Bachelor of Science, Major in Earth Sciences with Emphasis in Geography

at Montana State University - Bozeman USA

Students in the Sustainable Crop Production program at Montana State pursue the answers to hard-hitting questions pertaining to sustainability and agriculture. Those questions include “Where does our food come from? Are there ways to sustainably maintain production levels and yet protect our natural resources? Is it possible to improve the quality and nutrition of our food supply? Are local food systems a viable alternative to corporate agricultural production? Can crops grown for bioenergy production reduce our use of fossil fuels and lessen carbon dioxide emissions?” Coursework in the Sustainable Crop Production program help students in digging for those answers, including agronomy, soil fertility, plant genetics and physiology, greenhouse production, plant propagation, integrated pest management and small business management.

Candidates in the Innovation and Management graduate program at Montana State develop skills and knowledge in an innovative one-year program designed to accelerate their career potential, either through entrepreneurship or leadership in existing organizations. The Innovation and Management program is made for candidates interested in innovating, leading, and solving challenging problems, especially in the design, science, technology, engineering, or math fields. Innovation and Management students will expand their skill sets through first-hand experiences working on projects with researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and government programming.

Agroecologists explore how crops and pest organisms interact with their environment, and the application of technology to efficiently and sustainability produce crops. In the Agroecology program at Montana State, students focus on community ecology, environmental science and cropland ecosystems and how they affect agricultural production decisions. After mastering fundamental principles of ecology, soil science, agronomy and pest management, Agroecology students are prepared to enter careers in the food or bioenergy sectors.

Students in the Farm and Ranch Management program at Montana State learn how to manage farms, ranches and similar agricultural enterprises. Students study a broad spectrum of topics within agricultural specialization and business management in order to make the best decisions regarding production, crop and animal management, marketing, finance, and business organization for farm and ranch management.

Students in the Biological Engineering program at Montana State learn at the exciting interface of biology, chemistry and industrial systems. Whether discovering how microbes in Yellowstone National Park could be used to recycle plastic or working in a lab to develop new tools for diagnosing diseases like malaria and cancer in low-resource settings, Biological Engineering students are afforded a variety of opportunities to develop skills that will serve them in positions in biomedicine, environmental remediation and more.

In the Sustainable Food Systems program at Montana State, students focus on the interconnected relationships between production, food policy, food security and health in order to make informed decisions and solutions to complex problems in the food industry. Sustainable Food Systems students develop important skills through hands-on experience in service-based learning internships, organic farming, culinary fundamentals and management, training on research methods and carrying out research projects in surrounding communities.

In the Mathematics graduate program at Montana State, candidates work in a variety of areas including real and complex analysis, applied mathematics, dynamical systems, mathematical biology, mathematical imaging and probability. Additionally, candidates are able to take advantage of the prestigious MT PEAKS Fellowship, which is specifically designed to broaden candidates’ training beyond academia and into business, industry or governmental pathways.

In the graduate program for Immunology and Infectious Disease at Montana State, candidates pursue research projects within state-of-the-art laboratories on subjects such as vaccines and disease evolution, as well as genetics, disease transmission and immune responses. Candidates conduct these projects in labs such as the Core Flow Cytometry Facility and the state-of-the-art Cooley Laboratory. They train under award-winning and world-leading researchers in the fields of genetics and immunology.

From designing the next generation of spacecraft and automobiles to alternative energy systems and much more, mechanical engineers enjoy a wide variety of career opportunities that involve working with thermal and mechanical energy. Students in the Mechanical Engineering program at Montana State are given ample opportunity for hands-on experience, from studying in MSU’s computer-aided drafting, integrated manufacturing and machining laboratories to their capstone senior projects that solve real-world design problems.

Candidates within the Earth Sciences graduate program at Montana State are encouraged to dive into independent thesis research across a variety of specializations within the fields of geography and geology. Faculty and advisor expertise spans many subfields of the discipline, including settlement geography, bioclimatology, GIS, planning, snow science, volcanology, paleobiology, dinosaur taphonomy, stratigraphy and geomorphology. Recent M.S. students have produced groundbreaking research and have expanded our knowledge of issues from GIS-based assessment of landslide hazards to exotic species assessment in Grand Teton National Park.