Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture - master

Poverty reduction depends on competent analytical and management capacity both in the public sector and civil society at large. To build this capacity, students explore the complex relationship between poverty and the environment. The focus is on the importance of natural resource management and sustainable agriculture as means of poverty reduction and sustainable development in rural areas. Graduates are expected to contribute with integrated and innovative solutions to complex problems, fostering action and change to overcome people\'s economic, social and physical vulnerability. The Master’s degree programme in Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture (MNRSA) offers insight into environment, poverty and development issues. It addresses the complex and interrelated topics of agricultural and rural development, poverty alleviation and the trade-offs and conflicts between development at large and the long-term management and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.Students in the programme are often already employed in public sector ministries and directorates of natural resources, conservation and agriculture-related fields. Some graduates become planners and managers at senior levels. Others join the private sector as consultants, or join NGOs working with rural development, agricultural development and natural resource management. Others become teachers or researchers, and even enter into politics. Students who have completed the degree are qualified to apply for Ph.D. programmes in the area of environment and development.

Admission requirements
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education in any field relevant to natural resource management (e.g. economics, political science, ecology, biology, anthropology, resource management, geography, etc.)

Internationalisation, studies abroad and exhange agreements
By nature, this programme has an international profile, and the great majority of students are international. The study programme deals with global development problems related to natural resource management and agriculture. The students focus their thesis on global problems in these fields and do their fieldwork in southern countries. During the third semester (1 August – 31 September), the students take a 15-credit course at Noragric\'s regional partner institutions, for example Makerere University in Uganda and at Tribuwan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal. During the third semester in the MNRSA programme, the students participate in a 15 ECTS course at Makerere University in Uganda, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal, or another developing country partner institution.

Noragric can offer individualised course packages taught in English for visiting students.

Related studies
This study programme is unique both nationally and internationally as it combines natural resource management and agricultural development. In the context of UMB, it is has an unusually strong interdisciplinary profile and focuses on the link between the natural and social sciences.

Learning goals
The programme educates graduates who can actively contribute to development processes in their home countries. Graduates of the programme: -have heightened awareness, analytical capacity and research-based knowledge in the fields of poverty, rural development, natural resource management, environment and sustainable agriculture, -have first-hand experience with capacity-building and development work in the south and collaboration efforts between UMB/Noragric and partner institutions in the south, -understand \'nature-society relationships\' from both theoretical and experiential perspectives, -are proficient learners and have learned to learn -are capable of seeking, interpreting and generating practical processes of social change in terms of empowerment, equitability and sustainability -have critical and analytical minds -are concerned about combined concerns of sustainability, equity, gender and human rights.

Teaching and evaluation methods
Teaching methods in the MNRSA programme include lectures, problem-based learning, Internet-supported teaching (IST), group work, fieldwork and seminars. Increased emphasis will be given to internet-supported teaching as it has been shown both in Norway and abroad that a combination of Internet and classroom pedagogics is an effective educational approach. Throughout the learning process, emphasis is put on developing skills to search for, gather and evaluate information. Teaching staff members cooperate closely with ICT and library staff to integrate this aspect into the course work. Information management will be of value to the students not only during the course work and thesis writing, but even more so in their future life as managers and decision makers in the information society. The seminars allow the student to develop skills in oral presentation and in scientific writing. Students interact dynamically by giving and receiving criticism in constructive ways. Such skills are essential in real-life situations in their respective countries. Case studies given by guest lecturers and articles chosen for the seminars cover hot topics about which students organise discussions. A variety of evaluation methods are used, including final examinations, semester assignments and assignments.

Programme content
Upon arrival, most students take an optional, introductory course exposing them to current challenges in the field of environment and development, as well as preparing them for challenging university-level studies in Norway. The Master’s programme is a two-year, full-time programme of study consisting of required and elective course work, a semester of field study at a co-operating university in a developing country at the start of the second year and production of an individual, 30- or 60-credit thesis. All students are required to take the following courses: EDS 385 - Rural Development and Project Management (15 credits) EDS 310 - Manren, main course (15 credits) EDS 300 - Research methods (10 credits) HOVMNRSA - Thesis (30 or 60 credits) The rest of the 120 credits consist of relevant electives at the 200 or 300 level offered by Noragric, other departments at UMB or other universities. The study plan must be approved by the student\'s advisor and the Education Committee and fulfil the requirements for breadth and depth described below. The Master\'s thesis normally comprises 30 credits, but students with a strong background and high ambitions can apply to write a 60-credit thesis.

Spesialisation requirements
Students must complete an individual study plan that has been approved by the supervisor and the Noragric Education Committee. The first version of the plan must be approved during the first month of residence. The student\'s background and individual interests and goals are the basis for constructing the individual study plan. To achieve depth of understanding of interdisciplinary environment and development issues, students are required to take the 3 courses listed above and to write a 30- or 60-credit thesis based on an interdisciplinary topic and research approach. Over and above these core requirements, students must demonstrate through previous course work or course work taken as part of the degree that they have competence at the 200 or 300 level in a range of academic subject areas fundamental to an interdisciplinary understanding of environment and development issues (\'distribution requirements\'). Competence must be demonstrated in each of the following areas: biology/ecology/agriculture (minimum 10 credits), scientific writing and communication (minimum 5 credits), social sciences not including economics and administration (minimum 5 credits), economics/administration (minimum 5 credits), statistics (5 credits). Most students will fulfil some of these requirements through previous studies, allowing them to explore other electives. Noragric offers a range of courses that are suitable for fulfilling these requirements. Students will receive individual guidance and examples to help them construct a programme suited to their background and ambitions.

Student advising
Immediately after arriving, students will receive guidance in order to make their individual plan of study. The students have access to advisors regarding administrative, social, practical and academic affairs. Concerning research, each student is assigned a relevant academic supervisor during the second semester of the programme, and the supervisor advises the student throughout this year. The student is also assigned a local supervisor while in the field. This person helps the students with both practical and more theoretical issues and ensures that the research questions are relevant in the given field situation. Efforts are made to ensure that research topics chosen relate closely to research and development activities in the institutions with which Noragric has institutional co-operation, if possible.

Evaluation
The administration has regular meetings with students throughout the semester and MNRSA students participate in the electronic student evaluations carried out by the UMB central administration at the end of each semester. Faculty members analyse the student evaluations and suggest relevant actions. As a SIU/NORAD-funded programme, it is subject to periodic external evaluations.