Natural Resources Management (NRM)
Introduction / Background
The Natural Resources Management (NRM) academic program focuses on the sustainable management of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, integrating social sciences and physical sciences to address complex environmental challenges. Through a combination of coursework and applied research, the program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to manage natural resources sustainably in the context of climate change, biodiversity conservation, and development.
The NRM program also emphasizes capacity building, professional training, and outreach, offering students opportunities to engage with real-world projects and regional partnerships. With a strong track record of collaboration with universities and institutions across tropical Asia and beyond, NRM contributes to strengthening academic programs and advancing sustainable natural resource management at local, regional, and global levels.
Areas of Specialization
- Ecology
- Land Resource Management
- Economics and Policy
- Forestry
- Nature-based Solutions
Focus Areas
- Forestry
- Forest carbon accounting
- REDD+
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Ecosystem Services
- Valuation of ecosystem services
- Land resource management
- Land degradation neutrality
- NRM economics and policy
- Nature-based solutions (NbS) to climate change
- Community-based NRM
- Application of modern technologies for NRM
- Assessment of natural resources using conventional and modern geospatial techniques.
Preferred Background
- Master Program- Undergraduate degree in any field of study
- Ph.D Program
- Master degree in any field of study with good GPA
- Undergraduate degree in any field of study from a reputed university – International experience and English proficiency
Course Structure
Master of Science (2 years) in Natural Resources Management August 2025 intake
Research Study Options
| Component | Thesis Options | Research w/ Exchange | Research w/ Minor | Research w/o Minor | Internship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Coursework | 26 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| • Required Courses | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| • Elective Courses | 18 | 16 | 16 | 28 | 28 |
| • Minor/Exchange Credits | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/Research/Internship | 22 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| ##Total Credits## | ##48## | ##48## | ##48## | ##48## | ##48## |
Fall (Aug-Nov) 2025 Semester
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED76.21 | Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services | 3(45-0) | Required |
| ED76.24 | Forestry and REDD+ | 3(45-0) | Elective |
| ED76.22 | Natural Resources Management Field Lab I (modular) | 1(0-45) | Elective |
| ED76.25 | Resources Assessment and Mapping (modular) | 2(30-0) | Elective |
| ED52.9006 | Quantitative Research Methods I (modular) | 2(15-30) | Elective |
| ED52.9007 | Quantitative Research Methods II (modular) | 2(22.5-22.5) | Elective |
| ED52.9008 | Qualitative Research Methods (modular) | 2(15-30) | Elective |
| ##Total## | ##12-13## |
Spring (Jan-Apr) 2026 Semester
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED76.16 | Land Resources Management | 3(45-0) | Required |
| ED76.18 | Natural Resources Planning & Policy (modular) | 2(30-0) | Required |
| ED76.20 | Natural Resource Economics (modular) | 2(30-0) | Elective |
| ED76.9016 | Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Resource Management (modular) | 2(15-30) | Elective |
| ED76.23 | Natural Resource Management Field Lab II (modular) | 1(0-45) | Elective |
| Any other course or special study | 2 | ||
| Submission of Research Option and Title (by 24th April 2026) | |||
| ##Total## | ##12-13## |
Inter-semester 2026
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED76.9017 | Natural Resources Management Workshop | 1 (7.5-15) | Required / Elective |
| ##Total## | ##1## |
Fall (Aug-Nov) 2026 Semester
| Data Collection & Regular Meetings (Thesis Students) | 11 | ||
| Coursework (Research & Internship Students) or Exchange (Research Students) | 10-12 |
Spring (Jan-Apr) 2027 Semester
| Progress Defense & Final Defense (Thesis Students) | 11 | ||
| Proposal Defense, Data Collection, Progress Defense, Final Defense (Research Students) | 12 | ||
| Proposal Defense, Internship, Progress Defense, Final Defense (Internship Students) | 12 |
Detailed timeline after the first two semesters of coursework
| Timing / Deadline | Action (Thesis Option) | Action (RS/Internship Option)* |
|---|---|---|
| Before 24th Apr 2026 | Students decide among the thesis (Th), research study (RS), and internship (Int) options. Deliberate on a research topic. | Students decide among the thesis (Th), research study (RS), and internship (Int) options. Deliberate on a research topic. |
| 24th Apr 2026 | Submit the option and a tentative topic | Submit the option and a tentative topic |
| Early May 2026 | Thesis/Research/Internship advisors are assigned. (may or may not be the same as the academic advisor). | Thesis/Research/Internship advisors are assigned. (may or may not be the same as the academic advisor). |
| Mid May 2026` | NRM Farewell | NRM Farewell |
| Mid May to Mid Jul 2026 | Develop a thesis proposal. + NRM workshop course. | NRM workshop course, intersem courses, preliminary proposal development, searching for internship, etc. |
| End July 2026 | Proposal defense | NRM workshop course, intersem courses, preliminary proposal development, searching for internship, etc. |
| End July to Mid Aug 2026 | Finalize/revise proposal | Preliminary proposal development, searching for internship, etc. |
| Mid Aug to End Sep 2026 | Start data collection | Coursework, Minor, Exchange |
| End Sep to Mid Oct 2026 | Data entry and organization. | EL, RS/Int proposal development, internship |
| Mid Oct to Mid Dec 2026 | Analysis and writing | EL, RS/Int proposal development, internship |
| 11th Dec 2026 | Pre-progress presentation (plenary) | Pre-progress presentation (plenary) |
| 22nd Dec 2026 | Show the draft proposal to advisors | |
| Mid Jan 2027 | Work closely with advisors. | Proposal defense Revise the proposal. |
| End Feb 2027 | Thesis progress defense (with a draft of the whole thesis) | RS: Data collection. Begin the analysis. Write the results. |
| End Mar 2027 | Thesis final defense | Progress defense RS: With a draft of the full report |
| Int: Report the update | ||
| Early Apr 2027 | Final revisions | Revise the report |
| Early Apr to End Apr 2027 | Formatting the article (optional) | Final defense Final revisions |
| May 2027 | Graduation | Graduation |
*Timeline can be flexible based on the internship host organization, exchange schedule, etc. Table above is just an example.
Concerned Faculty Members
Concerned Staff Members
Contact Information
Email: jittima@ait.ac.th.
Phone: +66 524 6113
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