With increasing human pressure and a growing need to balance competing demands, our world needs new and better ways to manage society’s impacts on the environment. The Natural Resources Management program prepares students for challenging careers requiring the sustainability perspective and global social perspective necessary for examining and solving complex natural resources management problems. Our goal is the highest and best societal uses of natural resources while maintaining the integrity of life-sustaining socio-ecological systems. Career opportunities abound in federal, state and local government, the private sector, non-profit conservation and environmental organizations, as well as higher education and research.
An interdisciplinary major in NRM leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Students benefit from faculty engagement from the various colleges across the university in the coordination of the program, classroom teaching and advising.
During the first four semesters of the NRM program, students complete a broad foundation of core courses in the social, biological, and physical sciences. The second half of the program offers students the opportunity to focus on a specific area of interest (emphasis). NRM offers six emphasis areas, each allowing students the flexibility to select courses for specialized career preparation.
- Biotic Resources Science: deals with basic scientific principles that govern the interrelationship between biotic (e.g., plants, animals) and abiotic factors (e.g., climate, soils) in major ecosystems and the use of these principles for environmentally sound management of both natural and agro-ecosystems.
- Environmental Communication: is designed for environmentally oriented students preparing for careers in communication fields such as journalism, public relations, broadcast media and the internet.
- Natural Resources Economics: prepares students for management, administrative, regulatory, and policy positions that require a broad understanding of natural resources management and allocation.
- Physical/Earth Resources Science: leads to an understanding of the physical and chemical aspects of ecosystems. Topics of study include hydrology, water management and quality, waste management, soil properties, energy resources and land-use management.
- Pollution Control: focuses on the principles and practices of managing natural resources for pollution control. Topics include the technical aspects of pollution as they relate to water, air/solids, earth/soils, and the impact of environmental pollution on biotic factors. Students interested in this emphasis are strongly urged to complete College Algebra before entering the NRM program.
- Social Sciences: concentrates on human factors (social, political, anthropological) in environmental management and environmental disaster management, while recognizing constraints and opportunities presented by physical and biological factors.
- Sustainability and Resiliency: focuses on how to build capacity to deal with change; prepares students through system, strategic, and anticipatory thinking.
Plan of Study
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This guide is not an official curriculum. This guide is a sample four-year degree plan of how students might plan this major with other degree requirements to complete their education in four years.Student plans will vary from this sample due to a variety of factors, such as, but not limited to, start year, education goals, transfer credit, and course availability. To ensure proper degree completion, enrolled students should utilize Degree Map and Schedule Planner in Campus Connection and consult regularly with academic advisors to ensure graduation requirements are being met.
Natural Resources Management Emphasis Areas
Biotic Resources Science
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| General Chemistry II | |
| Survey of Organic Chemistry | |
| Rangeland Resources Watershed Management | |
| Introduction to Range Management | |
| Total Credits | 38 |
Sustainability
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| NRM 420 | Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management | 3 |
| NRM 401 | Urban-Ecosystem Management | 3 |
| SOC 431 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| or SOC 404 | Community Assessment |
| or POLS 442 | Global Policy Issues |
| or POLS 453 | Environmental Policy and Politics |
| NRM 454 | Wetland Resources Management | 3 |
| or NRM 402 | River and Stream Resource Management |
| or SOIL 410 | Soils and Land Use |
| or BIOL 475 | Conservation Biology |
| Total Credits | 38 |
Physical/Earth Resources Science
Social Sciences
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| SOC 340 | Social Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 341 | Social Research Methods Laboratory | 1 |
| SOC 404 | Community Assessment | 3 |
| SOC 405 | Community Development | 3 |
| Total Credits | 38 |
Pollution Control
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| MATH 165 | Calculus I | 4 |
| CHEM 122 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 122L | General Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| ME 221 | Engineering Mechanics I | 3 |
| ME 222 | Engineering Mechanics II | 3 |
| CE 309 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CE 370 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CE 408 | Water Resources and Supply | 3 |
| Total Credits | 38 |
Environmental Communication
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| COMM 112 | Understanding Media and Social Change | 3 |
| COMM 200 | Introduction to Media Writing | 3 |
| NRM 421 | Environmental Outreach Methods | 3 |
| COMM 485 | Risk and Crisis Communication | 3 |
| COMM 325 | | 0-4 |
or SOC 340
& SOC 341 | Social Research Methods
and Social Research Methods Laboratory |
| Total Credits | 34-38 |
Natural Resources Economics
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| MATH 144 | Mathematics for Business | 4 |
| ECON 341 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| STAT 331 | Regression Analysis | 2 |
| Total Credits | 38 |
