The Cultural and Environmental Resource Management (CERM) Masters Program, which was established in 1983, is housed within the Anthropology and Geography departments in the College of the Sciences, and is a highly interdisciplinary program with a focus on environmental, cultural, and economic resource management. (Strategic Plan Core Value: Stewardship, Initiatives 1.1 and 1.2) Since its inception the program has graduated more than 350 students, almost all of whom have gone on to successful careers in resource management or higher-level academic degrees. As a result, the CERM program has become one of the most well-regarded resource management programs in the western United States, drawing students from almost every US state and numerous other countries. Our existing Master of Science (MS) degree is a 60-credit, thesis-based degree that includes a core of 35 credits plus 25 elective credits. We propose to create a 45-credit Master of Applied Science (MAS) degree that would be offered in addition to our existing 60-credit Master of Science (MS) degree. The new MAS degree could be completed in as little as three quarters and would utilize an applied project, instead of a thesis, as the culminating experience. This degree is appropriate for those who wish to go on to careers in resource management, or those who wish to advance their current careers by attaining a post-baccalaureate degree.
Why does CERM need a MAS degree?
1. The proposed CERM MAS degree will increase the diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusivity of the CERM program and Graduate Studies at CWU. (Strategic Plan Unifying Value: Student Success, Initiative 1.3; Core Value 2: Belonging, Initiatives 2.2 and 2.3) This degree was specifically designed to close diversity, equity, and accessibility gaps. In talking with a number of potential CERM applicants, they indicated that the completion of an original (i.e., substantial) thesis, and the cost of a two-year program, are major barriers to both applying to and completing a CERM degree. By providing a degree program that does not mandate an intensive thesis requirement and, instead, offers an alternative culminating experience tailored to individual career aspirations, we open the doors for a more inclusive cohort of students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to pursue their graduate education. This approach not only broadens the pool of applicants to our program but also enhances the prospects for success among students who choose to embark on their journey in the field of Cultural and Environmental Resource Management. 2. The proposed CERM MAS degree will increase enrollment in the CERM program and CWU. (Strategic Plan Unifying Value: Student Success, Initiative 1.1) While many CERM applicants come from other universities, nearly half of the students who enroll in the CERM program are CWU graduates. If this new degree is approved, we would be able to market the CERM MAS degree to potential and current students in the many undergraduate programs that feed into the CERM Program, like Anthropology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Economics, Geology, Biology, Political Science, History, and others, as an accelerated masters program so that students could attain both an undergraduate and graduate degree in only five years. We believe this will provide a large incentive for students to come to CWU for an undergraduate degree and then stay to complete a CERM graduate degree. 3. The proposed CERM MAS degree will increase enrollment in CERM core courses, as well as Anthropology, Geography, and Economics elective courses . (Strategic Plan Unifying Value: Student Success, Initiatives 1.5 and 2.1) With higher enrollment in the CERM program, this would ensure that our CERM core courses are offered every year, thereby reducing time to graduation, and providing students with a predictable schedule of when these courses are taught. Additionally, greater CERM graduate student enrollment would also mean more students enrolled in Anthropology, Geography, and Economics upper-level electives, and would ideally allow us to teach the necessary courses that provide students with the hands-on skills required for career advancement
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