State University of New York
College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, New York
Overview
SUNY-ESF is a small, public, specialized college founded in 1911. With regional campuses and field stations located in Syracuse, Tully, Wanakena, Warrensburg, Cranberry Lake, Newcomb, and Clayton, the College includes 1 million square feet of facilities in 186 buildings, on 25,000 acres of land. The main campus in Syracuse lies on 12 acres adjacent to Syracuse University in an area traditionally known as The Hill.
There are approximately 500 graduate students enrolled each semester; approximately 45 percent are women, 25 percent are international, and approximately 85 percent of eligible students have been awarded teaching or research assistantships. There is an active graduate student association on campus, as well as numerous professional and special interest groups.
The Location and Community
The main campus of the College is in Syracuse, New York, immediately adjacent to Syracuse University. The city has a growing metropolitan area of 730,000, with diversified industry and commerce. There are many cultural and recreational opportunities, including a symphony, orchestra, theater, museums, and historic sites. Major transportation networks are easily accessible from Syracuse.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) offers the M.P.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees through the Faculties of Environmental and Forest Biology and of Environmental Science and the Division of Engineering. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered through the Faculty of Chemistry; the M.F., M.P.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees are offered through the Faculty of Forest and Natural Resources Management; and the M.S. and M.L.A. degrees are offered through the Faculty of Landscape Architecture.
The Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S) degree is intended to be a terminal degree and is available in the following degree programs: environmental and forest biology, forest resources management, environmental and resource engineering, and environmental science. This degree requires the successful completion of a minimum of 30 credits at the graduate level, of which at least 24 must be in course work.
The Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree is the first professional degree in landscape architecture. This degree requires successful completion of a minimum of 66 credit hours, of which at least 42 must be graduate course work.
The Master of Forestry (M.F.) degree is the first professional degree in forestry. This degree requires the successful completion of a minimum of 30 credits at the graduate level to meet requirements of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) for accreditation.
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree requires the successful completion of 30 graduate credits distributed between course work and thesis, with a minimum of 18 credits awarded for graduate-level course work and a minimum of 6 credits awarded for the thesis.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is an academic degree offered in the following degree programs: environmental and forest chemistry, environmental and forest biology, forest resources management, environmental and resource engineering, and environmental science. The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 60 graduate credits, of which 30 to 48 credits are for course work and 12 to 30 credits are awarded for the dissertation. The graduate credits earned for a master’s degree that are applicable to a student’s doctoral study plan are determined on an individual basis by the steering committee. The student must pass the doctoral candidacy examination covering selected fields of study at least one year prior to dissertation defense and must successfully defend the dissertation.
Facilities & Resources
The research programs of the College have attracted worldwide sponsors, who provide more than $12 million annually. Research facilities include plant growth chambers; greenhouses; an animal environment simulation chamber; a radioisotope laboratory; a modern commercial-level pulp and paper mill with wood-processing and papermaking equipment; an ultrastructure laboratory with scanning and electron microscopes; mass, infrared, and ultraviolet spectrophotometers; 600-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers with solids probe; a radiation counter and monitoring equipment; atomic absorption and related instruments; a geographical modeling laboratory; and a NASA-affiliated remote-sensing/photogrammetry program. The College maintains more than 25,000 acres of land with diverse environmental conditions at nine regional campuses and experimental stations.
Expenses and Aid
Graduate tuition for 2006-07 is expected to remain at $3450 and $5460 per semester for full-time study for New York State residents and nonresidents, respectively. All graduate students pay fees of approximately $489 per year.
Financial Aid:
Assistantships are awarded to students whose education and experience qualify them to assist in instruction and research. In 2006-07, stipends for assistantships or fellowships range from $10,500 to $21,500 per year, plus tuition scholarship. Various grants and loans are available.
Housing/Living Expenses:
On-campus accommodations and food services are provided through Syracuse University. Apartments range in cost from $3540 (double occupancy) to $3610 (studio) per semester during 2006-07; for married students, apartments range in cost from $799 (unfurnished single bedroom) to $924 (two bedrooms furnished) per month. Meals plans for dining facilities on campus range from $715 to $2825 per semester, depending on the plan chosen.
How to Apply
All applicants must provide transcripts of all previous academic work, supporting letters of recommendation, and scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Applicants to programs in environmental and forest chemistry must submit scores from the GRE Subject Test in chemistry; applicants to programs in environmental and forest biology must submit scores from the GRE Subject Test in biology. Applicants must submit a statement of educational objectives and pay a $60 application fee. Students whose primary language is not English must submit results of the TOFEL. Requests for further information on specific programs should be directed to the faculty chairs. For application material and general information, applicants should refer to the contact information in the Correspondence and Information section.
Who to Contact
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Dr. Dudley J. Raynal
Dean of Instruction and Graduate Studies
227 Bray Hall
1 Forestry Drive
Syracuse, New York 13210
Graduate Departments, Chairs and Areas of Study
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
• Donald J. Leopold (telephone: 315-470-6770; e-mail: dendro@syr.edu). Areas of study include chemical ecology, conservation biology, ecology, entomology, environmental interpretation, environmental physiology, fish and wildlife biology and management, forest pathology and mycology, and plant science and biotechnology.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST CHEMISTRY
• John P. Hassett (telephone: 315-470-6855; e-mail: jphasset@mailbox.syr.edu). Areas of study include biochemistry, environmental chemistry, organic chemistry of natural products, and polymer chemistry.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
• Richard C. Smardon (telephone: 315-470-6636; e-mail: rsmardon@esf.edu). Areas of study include environmental and community land planning, environmental and natural resources policy, environmental communications and participatory processes, environmental systems and risk analysis, and water and wetland resources studies.
FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
• Chad P. Dawson (telephone: 315-470-6536; e-mail: cpdawson@esf.edu). Areas of study include forest ecosystems science and applications, recreation resources management, natural resources management, environmental and natural resources policy, quantitative methods in forest science and management, and watershed management and forest hydrology.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
• Richard S. Hawks (telephone: 315-470-6544; e-mail: rshawks@esf.edu). Areas of study include community design and planning, cultural landscape studies and conservation, and landscape and urban ecology.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ENGINEERING
Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering
• Robert W. Meyer (telephone: 315-470-6881; e-mail: bobmeyer@esf.edu). Areas of study include construction management and engineering, wood science and technology, wood anatomy and ultrastructure, tropical timbers, wood treatments, engineered wood products, and timber structures.
Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering
• James M. Hassett (telephone: 315-470-6633; e-mail: jhasset@esf.edu). Areas of study include environmental management, forest engineering, geospatial information systems, photogrammetry and remote sensing, mapping sciences, and water resources engineering.
Paper Science and Engineering
• Thomas E. Amidon (telephone: 315-470-6524; e-mail: teamidon@esf.edu). Areas of study include chemistry of pulping and bleaching, colloid chemistry and fiber flocculation, fiber and paper mechanics, process and environmental systems engineering, and pulp and paper technology.