OpenFieldUM · Missoula, Montana, United States
The University of Montana (UM) is a premier Carnegie R1 public flagship research university nestled at the base of Mount Sentinel in Missoula, Montana. Renowned worldwide for forestry, wildlife biology, freshwater ecology, toxicology, and environmental humanities, UM leverages its breathtaking Northern Rockies setting as a living laboratory for conservation discovery.
UM encompasses 11 colleges and schools including the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, College of Humanities and Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Alexander Blewett III School of Law, and the College of the Arts and Media. UM operates the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS)—one of the oldest freshwater field stations in the world.
Undergraduate admissions evaluate high school GPA and college prep curriculum. Graduate applicants must hold an accredited bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA, provide three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and meet English proficiency criteria (TOEFL 80+ or IELTS 6.5+).
The nation's top-ranked wildlife biology doctorate, studying grizzly bear and gray wolf predator-prey dynamics, ungulate migration corridors, and conservation genetics in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem.
Doctoral research conducted at the Flathead Lake Biological Station examining pristine freshwater nutrient cycling, river-floodplain hyporheic ecology, aquatic invasive species, and climate impacts on alpine lakes.
Elite forestry doctoral curriculum at the Franke College investigating wildfire behavior modeling, post-fire conifer regeneration, forest carbon sequestration, and climate adaptation strategies.
Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) doctorate researching wildfire smoke particle inhalation, pulmonary fibrosis mechanisms, autoimmune responses to silica, and heavy metal neurotoxicity.
One of the most storied creative writing programs in American literature, founded by Richard Hugo, featuring intensive workshop mentorship in environmental literature, poetry, and novel writing.
Graduate coursework and thesis research applying deep neural networks, spatial-temporal data analysis, satellite remote sensing pipelines, and sensor networks for environmental tracking.
Professor of Ungulate Habitat Ecology
Wildlife Biology Program & W.A. Franke College
Dr. Hebblewhite conducts international research on large mammal migration, wolf-elk trophic cascades, spatial habitat modeling, and the impacts of climate chang...
View researcher profile ↗Director & Professor of Limnology
Flathead Lake Biological Station
Dr. Elser is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and co-founder of ecological stoichiometry, investigating phosphorus limitation, lake biogeochemistry,...
View researcher profile ↗Director & Professor of Toxicology
Center for Environmental Health Sciences
Dr. Holian investigates macrophage activation pathways, pulmonary inflammation caused by inhaled silica and carbon nanotubes, and therapeutic interventions for ...
View researcher profile ↗OpenField is an independent research platform not officially affiliated with University of Montana. Information reflects public documentation reviewed on 2026-10-16. Students must verify application deadlines, fee structures, and prerequisite details directly with official university admissions departments before applying.
Updated 2026-10-16 · Editorial policy · Submit corrections