Regarding cross-training in ecology and policy, I know that the University of Washington school of forestry offers a dual masters degree in conjunction with the university's public policy school. Are these programs very common, though?
There have been several op-ed pieces in Conservation Biology over the years that have called for this type of training. eg Training Idiot Savants: The Lack of Human Dimensions in Conservation Biology Author(s): Susan K. Jacobson and Mallory D. McDuff 1998 Cannon, J. R., J. M. Dietz, and L. A. Dietz. 1996. Training conservation biologists in human interaction skills. Conservation Bi-ology 10:1277-1282. Jacobson, S. K. 1990. Graduate education in conservation biology. Conservation Biol-ogy 4:431-440. From: Lee Davis <[email protected]> Date: March 6, 2011 7:47:35 AM PST Subject: academia vs consultancies vs govt Reply-To: Lee Davis <[email protected]> I think a major point that isn't being addressed here is that many professors who have focused solely on research and may have had little contact with regulation, on the ground conservation and management agencies/organizations often fail to understand the importance of training in NEPA, conservation easements, environmental economics, etc. as an important and needed addition to training in research methods.
