Program Modification Form
I Summary of Proposed Changes
Master’s Environmental Science and Nat. Res. Journalism
Department/program
Add portfolio as option for journalism master’s degree to graduate catalog
Summary
II Endorsements and Approvals
Please obtain the Program Chair/Director’s approval and Dean’s approval.
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Requestor:
Phone:
Program Chair/Director:
Henriette Lowisch
*2227
Henriette Lowisch
9/27/13
Department Dean
Other affected Programs:
Denise Dowling
9/27/13
(Use additional sheet if
needed)
None
Are other departments/programs affected by this
Please obtain signature(s) from the
modification because of
Chair/Director of any such department/
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
program (above) before submission
(b) perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
III Type of Program Modification
(e.g. adding a writing course required of all majors.) Please X check the appropriate box.
Major
Minor
Option
Teaching major/minor
Other
Please
X
Change graduate catalog language regarding
describe
requirements for journalism master’s degree;
introduce language specifying a portfolio option that
requires additional course credits rather than
professional project credits.
IV Catalog Language
If you are proposing a change to an existing program or
major, please cut and paste the requirements as they
appear in the current catalog below.
www.umt.edu/catalog 
Please provide the proposed copy as you wish
it to appear in the catalog. 
M.A. Environmental Science and Natural
Resource Journalism
M.A. Environmental Science and
Natural Resource Journalism
Requirements
Students working toward the 36-credit degree
must successfully complete:
 18 credits in journalism (15 credits in
required courses and 3 credits in
journalism electives).
 12 credits in approved non-journalism
graduate courses in natural resource issues
and/or environmental science.
 6 credits of professional project work in
journalism.
Required journalism courses:
 JOUR 505 - Seminar in Environmental
Requirements
Students working toward the 36-credit
degree must successfully complete:
 18 credits in journalism (15 credits
in required courses and 3 credits in
journalism electives).
 12 credits in approved nonjournalism graduate courses in
natural resource issues and/or
environmental science.
 6 credits of professional project or
thesis work in journalism
(professional project and thesis
Journalism
JOUR 567 - Studies in Press and Broadcast
Law
 JOUR 570 - Covering Environmental
Science and Natural Resource Issues
 JOUR 575 - Story Lab
 JOUR 690 - Externship
 Journalism elective
Required non-journalism courses:
Students are required to successfully complete 12
credits of approved non-journalism courses
relevant to the coverage of natural resource issues
or environmental science. Registration in such
courses is subject to availability, prerequisites and
consent of instructor.
To help students in their choices, we've assembled
a list of potential courses, divided into specialties.
Students are not limited to the courses on this list,
and they may select courses from each specialty.
We've contacted department heads or instructors
for permission to advertise each course on this list.
General studies:
 GEOG 432 - Human Role in
Environmental Change
 ECON 433 - Economics of the
Environment
 PHIL 504 - Colloquium on the Philosophy
of Ecology
 HIST 564 - U.S. Environmental History
Policy studies:
 LAW 650 - Introduction to Environmental
Law (Students would also be welcome in
Environmental Law II and in a new course,
the Law of Climate Change.)
 FOR/RSCN 422 - Natural Resource Policy
and Administration
 FOR 513 - Natural Resources and
Environmental Dispute Resolution
 FOR 622 - Advanced Problems in
Environmental Policy
 WBIO 410 - Wildlife Policy and
Biopolitics
 COMM 575 - Seminar in Rhetoric &
Environmental Controversy
 ECON 445 - International Environmental
Economics and Climate Change
Science studies:
 WBIO 470 - Conservation & Wildlife
Populations
 BIO 575 - Frontiers in Conservation
Research

options) OR 6 additional credits of
journalism electives (portfolio
option).
Required journalism courses:
 JRNL 505 - Seminar in
Environmental Journalism
 JRNL 567 - Studies in Press and
Broadcast Law
 JRNL 570 - Covering
Environmental Science and Natural
Resource Issues
 JRNL 575 - Story Lab
 JRNL 698 - Externship
 Journalism elective
Required non-journalism courses:
Students are required to successfully
complete 12 credits of approved nonjournalism courses relevant to the coverage
of natural resource issues or environmental
science. Science courses offered for the
degree need to be approved by the program
advisor.
To help students in their choices, we've
assembled a list of potential courses,
divided into specialties. Students are not
limited to the courses on this list, and they
may select courses from each specialty.
Registration is subject to availability,
prerequisites and consent of instructor.
General studies:
 COMM 575 - Seminar in Rhetoric
& Environmental Controversy
 ECNS 433 - Economics of the
Environment
 GPHY 432 - Human Role in
Environmental Change
 HSTR 564 - U.S. Environmental
History
 PHL 504 - Colloquium on the
Philosophy of Ecology
Policy studies:
 ECNS 445 - International
Environmental Economics and
Climate Change
 ENST 513 – Foundations of
Natural Resources Conflict
Resolution
 FORS 622 - Advanced Problems in
Environmental Policy
 GPHY 465 - Planning Principles



