Natural Resources Management
This is an archived copy of the 2020-21 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://bulletin.ndsu.edu.
With increasing human pressure and a growing need to balance competing demands, we need new and better ways to manage our natural resources. The natural resources management (NRM) undergraduate program gives students flexible and powerful options to pursue their studies. Core courses provide a broad foundation in the biological and physical/earth sciences. Students then choose one of six emphases to further their skills and prepare for a variety of careers.
THE PROGRAM
The NRM undergraduate program is offered by the School of Natural Resource Sciences (SNRS) at North Dakota State University (NDSU). We are an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the science and management of natural resources. The program draws upon courses and resources across SNRS, including Entomology, Natural Resource Management, Range Science, and Soil Science, as well as additional programs and colleges across NDSU.
Students in NRM acquire a broad background in natural resources as well as an in-depth study in an area of interest. This exposure to multiple disciplines helps prepare students to find solutions to complex environmental problems. The undergraduate program curriculum is divided into core classes required of all students and an emphasis selected by the individual student from six areas of interest.
NRM Core – This group of courses provides each student a broad foundation while satisfying NDSU’s General Education requirements.
NRM Emphasis –NRM offers six emphasis areas, each with their own combination of course requirements and electives. The emphases allow students to choose courses from a diverse group of approved electives.
- Entomology - Entomology is the study of insects and how they interact with people and with the environment. This emphasis area provides a strong scientific foundation with a focus on insects, how they are studied, and their management.
- Environmental Sustainability, Outreach, and Policy - Focuses on how to deal with environmental and social changes in a sustainable way. The emphasis area prepares students to work on environmental policy and public outreach combined with strategic thinking to predict sustainable paths on pressing environmental issues.
- Rangeland Ecology - Focuses on the broad study of native, non-forested ecosystems that cover more than 50% of the earth's land. These areas are managed as natural ecosystems to provide services that can benefit society. This emphasis area will prepare students by covering a variety of ecological topics including wildlife management, grassland restoration, and fire ecology.
- Rangeland Livestock Production - Focuses on the management of rangelands and grasslands for optimum livestock production and environmental benefits for society. Students will cover land management fields, the work of agencies and the private sector, as well as ranching operations.
- Soil Science - Soil Science is the study of the soil as a component of natural and man-made systems and is the key factor in food production and is at the forefront of environmental and natural resource issues such as land use, soil contamination, ground water quality and waste disposal.
- Water, Habitat, and Environmental Management - Focuses in an interdisciplinary way on the environmental management of ecosystems. This emphasis area teaches basic and hands-on principles in the management of water, habitat (animals and plants), and the environment as a whole.
THE FACULTY
Our faculty come from across the School of Natural Resource Sciences and are dedicated to providing quality instruction and advising.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
NRM graduates are prepared with the skills and knowledge for facing complex problems in natural resources, agriculture, and the environment. Common career options include natural resources jobs with government agencies at the federal, state, or local level; agricultural, conservation and environmental non-profit organizations, extension and outreach positions, and private sector employment, including consulting in addition to preparation for advanced degrees.
Plan of Study
Please note this is a sample plan of study and not an official curriculum. Actual student schedules for each semester will vary depending on start year, education goals, applicable transfer credit, and course availability. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor on a regular basis to review degree progress and customize an individual plan of study.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIOL 150 & 150L | 4 | BIOL 151 & 151L | 4 |
| ENGL 110 | 4 | ENGL 120 | 3 |
| NRM 150 | 1 | Hum. & Fine Arts Elective | 3 |
| NRM 225 | 3 | MATH 103 | 3 |
| RNG 136 | 3 | Wellness Gen Ed | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 121 & 121L | 4 | EMGT, POLS, or SOC elective | 3 |
| COMM 110 | 3 | SOIL 210 | 3 |
| ECON 201 | 3 | STAT 330 | 3 |
| ENT 210 | 3 | Emphasis Core or Elective Credits | 6 |
| RNG 213 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 321, 324, or 459 | 3 | NRM 421 | 3 |
| PHIL 215 or 225 | 3 | RNG 452 or GEOG 455 | 3 |
| Emphasis Core or Elective Credits | 9 | Emphasis Core or Elective Credits | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Emphasis Core or Elective Credits | 14 | NRM 462, RNG 462, or SOIL 462 | 3 |
| Emphasis Core or Elective Credits | 12 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||
