The West Virginia University Fisheries faculty has offered a unique opportunity to the FWS that could lead to a Master of Science or PhD degree in Fisheries.  If you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in Fisheries, please seek advice from your Supervisor and your Assistant Regional Director and discuss what support options (time and/or financial) might be available to you before proceeding.

*** If you have any questions, please contact Chris Horsch at NCTC (304/876-7445).

There are two options available to NCTC students who wish to receive graduate credit for specific NCTC classes (must already have a BA or BS degree to qualify for graduate credit):

1. Non-degree option – you wish to receive graduate credit for classes taken but will apply that credit to a degree through an institution other than WVU
2. Degree option (limited to 18 students) - Please see below for the WVU graduate school entrance requirements

Costs:

1. You will need to pay to WVU a nominal per credit hour fees ($40/credit hour) for each NCTC class you take.
2. You will need to pay the nominal WVU application fee ($50 – one time)
3. Your office may pay for your travel to and from NCTC for classes. For FWS students, there is no NCTC tuition fee nor room/board fees for these NCTC classes.

Class Registration is a two-fold Process:

1. You will sign up for NCTC classes using the normal registration process through our web site http://training.fws.gov. 
2. You will also need to register for these classes with WVU - you will receive specific WVU course codes once you are registered first through NCTC.
   

Admission Requirements:

For acceptance into this WVU Degree Program you will need the following:

• Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a combined score of 1000 or greater; undergraduate GPA of about 3.0 or greater,
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to evaluate the student's potential for masters studies and independent research,
• A typed composition of at least 600 words indicating the student's purpose and objective in undertaking graduate studies as related to major issues in that area.

Complete application packets are sent to:

Dr. Patricia Mazik, Ph.D., Unit Leader
WV Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
West Virginia University
322 Percival Hall
Morgantown, WV 26506

Dr. Mazik will review your package and, if complete, will then forward it on the WVU Admissions Office for final approval and acceptance. Dr. Mazik will then notify you of your formal acceptance into the Degree Program and then assign a WVU faculty advisor. Your faculty advisor will contact you to discuss your Plan of Study and your research proposal.

Successful applicants to the Wildlife and Fisheries Resources program generally have a GRE 1000 combined scores for verbal and math; and a GPA 3.0.

Course Work:
Students must complete 30 credit hours of approved study, including six credit hours of
original research approved by the student’s graduate committee, and 6 credit hours of statistics (Data Analysis I and II). The remaining credit hours will be comprised of courses that meet core requirements, or are restrictive electives that are appropriate for the needs and goals of the student.  NCTC graduate courses will be offered in a sequence and with sufficient frequency (at least once every three years) to allow reasonable progress of employees pursuing the graduate degree.

Thesis/Dissertation Research:
Graduate students must complete a thesis/dissertation that presents original scientific research conducted by the student.  The thesis/dissertation topic would be developed by the student and would be an investigative scientific topic that could be performed as job-related work, with the approval of the student’s supervisor and/or home office.  The student would provide the thesis/dissertation topic at the time of admission to the WVU graduate program, in order to determine the appropriate program emphasis (Fish Culture, Fish
Ecology/Fish Management, Fish Habitat, Fish Diseases) and graduate advisor.

Graduation and Publication Requirements

Plan of Study:
A plan of study for coursework is established by each graduate student with his/her
graduate committee and depends upon each student’s particular educational background and declared program emphasis.  Each student will need to meet WVU grade and credit requirements for graduation.

Publication Requirements:
Graduate students will be required to pursue publication of their thesis/dissertation research as a component of this program. In addition, a graduate student’s major advisor may initiate publication of research projects if graduate students do not do so within a certain timeframe, usually one year after graduation.

Christopher M. Horsch
Chief, Branch of Conservation Science and Policy Training
USFWS-NCTC
304/876-7445 voice
304/876-7234 fax

Admission Procedure