GEOSCI 488 - Snow, Ice & Climate
and Processes
FOR 532 - Forest Ecosystem Analysis
 GPHY 561 - Land Use Planning
FOR/RSCN 570 - Graduate Seminar in
Law
Political Ecology
 LAW 650 - Introduction to
 FOR/RSCN 571 - International
Environmental Law
Conservation and Development
 LAW 654 - Public Land and
 FOR 501 - Research Methods
Resources Law
 LAW 663 - Water Law
Analysis & Representation studies:
 GEOG 468 - Community & Regional
 NRSM 422 - Natural Resource
Analysis
Policy and Administration
 GEOG 580 - Seminar in GIS &
 NRSM 449 – Climate Change
Cartography
Ethics and Policy
 MATH 444 - Statistical Methods
 NRSM 570 – Political Ecology
 FOR 503 - GIS Methods and Applications
 RECM 482 - Wilderness and
Protected Area Management
What does the professional project entail?
All students must produce a professional project, a
 WILD 410 - Wildlife Policy and
work of journalism suitable for online
Biopolitics
dissemination at reputable, credible Web sites. The
 WILD 460 - International Wildlife
work must represent an original and in-depth
Conservation Issues
contribution to the public knowledge of
Science studies:
environmental science and natural resource issues,
 BIOE 406 – Behavior and
subject to the approval of a faculty project
Evolution
committee. Students may choose to produce one
 BIOE 428 – Freshwater Ecology
large, documentary-style project or three shorter
 BIOE 448 – Terrestrial Plant
but thematically related pieces.
Ecology
Project committees must include a chair and
 BIOE 449 – Plant Biogeography
reviewer chosen from the School of Journalism
 BIOS 534 – Integrated Systems
faculty and a faculty member from another school
Ecology
or department.
 ENSC 501 - Scientific Approaches
to Environmental Problems
 ENSC 540 - Watershed
Conservation Ecology
 FORS 408 - Global Cycles and
Climate
 FORS 532 - Forest Ecosystem
Analysis
 FORS 533 – Use of Fire in
Wildland Management
 GPHY 433 - Cultural Ecology
 GPHY 468 - Community and
Regional Analysis
 WILD 408 - Advanced Fisheries
 WILD 470 – Conservation of
Wildlife Populations
 WILD 580 - Population Dynamics
Analysis & Representation studies:
 FORS 503 - GIS: Methods and
Applications

FORS 538 – Applied Stat Mod
Ecology
 GPHY 580 Seminar in GIS and

Cartography
STAT 451 Statistical Methods I
What does the Master’s work entail?
Students choosing the professional project
option produce one large, documentarystyle work of journalism, suitable for
dissemination at reputable media
organizations. The work must represent an
original and in-depth contribution to the
public knowledge of environmental science
and natural resource issues. It is subject to
the approval of a master’s committee.
Students choosing the portfolio option will,
in consultation with the program adviser,
select additional journalism electives
directed toward specific career goals.
Based on their coursework, they will
produce three discrete portfolio pieces, of
which at least one will be designed for
digital publication. Students are required to
document that they pitched their works to
reputable media organizations. Upon
completion of the portfolio, a master’s
committee will evaluate it for accuracy,
relevance, newsworthiness, storytelling
skill and adherence to professional ethics.
Master’s committees for all options must
include a chair and reviewer chosen from
the School of Journalism faculty, as well as
a faculty member from another school or
department.
Please explain/justify the new proposal or change. 
The ascent of non-traditional media in the area of environmental science and natural resource
journalism requires our students to master new, innovative skills to succeed in the job market.
Upon graduation, they need to demonstrate versatility in online and multimedia journalism, in
addition to the ability to efficiently and ethically report on science, resource issues and the
environment.
To address this need, we intend to offer our students the option to fulfill their graduation
requirement by submitting a portfolio of journalistic work, rather than submitting a long-form
professional project or a master’s thesis.
Students who choose the portfolio option will be held to the same high standards as their peers,
with a master’s committee evaluating the work they submit for their degree. But rather than
taking 6 thesis or professional project credits, they will have the opportunity to take 6 credits of
graduate-level coursework, for example in multimedia, video documentary or web journalism, in
addition to the single journalism elective currently required for their 36-credit degree.
Portfolios submitted for the Master’s degree will include three discrete portfolio pieces, of which
at least one will be designed for digital publication. Students will be required to document that
they pitched their work to professionally edited media organizations. The work will be evaluated
for accuracy, relevance, newsworthiness, storytelling skills and adherence to professional ethics.
Students who come into the program with advanced journalism skills and wish to develop one
long-form documentary piece for their degree will continue to have that option. The same is true
for the occasional student proposing a research thesis in pursuit of an academic career. But the
portfolio option will better serve those students who come to us with an undergraduate degree in
environmental science or the natural resource professions. We expect their job opportunities to
increase substantially if they can present three pieces to future employers, especially if one of
those pieces takes a digital format.
In part, the proposed change responds to Graduate Council’s recent interim assessment of our
program, suggesting we redouble our efforts to help students acquire a variety of innovative
skills. We are confident that the portfolio option will be a first step in that direction.
Note: The proposed change in graduate catalog copy also includes editorial changes, such as
updates to course numbers (common course numbering) and to the list of recommended nonjournalism courses, the latter reflecting changes in course offerings across campus.
V Copies and Electronic Submission
Once approved, the original, a paper copy and an electronic file are submitted to the Faculty Senate
Office, UH 221 (camie.foos@mso.umt.edu).
VI Department Summary Required if several proposals are submitted. In a separate document
list program title and proposed change of all proposals.
Revised 11-2009