M.Sc. in Biodiversity and Environmental Management
The M. Sc. program in Biodiversity and Environmental Management (BEM) was started in 2008 with financial support from Norway (NOMA program) and academic support from Kunming Institute of Botany (China), Kumaun University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University (India) as a regional degree program. The program ended in 2013. Since 2014, the CDB has continued this program after necessary changes in its course structure with internal financial resources. This is a four semester program; the first semester covers basic conceptual courses while the second and third semesters cover advanced courses. The final semester covers research methodology and the dissertation work. The basic criterion for admission is Bachelors degree in biological sciences such as botany, zoology, microbiology, biotechnology, environmental science, forestry, agriculture, natural resource management etc. The M. Sc. program consists of a dynamic combination of course work, research training and dissertation writing. The course is applied and management oriented. Experts also invited from other department, government officers, NGO, INGOs ang individuals as visiting faculty for teaching and research.
Course Outline:
M.Sc. in Biodiversity and Environmental Management (BEM) encompasses both coursework and research (in the form of thesis). The first, second and third semesters involve mainly core coursework (both theory, practical and basic field work). In addition, in the third semester, students are also provided with a component of fundamentals of research design and dissertation planning. The fourth semester involves dissertation work and a course on methods of biological data analysis. In the fourth semester, students will have the opportunity to take part in the existing fields of research. The complete course accounts for 60 total credit hours and 1500 aggregate marks.
Semester I (Credit hrs 17: Theory + Practical)
The courses include:
- Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms,
- Population, Community and Ecosystem Ecology,
- Biodiversity and Biogeography,
- Mountain Ecology and
- Term Paper/Seminar I.
Semester II (Credit hrs 17: Theory + Practical)
The courses include:
- Conservation Biology,
- Natural Resource Management,
- Environmental Change and Management,
- Remote Sensing and GIS and
- Term Paper/Seminar II.
Semester III (Credit hrs 14: Theory + Practical)
The courses include:
- Agro-ecology,
- Environmental Biotechnology,
- Environmental Assessment and Monitoring,
- Microbes and Soil Health,
- Research Design and Dissertation Planning.
Semester IV (Credit hrs 12: Theory + Practical)
The courses include:
- Methods of Biological Data Analysis and Dissertation
Excursion
There shall be at least one field excursion for I and II semesters. It pertains to different ecological regions of the country. Field excursion is highly essential for learning field research methods and studying the environmental status and conservation efforts in its natural state and management regimes. The students submit their excursion reports during the annual practical examination.