Natural Resources Management Emphasis Areas
Entomology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 364 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 450 | Invertebrate Zoology | 3 |
| BIOL 475 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| ENT 350 | General Entomology | 3 |
| ENT 431 | Principles of Insect Pest Management | 3 |
| ENT 470 | Insect Ecology | 3 |
| PLSC 110 | World Food Crops | 3 |
| RNG 450 | Range Plants | 3 |
| or BIOL 461 | Plant Ecology | |
| or PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | |
| Required 6 additional PLSC/SOIL elective credits | 6 | |
| Required 15 additional elective credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
environmental sustainability, outreach, and policy
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 364 | General Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 481 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| HIST 434 | Environmental History | 3 |
| or HIST 435 | World Environmental History | |
| NRM 401 | Urban-Ecosystem Management | 3 |
| NRM 420 | Sustainable Scenarios in Natural Resources Management | 3 |
| NRM 431 | National Environmental Policy Act & Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| 200-level or higher POLS, SOC, or EMGT | 6 | |
| Required 26 additional elective credits | 26 | |
| Total Credits | 50 | |
rangeland ecology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 114 | Introduction to Animal Sciences | 3 |
| BIOL 364 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 452 | Ichthyology | 3 |
| or BIOL 454 | Herpetology | |
| or BIOL 456 | Ornithology | |
| or BIOL 458 | Mammalogy | |
| BIOL 461 | Plant Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 475 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 476 | Wildlife Ecology and Management | |
| NRM 431 | National Environmental Policy Act & Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| NRM 453 | Rangeland Resources Watershed Management | 3 |
| or NRM 454 | Wetland Resources Management | |
| PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | 3 |
| RNG 450 | Range Plants | 3 |
| RNG 451 | Ecology of Fire-Dependent Ecosystems | 3 |
| RNG 456 | Range Habitat Management | 3 |
| RNG 458 | Grazing Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 217 | Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology | 3 |
| SOIL 351 | Soil Ecology | 3 |
| or SOIL 410 | Soils and Land Use | |
| or SOIL 444 | Soil Genesis and Survey | |
| Required 9 additional approved elective credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 51 | |
rangeland livestock production
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 114 | Introduction to Animal Sciences | 3 |
| ANSC 220 | Livestock Production | 3 |
| ANSC 223 | Introduction to Animal Nutrition | 2 |
| ANSC 357 | Animal Genetics | 3 |
| NRM 431 | National Environmental Policy Act & Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| PLSC 315 | Genetics | 3 |
| PLSC 320 | Principles of Forage Production | 3 |
| PLSC 323 | Principles of Weed Science | 3 |
| RNG 450 | Range Plants | 3 |
| RNG 456 | Range Habitat Management | 3 |
| RNG 458 | Grazing Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 217 | Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology | 3 |
| SOIL 351 | Soil Ecology | 3 |
| or SOIL 410 | Soils and Land Use | |
| or SOIL 444 | Soil Genesis and Survey | |
| Required 9 additional approved elective credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 47 | |
soil science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 240 | Survey of Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| or BIOC 260 | Elements of Biochemistry | |
| or MICR 202 & 202L | Introductory Microbiology and Introductory Microbiology Lab | |
| GEOL 105 & 105L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Lab | 4 |
| MATH 105 | Trigonometry | 3 |
| PHYS 211 & 211L | College Physics I and College Physics I Laboratory | 4 |
| PLSC 110 | World Food Crops | 3 |
| PLSC 225 | Principles of Crop Production (or 300/400 RNG Elective) | 3 |
| PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | 3 |
| SOIL 217 | Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology | 3 |
| SOIL 322 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizers | 3 |
| SOIL 351 | Soil Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 410 | Soils and Land Use | 3 |
| SOIL 433 | Soil Ecohydrology and Physics | 3 |
| SOIL 444 | Soil Genesis and Survey | 3 |
| SOIL/NRM 454 | Wetland Resources Management | 3 |
| Required 6 additional approved elective credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 50 | |
water, habitat, and environmental management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 364 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 475 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 476 | Wildlife Ecology and Management | |
| ECON 481 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| HIST 434 | Environmental History | 3 |
| or HIST 435 | World Environmental History | |
| NRM 264 | Natural Resource Management Systems | 3 |
| NRM 402 | River and Stream Resource Management | 3 |
| or NRM 454 | Wetland Resources Management | |
| or SOIL 410 | Soils and Land Use | |
| NRM 431 | National Environmental Policy Act & Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| NRM 453 | Rangeland Resources Watershed Management | 3 |
| Required 26 additional approved elective credits | 26 | |
| Total Credits | 50 | |