Central Washington University Board of Trustees February 16, 2024 ACTION – MAS in Cultural and Environmental Resource Management
The Cultural and Environmental Resource Management (CERM) Master’s Program, which was established in 1983, is housed within the Anthropology and Geography departments in the College of the Sciences. This highly regarded program has graduated over 350 students who have gone onto successful careers in resource management, and many have pursued higher-level academic degrees. The existing Master of Science (MS) degree is a 60-credit, thesis-based degree that includes core courses and research credits. There are a good number of students who are interested in the professional skills that the CERM program provides but are not interested in completing a thesis or spending two years in a master’s program. For this group of students, a Master of Applied Science (MAS) program in CERM is being proposed. The MAS option can be completed in under a year, and it culminates with a practical project intended to address real-world problems in the field. Students who want to go onto doctoral study will still have the MS option but those who are seeking the practical professional skills offered by the CERM program can choose the MAS option. The thesis and program duration have been noted as a deterrent to the MS program. Adding the MAS option makes the program much more accessible by a larger collection of students, leading to expected program growth. We recommend the following motion: The Board of Trustees of Central Washington University endorses the recommendation of the Faculty Senate (Motion No. 23-19) and hereby approves the MAS in Cultural and Environmental Resource Management this day February 16, 2024. Submitted: Approved for Submittal to the Board
Kurt Kirstein
Jim Wohlpart
Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
President
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