NRC_BSF - Natural Resource Conservation

About this Program

• College: Agricultural and Life Sciences
• Degree: Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources and Conservation
• Credits for Degree: 120
• Contact: Email
• More Info

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

The Natural Resource Conservation (NRC) major provides students an interdisciplinary curriculum preparing them to address a broad range of natural resource-related issues. The core set of courses provides students with a solid foundation in natural history (floral and faunal), ecology, policy and economics, field applications, quantitative assessment and analysis, human dimensions, and spatial analysis. Working with a faculty advisor, students can elect to focus on a wide range of natural resource-related courses. In the required capstone experience, students demonstrate their understanding and proficiency in the core skill sets, as well as further develop their area of concentration.

Graduates seek advanced degrees in a variety of fields, or are successfully employed in a wide range of environmental careers. The major is cooperatively offered by faculty in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and the Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, and students are paired with one of these faculty members to develop a curriculum that suits their needs. Students interested in more structured and/or accredited curricula in professional natural resource management are encouraged to look at majors in Forest Resources and Conservation, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, or Interdisciplinary Studies | Marine Sciences.

All NRC majors are required to complete core work in nine content areas (minimum 25 credits): professional seminar, ecology, quantitative analysis and assessment, natural history, human dimensions, policy and economics, field applications, spatial analysis, and capstone experience. These courses embrace a variety of conservation objectives and span local to global scales. They stress the complexities in achieving social, environmental, and economic sustainability; develop critical thinking skills; create significant and valuable field experience; and provide the tools needed for graduates to manage, conserve, and educate people about natural resources.

Students work closely with a faculty advisor to select the remaining 35 upper-division credits to create a curriculum plan designed to meet the specific goals of each student. Each curriculum plan must be approved by the program's undergraduate coordinator before the student reaches 70 credits.

This major is also offered at the West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton, FL. Ideal for place-bound students, this version of the NRC major provides a broad ecology/conservation curriculum.