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Natural Resources Management

Overview
Major
Minor

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.

Major Requirements

Major: Natural Resources Management

Degree Type: B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 128

General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree

A list of approved general education courses is available here .
General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, should they apply.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Communication (C)		12
ENGL 110	College Composition I
ENGL 120	College Composition II
COMM 110	Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Upper Division Writing ^†
Quantitative Reasoning (R) ^†		3
Science and Technology (S) ^†		10
Humanities and Fine Arts (A) ^†		6
Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) ^†		6
Wellness (W) ^†		2
Cultural Diversity (D) ^*†
Global Perspectives (G) ^*†
Total Credits		39

*	May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category.
†	May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required.

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Core Courses for Natural Resources Management:
AGRI 189	Skills for Academic Success ¹	1
BIOL 150 & 150L	General Biology I and General Biology I Laboratory	4
BIOL 151 & 151L	General Biology II and General Biology II Laboratory	4
BIOL 364	General Ecology	3
CHEM 121 & 121L	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S)	4
ECON 201	Principles of Microeconomics (May satisfy general education category B and G)	3
ECON 481	Natural Resource Economics	3
GEOL 105	Physical Geology (May satisfy general education category S and G)	3
HIST 434	Environmental History	3
or HIST 435	World Environmental History
NRM 150	Natural Resource Management Orientation	1
NRM 225	Natural Resources & Agrosystems (May satisfy general education category S)	3
NRM/SOIL 264	Natural Resource Management Systems	3
NRM 431	National Environmental Policy Act & Environmental Impact Assessment	3
NRM 462	Natural Resource and Rangeland Planning	3
POLS 115	American Government	3
or POLS 215	Problems and Policies In American Government
RNG 452	Geographic Information Systems in Range Survey	3
or GEOG 455	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
SOIL 210	Introduction to Soil Science	3
STAT 330	Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R)	3
Select one of the following: (May satisfy general education category B)		3
POLS 110	Introduction to Political Science
SOC 110	Introduction to Sociology
EMGT 101	Emergencies, Disasters, and Catastrophes
ANTH 111	Introduction to Anthropology
Select one of the following:		3
SOC 431	Environmental Sociology
POLS 360	Principles of Public Administration
POLS 422	State and Local Politics
POLS 442	Global Policy Issues
ANTH 462	Anthropology and the Environment
EMGT 261	Disaster Preparedness
EMGT 262	Disaster Mitigation
EMGT 263	Disaster Response
EMGT 264	Disaster Recovery
NRM Emphasis Area: Students must select one of the six NRM emphasis areas to complete the major. See below.		38
Total Credits		97

AGRI189 is only required for first-time, first-year students--A first-time, first-year student is defined as a student who has not yet completed a college course as a college student. Students that are not first-time, first-year students that either transfer into the university or change their major are not required to take AGRI 189.

Natural Resources Management Emphasis Areas

Select and complete one emphasis area as part of the Natural Resources Management major.
Declaring an Emphasis- Students should formally declare an emphasis area with the Office of Registration & Records by the beginning of their junior year. The emphasis area is recorded on the academic transcript with the degree.

Biotic Resources Science

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required. Select two of the following:		6
CHEM 122	General Chemistry II
CHEM 240	Survey of Organic Chemistry
RNG 136	Introduction to Range Management
RNG/NRM 453	Rangeland Resources Watershed Management
Select a minimum of 32 credits from the approved electives list below for Biotic Resourses:		32
BOT 414	Plant Systematics
RNG 456	Range Habitat Management
SOIL 217	Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology
NRM 401	Urban-Ecosystem Management
NRM 420	Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management
PLSC 219	Introduction to Prairie & Community Forestry
ZOO 470	Limnology
ZOO 476	Wildlife Ecology and Management
PLSC/BOT/ZOO 315	Genetics
PLSC/BOT/ZOO 315L	Genetics Laboratory
RNG/NRM 454	Wetland Resources Management
BOT/RNG 460	Plant Ecology
MICR 202	Introductory Microbiology
ZOO 450	Invertebrate Zoology
ZOO 454	Herpetology
ZOO 458	Mammalogy
PLSC 355	Woody Landscape Plants
RNG/BOT 450	Range Plants
BOT 380	Plant Physiology
RNG 458	Grazing Ecology
MICR 202L	Introductory Microbiology Lab
NRM 402	River and Stream Resource Management
NRM 421	Environmental Outreach Methods
ZOO 462	Physiological Ecology
ZOO 475	Conservation Biology
ZOO 477	Wildlife and Fisheries Management Techniques
ENT 350	General Entomology
ZOO 360	Animal Behavior
ZOO 452	Ichthyology
ZOO 456	Ornithology
PLSC 323	Principles of Weed Science
RNG 326	Modeling of Range and Agro-Ecosystems
Total Credits		38

