Cultural and Environmental Resource Management, MAS

The Cultural and Environmental Resource Management Master of Applied Science (MAS) is a flexible and personalized practitioner degree program that will enhance applied skill sets for working resource management professionals and individuals seeking employment in cultural, natural, and/or economic resource-related fields. This 45-credit degree immerses students in a solid background of interdisciplinary resource management-focused coursework and includes the completion of an applied project as the culminating experience.

Admission Requirements

In addition to master’s degree guidelines for admission to CWU master’s programs, applicants for admission must have the following qualifications:

1. A bachelor’s degree in a closely related discipline (e.g., Anthropology, Geography, Economics, Environmental Studies). In some cases work experience and/or additional coursework may be accepted in lieu of a degree in a related field. Before admission, program faculty will evaluate the academic coursework and experience of all applicants for admission, and will recommend additional coursework if, in their judgment, there are deficiencies in pre-baccalaureate work that need to be overcome before entrance into the program.
2. A proficiency in written and spoken English. Evidence of proficiency and potential includes: samples of previous writing, letters of recommendation, an informal interview, or any other optional evidence of academic success (e.g., standardized test scores).
3. One upper-level undergraduate statistics course and one undergraduate course in microeconomic principles.

Admission to the program and continuation in it may be conditional on the applicant’s satisfactory completion of prerequisite courses, but in some cases those courses may be taken after admission into the program.

Application Deadline and Materials: students must comply with all deadlines and procedures for “applying to CWU” in the graduate admissions section of this catalog.

Graduation Requirements

Graduate Committee: The student will have at least a two-member graduate committee, to be selected in consultation with the program coordinators and the dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

Culminating Experience: In consultation with their graduate committee, each student must successfully design, implement, and present the results of their applied project. 

Program Learner Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Communicate in the disciplinary language about cultural and environmental resource management issues.
• Identify resource-based conflicts in the field of cultural and environmental resource management and formulate interdisciplinary solutions.
• Develop professional skills by participating in conferences, workshops, clubs, and other networking opportunities.
• Produce an applied project that integrates relevant literature, has clear methodology, and is relevant to the field of cultural and environmental management.