.2% for all occupations, with an average wage of $59,328 for related occupations compared to $43,540 for all occupations. Public sector jobs are available with local governments, state and federal agencies, and vocational education, and there are a growing number of jobs in the private sector with environmental consulting and engineering firms. Natural Resources Conservation is a rapidly growing and evolving field that addresses key ecosystem services such as clean water and productive soils upon which sustainable communities are based. These services have been largely taken for granted until recently, but with burgeoning demands placed on ecosystems by a growing human population, safeguarding and restoring ecosystem functions for sustainable futures are more vital than ever. As a result, Natural Resources Conservation is a multi- disciplinary field that must be comprehensive and integrate natural sciences, social sciences, and conservation laws and policies. Practitioners must be able to evaluate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and determine how these systems can be managed to protect their functions, while also sustaining their benefits / services to humans. Employers are seeking individuals with knowledge, skills and abilities such as knowledge of ecosystem structure and function, project management, public participation, personnel management, communications, and problem solving. Thus, graduates of the MS in Natural Resources Conservation program will be able to:  identify and understand human threats to ecosystem services and recommend conservation approaches to protect or restore these services;  design studies, and acquire, analyze and present data/information from multiple sources to a variety of audiences in support of conservation and sustainability goals  develop and execute management and/or monitoring plans to achieve conservation and sustainability goals  articulate and substantiate the importance of natural resources conservation and sustainability  uphold the ethical dimension of humanities’ relationship with the natural world The MS program is designed to be completed in 12 months using a blend of intensive residential coursework and synchronous on-line courses. This allows non-traditional students, full-time working professionals, and traditional students to earn an advanced degree while continuing to earn income. The residential coursework utilizes the unique setting and resources of PSC to provide students with 4 immersive field experiences. The program will be delivered using a cohort model that emphasizes peer- to-peer learning through collaborative, team-based approaches to problem solving. The program includes a culminating integrated natural resources conservation project that engages participants with real clients requesting our assistance with developing solutions to their natural resources challenges. Program Foundations are laid during summer and winter residencies and provide a comprehensive platform for additional coursework and a thesis project. Additional coursework will depend on a student’s chosen area of concentration (Forest Resource Management, Aquatic Resource Management, or Sustainable Communities).

Natural Resource Conservation M.S. Concentration on Sustainable Communities includes the following three courses. 1) Sustainable Development 2) Strategic Communications for Sustainable Development 3) Building Collaborative Communities