Sustainability

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required:
NRM 420	Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management	3
NRM 401	Urban-Ecosystem Management	3
Select one:		3
POLS 442	Global Policy Issues
POLS 453	Environmental Policy and Politics
SOC 404	Community Assessment
SOC 431	Environmental Sociology
Select one:		3
NRM 402	River and Stream Resource Management
NRM 454	Wetland Resources Management
SOIL 410	Soils and Land Use
ZOO 475	Conservation Biology
Physical/Earth Resources Science - Select a minimum of 26 credits from the approved electives:		26
ANTH 462	Anthropology and the Environment
ANTH 459	Global Cultural Heritage
ANTH 464	Disaster and Culture
BIOL 271	Wildlife Ecology and Conservation: An undergraduate research course
BIOL 480	Ecotoxicology
BIOL 481	Wetland Science
ECON 482	Environmental Economics
EMGT 101	Emergencies, Disasters, and Catastrophes
EMGT 261	Disaster Preparedness
EMGT 262	Disaster Mitigation
EMGT 263	Disaster Response
EMGT 264	Disaster Recovery
ENT 350	General Entomology
GEOL 300	Environmental Geology
HIST 435	World Environmental History
NRM 322	Environmental Law and Policy
NRM 402	River and Stream Resource Management (If not used above)
NRM 421	Environmental Outreach Methods
NRM 453	Rangeland Resource/Watershed Management
PLSC 110	World Food Crops
PLSC 219	Introduction to Prairie & Community Forestry
POLS 442	Global Policy Issues (If not used above)
POLS 453	Environmental Policy and Politics (If not used above)
RNG 451	Ecology of Fire-Dependent Ecosystems
RNG 456	Range Habitat Management
RNG 458	Grazing Ecology
RNG 460	Plant Ecology
SOC 404	Community Assessment (If not used above)
SOC 405	Community Development
SOC 235	Cultural Diversity
SOC 431	Environmental Sociology (If not used above)
SOC 443	International Disasters
SOIL 217	Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology
SOIL 351	Soil Ecology
SOIL 410	Soils and Land Use (If not used above)
ZOO 475	Conservation Biology (If not used above)
ZOO 476	Wildlife Ecology and Management
Total Credits		38

Physical/earth Resources Science

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required:
CHEM 122 & 122L	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory	4
MATH 146	Applied Calculus I	4
or MATH 165	Calculus I
GEOG 412	Geomorphology	3
or SOIL 444	Soil Genesis and Survey
Select a minimum of 27 credits from the approved electives list below for Physical/Earth Resources Science:		27
ABEN 464	Resource Conservation and Irrigation Engineering
ASM 354	Electricity and Electronic Applications
RNG 136	Introduction to Range Management
GEOL 105L	Physical Geology Lab
SOIL 444	Soil Genesis and Survey
GEOG 412	Geomorphology
NRM 401	Urban-Ecosystem Management
RNG/NRM 454	Wetland Resources Management
NRM 420	Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management
PHYS 211	College Physics I
CE 204	Surveying
SOIL 322	Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
SOIL 410	Soils and Land Use
MICR 202	Introductory Microbiology
SOIL 465	Soil And Plant Analysis
GEOL/CHEM 428	Geochemistry
ASM 225	Computer Applications in Agricultural Systems Management
PHYS 211L	College Physics I Laboratory
CHEM 240	Survey of Organic Chemistry
GEOL 300	Environmental Geology
GEOL 414	Hydrogeology
MICR 202L	Introductory Microbiology Lab
NRM 402	River and Stream Resource Management
NRM 421	Environmental Outreach Methods
ASM 454	Principles and Application of Precision Agriculture
SOIL 217	Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology
SOIL 351	Soil Ecology
SOIL 433	Soil Physics
SOIL 447	Microclimatology
SOIL 480	Soils and Pollution
Total Credits		38

Environmental Communication

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required:
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
Select one of the following:		4
COMM/POLS/CJ 325	Applied Research Methods
SOC 340 & SOC 341	Social Research Methods and Social Research Methods Laboratory
Select a minimum of 22 credits from the approved electives list below for Environmental Communication:		22
COMM 245	Principles of Broadcast Production
COMM 260	Introduction to Web Design
COMM 301	Rhetorical Traditions
NRM 420	Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management
COMM 433	Legal Communication
COMM 442	Digital Media and Society
COMM 445	Advanced Broadcast Production
COMM 472	Public Relations Campaigns
COMM 402	Contemporary Rhetoric
COMM 261	Introduction to Web Development
COMM 310	Advanced Media Writing
COMM 362	Principles of Design For Print
COMM 383	Organizational Communication I
NRM 421	Environmental Outreach Methods
COMM 436	Issues in Mass Communications
COMM 443	Mass Media and Public Opinion
COMM 450	Issues in Communication
COMM 431	Communication Ethics and Law
Total Credits		38

