A Unique International Master’s Degree Programme for Drylands

Integrated Land Management in Drylands
A Joint Programme of UNU-IRA-INAT-ICARDA-CAREERI-ALRC

Overview:
The MS Programme is designed to enhance the capacity of developing countries to manage their drylands resources. It is intended to provide young professionals and scientists an international perspective on resource management approaches in drylands. Students enrolled in the programme will attend courses for one semester either in Tunisia or China, followed by field work and additional courses in Japan or Syria. The students are also required to complete a research project in their home country. The MS Programme is jointly offered by the six partner institutions as an internationally accepted degree.

It is anticipated that the graduates from the MS Programme will serve in government departments and agencies (e.g., those dealing with agriculture, forestry, natural resource management, and combating desertification), teaching positions in institutions of higher learning, research institutions and doctoral research programmes.

Programme Information

Programme Partners:

Eligibility:
Applicants must hold a bachelor degree and have at least two-year working experience in dryland management. Applicants should be competent in research methodologies and computer-based analysis. Language proficiency in English is essential.

Overall Degree Requirements:
The MS Programme will take a multidisciplinary approach in the course work and include field research work as an integral component. The content of the MS Programme may be tailored to suit individual career development but must be geared towards practical applications. A specified set of courses is available at IRA, CAREERI, ICARDA and ALRC.

The specific degree requirements are: (a) At least 18 credit hours of multi-disciplinary course work with acceptable grades (this is approximately equal to 290 hours of lecture time); (b) At least 6 months of field research work done in collaboration with the partner and supporting organizations; (c) Development of a Master’s Thesis and its defense; and (d) Submission of an approved Thesis.

The degree candidates will be required to conduct eight (8) to ten (10) months of field work in cooperation with one of the partner organizations. The candidates will be required to demonstrate that the proposed field research involves in-situ field work and gives due consideration to community involvement. The partners may provide limited funds to carry out community-based field research activities. The candidates will be encouraged to seek co-funding from other sources.

Fellowship and Travel Arrangements:
Part or full fellowships will be provided to qualified candidates from developing countries on a competitive basis. These fellowships, up to five each year, will cover international airfare at economy excursion rates (between the country of origin and the hosting institutions in Tunisia, China, Syria or Japan). Housing, meals, and local transportation in Tunisia, China, Syria or Japan will be provided by the respective host institutions.

Admissions Procedure:
The application process for the 2007 academic year is now closed.

An application form must be completed and submitted; these are available online <click here> or by email (esd@hq.unu.edu). The following documents in English or with English translation must also be submitted: