NOTE: To better reflect the full scope of what students in this program are studying, the title of this program is transitioning to "Rangeland and Wildlife Management". This is not yet reflected everywhere yet (as of April 2021).
Head faculty advisor: Lynn Huntsinger Graduate Student Affairs Officer (GSAO): Zarah Ersoff
Chair of the graduate program: Nathan Sayre
Other faculty:
Jim Bartolome (retired)
Justin Brashares
Arthur Middleton
Stephanie Carlson
Range MS students will follow either a coursework and thesis plan (I), or a coursework and oral exam plan (II). In the past, more students have followed Plan II.
24 units of coursework are required for either Plan, and they are split into 3 categories: "Tools" (A), "Depth" (B), and "Breadth". These sound vague and confusing, but the intent is to keep the program as flexible as possible for students interested in a wide range of topics (wildlife management, plant biology, pastoralism, etc.). Here is the unit requirement breakdown for each plan:
There are a number of great courses suggested on the website, but feel free to look beyond that list, including in other departments. Try to make a course plan in your first semester, and have it approved by your advisor and the Range head faculty advisor (currently Lynn). The program is very flexible and it's ok to change this later, but best to be sure you start out with approval.
Plan to have an academic progress meeting with your GSAO before your final semester. The flexibility for the Range program can make fulfilling course requirements confusing, but your GSAO should have broad authority to approve your plan.
For students in Plan I:
You will need a steering committee and a thesis committee, both with at least 3 members. See more details on Berkeley's rules for these committees here: https://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/degrees-policy/#f45-faculty-committees-for-higher-degrees
These committees can be the same group of people, but they do not need to be. Both should include your main advisor. Setting up the steering committee is the only requirement for advancement to candidacy: look for "Higher Degree Committees Form" under "Student Resources" on your CalCentral dashboard.
The Range group is a small community of MS students, ESPM PhD students studying range ecology topics, faculty, and alumni. Ask the head faculty advisor about getting on the Range listserve (ucb.range@lists.berkeley.edu) early on for updates on weekly Range group meetings, job postings, and other news.