Master of Science in Genetics (STEM)

at University of New Hampshire - Durham Campus USA

The Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems B.A. provides students with a broad base of knowledge and experiences with modern agriculture and food systems. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems is an interdisciplinary field comprising the social, physical, and life sciences and beyond. Agriculture is key to solving many of the major challenges facing the world; such as producing food to meet the needs of an ever-growing population while conserving land, water, and soil resources.

Our students get hands-on experience in applied coursework, and we encourage our students to conduct research alongside faculty. Our students become practitioners and entrepreneurs of agricultural and food businesses, researchers and policy-makers at state/federal agencies and non-profit organizations, laboratory technicians, and agricultural educators. Some go on to obtain an advanced degree in the agricultural sciences.

Composition is the act of writing or creating musical works. This option within the music degree program at UNH allows you to fully explore your musical interests while also pursuing a broad liberal arts education. You’ll study music theory and analysis, the history and literature of music, world music and technical skills such as ear training and piano, and compose and perform music. This Bachelor of Arts degree option also requires study of a foreign language.

The geography major provides undergraduates with a solid foundation in geography by uniting social and biophysical sciences, humanities and technology to examine the factors that make a place or environment unique. Connecting academic inquiry to real-world problem solving, you will develop critical thinking skills and be prepared to transfer classroom and field experience into a wide range of careers. 

With interests ranging from globalization to climate change and sustainability, urbanization to community development at home and abroad, UNH geography graduates have gone on to careers in urban, regional and transportation planning, community development, environmental conservation and natural resources management, sustainability science, geographic information science, market research, locational analysis, population studies, foreign aid, international diplomacy and education. 

The Genetics program (GEN) explores the world of genetics and genomics in plants, animals, and microbes. Genetics majors are interested in understanding how DNA, along with the environment, specifies simple traits like hair color to more complex traits like high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illness. The Genetics faculty strongly value hands-on learning and many GEN students conduct undergraduate research under the supervision of our faculty. GEN graduates are prepared for successful careers in the biotechnology fields or for entry into a variety of graduate school, genetic counseling, or health professional programs.

This music degree option is tailored to students who wish to develop their talent in musical performance while also gaining a solid liberal arts education. You’ll be immersed in the study of music theory, history, literature and world music while honing your listening and performance skills by participating in training and various ensembles on campus. 

The Community and Environmental Planning (CEP) program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to become effective community planners in the public or private sector. There are 16 courses required for the major. All of the courses are designed to give the student a diverse skill-set in planning for the sustainability of communities. CEP students are provided a solid planning background with planning courses covering local, state and regional planning topics and methods. CEP students also take foundational courses in natural resources, geographic information systems, economics, and statistics, as well as a political science course, and a social issues course. The internship requirement (CEP 794) allows the planning student to apply their knowledge in the real world for instrumental hands-on experience. Semester in the City is also an option for the internship experience. CEP students are encouraged to focus their remaining hours on skills that can enhance their CEP major such as a dual major, a minor, or study abroad.

Expected CEP Student Outcomes:

• The foundational education in planning, natural resources, economics and sustainability.
• The fundamental values of diversity, equity, justice, and protection of community and the environment.
• The ability to assess, discuss, and engage others in the problems and potential solutions associated with impacts of land use changes.
• The ability to work with community members and professionals in the design and implementation of community improvements in building and transportation while protecting natural and built resources.

Students may go on to work in the community development or community planning departments in local communities. They may also choose to work in regional planning agencies, or with a state or federal office. Other options include the private sector, such as architectural or development companies, or the non-profit sector, such as with community development corporations or conservation groups. The American Planning Association provides a certification process for the planning profession (American Institute of Certified Planners) after several years of planning experience. Students may also choose to go on to graduate studies in Community and Environmental Planning, Natural Resources Management, Public Administration, or a related field.

The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) and the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) jointly offer a bachelor of science degree in environmental sciences. Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the interaction of biological, chemical, and physical processes that shape the environment, and control the response of natural systems to human activities.    Students graduating with a degree in environmental sciences will have an understanding of these interacting processes, experience working in interdisciplinary teams to apply this understanding, and the ability to communicate effectively with both scientific and lay audiences.  While in this program, students will acquire significant experience with field, laboratory and analytical methods appropriate for employment in professional environmental science positions as well as a basic understanding of environmental policy.  The University of New Hampshire is a recognized leader in environmental sciences research, and the environmental sciences program capitalizes on faculty expertise in this area. Program faculty emphasize teaching and research in the areas of biogeochemical cycling, environmental chemistry, ecosystem science, global change, hydrology, plant ecology, soil science, and water resource management among many other fields.

Employment opportunities include environmental consulting firms; educational facilities (e.g., science centers), environmental monitoring laboratories (e.g., water treatment plants, the Environmental Protection Agency), government agencies (e.g., the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resource Conservation Service), university and government research laboratories, and nongovernment environmental organizations. The environmental sciences program also constitutes an excellent preparation for graduate programs in several areas relating to the environment.

The Program has four options, and specific course requirements for the major vary by option. The ecosystems and soils and watersheds options are both managed by the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment in COLSA, and the geosystems and hydrology options are both managed by Earth Sciences in CEPS. 

The non-thesis option is designed for UNH undergraduates who have a demonstrated capacity to engage in upper-level course work and desire hands-on practice and research training for an advanced degree.

The Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology (BMCB) major provides you with conceptual competence, analytical skills, and laboratory experiences to understand life at the molecular and cellular level. Your BMCB degree will prepare you for immediate employment as a research associate or for entry into graduate or professional programs in medicine, dentistry or other allied health professions, as well as other career tracks.

The BMCB program offers advanced coursework and laboratories in diverse research areas of modern biology

• Cancer biology
• Cell biology
• Cell culture & tissue engineering
• Endocrinology
• Molecular biology techniques
• Pharmacology
• Physical biochemistry
• Protein structure, function & proteomics

Nutrition is the study of how nutrients and food components function at molecular, cellular, and whole-body levels to impact human health and disease. Students are grounded in fundamental sciences as they develop nutrition-specific competencies in nutrition and health, foods, nutritional assessment, wellness, life cycle nutrition, and/or metabolic biochemistry.

The nutrition program prepares students for entry-level positions in health care, education, or the biotechnology industry, or entry into post-baccalaureate professional programs. Nutrition faculty have expertise in clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, and food science, as well as assessing risk factors of chronic disease risk (i.e. obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, cognitive) in diverse populations (pediatric, young adult, older adult).

Students in the Nutritional Sciences option most often enroll in a post-graduate educational degree program (e.g., medical school, graduate school, physician assistant program, etc.) or enter the biomedical/biotechnology workplace.