Pollution Control

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required:
CE 309	Fluid Mechanics	3
CE 370	Introduction to Environmental Engineering	3
CE 408	Water Resources and Supply	3
CHEM 122 & 122L	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory	4
MATH 165	Calculus I	4
ME 221	Engineering Mechanics I	3
ME 222	Engineering Mechanics II	3
Select a minimum of 15 credits from the approved electives list below for Pollution Control:		15
Air/Solids:
CE 472	Solid Waste Management
SOIL 217	Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology
SOIL 447	Microclimatology
Biotic:
ABEN 499	Special Topics
BOT 380	Plant Physiology
BOT/RNG 460	Plant Ecology
MICR 350	General Microbiology
MICR 350L	General Microbiology Lab
ZOO 470	Limnology
ZOO 476	Wildlife Ecology and Management
ZOO 477	Wildlife and Fisheries Management Techniques
Earth/Soils:
CHEM 240	Survey of Organic Chemistry
GEOL 300	Environmental Geology
SOIL 322	Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
SOIL 351	Soil Ecology
SOIL 410	Soils and Land Use
SOIL 433	Soil Physics
SOIL 444	Soil Genesis and Survey
SOIL 447	Microclimatology
SOIL 465	Soil And Plant Analysis
SOIL 480	Soils and Pollution
Water:
ABEN 464	Resource Conservation and Irrigation Engineering
CE 410	Water and Wastewater Engineering
CE 421	Open Channel Flow
CE 477	Applied Hydrology
CE 478	Water Quality Management
GEOL 414	Hydrogeology
RNG/NRM 453	Rangeland Resources Watershed Management
GEOL/CHEM 428	Geochemistry
Total Credits		38

Natural Resources Economics

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required:
MATH 144	Mathematics for Business	4
ECON 341	Intermediate Microeconomics	3
STAT 331	Regression Analysis	2
Select a minimum of 29 credits from the approved electives list below for Natural Resources Economics:		29
AGEC 339	Quantitative Methods & Decision Making
AGEC 375	Applied Agricultural Law
ECON 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 343	Intermediate Macroeconomics
ECON 456	History of Economic Thought
ECON 470	Public Economics
ECON 480	Industrial Organization
GEOG 262	Geography of North America
NRM 401	Urban-Ecosystem Management
NRM 420	Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management
POLS 220	International Politics
POLS 442	Global Policy Issues
POLS 452	Comparative Political Economy
SOC 403	Sociology of The Great Plains
SOC 439	Social Change
AGEC 347	Principles of Real Estate
AGEC 484	Agricultural Policy
COMM 315	Small Group Communication
ECON 324	Money and Banking
ECON 410	Econometrics
ECON 461	Economic Development
ECON 472	International Trade
HNES 427	Leisure And Society
NRM 402	River and Stream Resource Management
NRM 421	Environmental Outreach Methods
POLS 360	Principles of Public Administration
POLS 444	International Law
POLS 453	Environmental Policy and Politics
SOC 431	Environmental Sociology
Total Credits		38

Social Sciences

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required:
SOC 405	Community Development	3
SOC 340 & SOC 341	Social Research Methods and Social Research Methods Laboratory	4
Select a minimum of 31 credits from the approved electives list below for Social Science:		31
ANTH 204	Archaeology and Prehistory
ANTH 206	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Peoples of the World
ANTH 446	Latin America & Carribean: Afro-Latino/as, Gender, Indigeneity
CJ 201	Introduction to Criminal Justice
EMGT 261	Disaster Preparedness
EMGT 263	Disaster Response
EMGT 414	Spatial Analysis in Emergency Management
EMGT 461	Business Continuity and Crisis Management
EMGT 481	Disaster Analysis
GEOG 262	Geography of North America
NRM 401	Urban-Ecosystem Management
NRM 421	Environmental Outreach Methods
POLS 225	Comparative Politics
POLS 422	State and Local Politics
SOC 403	Sociology of The Great Plains
SOC 422	Development Of Social Theory
or ANTH 480	Development of Anthropological Theory
SOC 418	Social Psychology
SOC 431	Environmental Sociology
SOC 443	International Disasters
ANTH 205	Human Origins
ANTH 433	Apes and Human Evolution
ANTH 462	Anthropology and the Environment
ANTH 481	Qualitative Methods in Cultural Anthropology
EMGT 101	Emergencies, Disasters, and Catastrophes
EMGT 262	Disaster Mitigation
EMGT 264	Disaster Recovery
EMGT 463	Voluntary Agency Disaster Services
ENGL 474	Native American Literature
NRM 420	Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management
POLS 215	Problems and Policies In American Government
POLS 360	Principles of Public Administration
POLS 453	Environmental Policy and Politics
SOC 439	Social Change
SOC 465	Applied Demographics
Total Credits		38

Degree Notes:

Acceptable Substitutions: The following courses are accepted as electives in all emphasis areas: NRM courses (may not be double-counted with the NRM Core); a maximum of 3 credits of Field Experience (396/496); a maximum of 3 credits of Co-op Ed (397/497). All other substitutions require NRM advisor approval and a substitution form to be completed and submitted to the Office of Registration and Records.

Minor Requirements