2010-2011 University Catalog

Applied Conservation Science Graduate Certificate

Banner Code: LA-CERG-ACNS

The graduate certificate in applied conservation science provides students with hands-on education in conservation science. The courses in this program are all residential, full-day, two-week intensive courses held at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. This certificate is designed for early to mid-career conservation professionals working in government, non-governmental organizations, and research institutions worldwide.

Students acquire essential skills in conservation research and practice while developing a crucial understanding of the principles and philosophies underlying effective conservation and biodiversity programs. They learn how to apply analysis techniques and tools to address those questions and evaluate conservation outcomes.

Upon completion of the certificate, students will have developed practical and analytical skills applicable to a wide range of programs in applied conservation science research, policy, and practice – from single-species protection and landscape-level restoration and management to community conservation initiatives and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.

Application Requirements

Applicants to the certificate program must meet admission standards and application requirements for graduate study at George Mason as specified in the Admission chapter of this catalog. Applicants must submit a completed Mason graduate application and official transcripts, resume, VA domicile classification form, and TOEFL scores if they are foreign nationals. GRE scores and letters of recommendation are not required, but if available will strengthen an application.

As prerequisites to the program, applicants should have successfully completed a one-semester, college-level organismal biology, ecology, or conservation biology course and a basic statistics course. Students interested in the program who lack such college-level coursework should contact the director of the Mason Center for Conservation Studies (MCCS) for advice on how to meet the prerequisites before applying.