Requirements and Forms (MS)

Listed below are the Environment and Resources MS program requirements and forms. These forms are not submitted or routed electronically. When you have completed your form, print a copy of the document for committee signatures and final approval by Nelson Institute’s Academic Programs Office and the chair. Our office will only take paper copies of documents for approval.

If you have questions about the procedure for completing and submitting these forms or have issues with accessing the forms, contact Jim Miller at (608) 263-4373 or jemiller@wisc.edu.

Year 1

Obtain advisor at the time of admissions and complete the three-member committee, including the advisor, by the end of your second semester.

Nelson Institute requirements (Satisfactory Progress)
The necessary steps and a recommended timetable for completion of an MS degree are included on the certification check list. It is extremely important for students to follow the procedures listed and outlines for curriculum development, certification, and examination. Failure to follow these procedures may result in students not making satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Graduate School requirements
An MS candidate who has completed graduate level course work at another institution may request from their advisory committee that this work be used to fulfill some of the ER MS program requirements. This request is usually made at the time of certification and should be discussed with the advisor and committee members as soon as possible. See the certification checklist for further details. Graduate courses taken at another institution will not fulfill the Graduate School’s minimum credit requirement.
- Minimum Credits Requirement
- Double, joint, and dual degree
Human Subjects

Year 2 to Graduation

You must request your warrant at least 3 weeks before your defense date. To request your warrant, contact the graduate advisor, (608) 263-4373 or jemiller@wisc.edu. In order for the Graduate School to release your warrant you must not have any incomplete, no report or unsatisfactory grades. In order for the Nelson Institute to release your warrant, you must have your certification and any course substitutions approved by the program chair.
Expecting your MS

Information on defense
The MS candidate gives an oral defense of the thesis research to the faculty committee as a final examination when the thesis document is complete. An MS warrant issued by the Graduate School should be requested through the Academic Programs Office at least three weeks before the final examination; the warrant is signed by the faculty committee after successful completion of the exam and the thesis. The warrant will not be issued if the student record contains unresolved course work such as incompletes, no reports, or progress grades (except progress grades in 990). After it has been signed, the warrant should be returned to our Academic Programs Office so that it can be photocopied for the graduate files; it will then be submitted to the Graduate School, certifying that the work has been satisfactorily completed.An M.S. student in environment and resources who wishes to continue for the PhD will be considered by the admissions committee upon the written recommendation of the student’s faculty committee. The recommendation should be addressed to the program chair, and should include a letter from the faculty person who will be serving as the advisor. Acceptance into the PhD program is not automatically guaranteed.
Post public defense announcement on Nelson Institute events calendar (not required unless advisor wants you to)
For more information, read the final thesis and dissertation defense guidelines.

Graduate School’s Guide to Preparing Your Master’s Thesis
Advisor Approval Page
All students who submit a thesis to Memorial Library must include an advisor approval page. The link above will open a Word form where you can insert your advisor’s name and rank. If you would prefer to make your own, please see the Graduate School’s advisor approval page guidelines.
Deposit Thesis
- Nelson Institute copy – a hard copy and pdf version should be submitted to the Nelson Institute as soon as it is possible.
- Memorial Library – must be submitted by 4 p.m. on the degree deadline date.

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Requirements and Forms (MS)

Year 1

Year 2 to Graduation

Explore the Environment and Resources Program

General Graduate Program Information

Year 1

Enrollment

Advisor and Committee

Curriculum and Research

Program Requirements

Certification (by end of second semester)

Year 2 to Graduation

Completion of course work and research/internship

Notify Academic Programs Office of graduation

Defense

Thesis

Explore the Environment and Resources Program

General Graduate Program Information