PURPOSE

The Morrison School of Agribusiness and Resource Management (MSABR) is committed to guiding students toward developing an integrated view of agribusiness, food systems, and environmental challenges that confront the world in the 21st century. Globalization, population growth, and new technologies require a sophisticated view toward the production, processing, storage, distribution, and marketing of food and fiber products. Prudent management of natural resources, to ensure that humanity’s negative impact on the environment is mitigated, is becoming more and more important.

The Morrison School offers cutting edge programs enabling students to learn effective and responsible methods of agribusiness and environmental resource management. Strong relationships with industry and regulatory bodies afford students numerous opportunities to integrate theory and practice. This applied orientation traditionally makes MSABR students highly marketable upon graduation.

MSABR programs are accessible to full- and part-time students, with many courses taught in both daytime and evenings. Some courses are taught in compressed formats and some online, thus helping students faced with growing time pressures. The faculty is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service, and strives to create a well-rounded experience for its students. The broad and diverse range of faculty research and teaching enables students to individualize their programs of study to fit their own particular career goals.

ORGANIZATION

The Morrison School offers Master of Science degree programs in Agribusiness and Environmental Resources. In addition, the Environmental Resources faculty at ASU Main offer the Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning.

The M.S. in Agribusiness degree is supported by faculty with backgrounds in agricultural economics, applied business, food science, rural development, international trade, and a variety of experiences in industry and organizations. Many faculty work closely with agribusiness and business-related firms and in international projects, giving real world relevance to their research.

The M.S. in Environmental Resources degree is supported by faculty with backgrounds in ecology, forest and range management, botany, animal science, rangeland resources, and a wealth of field experiences. Research projects in wildlife inventory, habitat restoration, and GIS and remote sensing, among others, help support the applied nature of the program.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

The M.S. in Agribusiness degree offers concentrations in agribusiness management and marketing, and food quality assurance. The degree is designed to prepare students from a variety of backgrounds with a set of critical and analytical business skills while recognizing the unique demands of the agribusiness sector. Graduates are well prepared for successful administrative or managerial careers with either government or private-sector organizations. Students are able to select either a research-oriented program, which leads to the completion of an organized thesis, or a program consisting of course work only (nonthesis option). All students can develop an area of specialization and apply their skills to a real world agribusiness problem through an integrative, capstone course experience. Both the thesis and nonthesis options require the completion of a common set of core courses. For more information regarding the M.S. in Agribusiness degree, access the Web site at www.east.asu.edu/msabr.

The M.S. in Environmental Resources degree is designed to train students who are scientifically competent, aware of the necessity of communicating the importance of sound ecosystem management, and able to work with numerous groups interested in natural resources. Students have the opportunity to study topics such as wildlife inventory and habitat preference, habitat restoration, invasive plant species, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing applications to natural resource management, spatial modeling of urban expansion and the demand on natural resources, indicators of watershed condition, livestock riparian interactions, and influence of urbanization on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. All students are required to complete a core of graduate courses, conduct a research project under the direction of faculty, and prepare and defend a research thesis. For more information, access the Web site at cactus.east.asu.edu.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission requirements for the M.S. degrees in Agribusiness and Environmental Resources are based on those of the Graduate College. However, each requires further supporting materials pertaining solely to that degree; therefore, applicants are encouraged to refer to the sections of this catalog that correspond to each program.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Cooperative Degree Program. The Morrison School and the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) have a cooperative agreement for students interested in both agribusiness and international management. This agreement enables ASU students to take up to nine semester hours of course work at Thunderbird. To participate, an ASU student must be enrolled full-time and may only take three semester hours at Thunderbird in any semester. The goal of this agreement is to enhance the educational opportunities available to qualified students while making optimal use of the resources and facilities of both institutions.

Peace Corps Master’s International Program. The Morrison School has an agreement with the United States Peace Corps that makes combining graduate studies with Peace Corps service very appealing. Participants can receive up to six semester hours of credit for their independent field work while serving in the Peace Corps. Graduate course work precedes departure to foreign countries. Interested individuals must complete separate applications to ASU and the Peace Corps, and prepare plans of study with their faculty committees regarding studies in the field.

COLLEGE FACILITIES

In addition to the computing resources available to all students at ASU East, the Morrison School of Agribusiness and Resource Management has laboratories dedicated to food safety and science, soil and plant analysis, and GIS modeling. Laboratories are available to students for specific classes and related graduate thesis research.

ADVISING

Advising of graduate students is normally handled by graduate faculty committees. Once admitted, a student can request a temporary faculty advisor in a potential area of concentration in order to prepare a program of study. Students are encouraged to begin discussions with faculty members early in their studies so that course work and potential employment can be geared toward supporting their thesis research. All students, whether in a thesis or nonthesis option, must file a program of study and form a faculty advisory committee.

Page last updated: Friday, September 7, 2007


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