Natural Resource Sciences
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Natural Resource Sciences
Requirements and Core Courses
Careers in Natural Resource Sciences
Suggested Strengths, Interests, and Preparation
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Related Fields of Study That Might Interest You
Contact Information
Natural Resource Sciences
Issues and concerns surrounding natural resources are of extraordinary importance as society strives to sustain and balance the various ecological, socioeconomic, and aesthetic values provided by natural resources and ecosystems.
The natural resources major at WSU gives you a strong grounding in the science that underpins the management of natural landscapes and wildlife for conservation and sustainable, responsible use.
In the integrated curriculum of the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, you learn to understand and use the latest science and technology in managing land use and conservation. The combination of flexibility, in-depth knowledge, and broad understanding helps you fully understand the many factors that affect the use and management of land.
• Offered at WSU: Bachelor of science, minor, master of science, doctorate
• Available at: Pullman
Requirements and Core Courses
—Bachelor of science in natural resource sciences
You begin with the University's General Education Requirements and a select curriculum of additional math and science courses that help prepare you for the natural resources core curriculum. These core courses provide a strong base for the in-depth, focused knowledge you develop as you complete your major.
Natural Resource Science Core Courses
Students in all natural resource science majors share these core courses. You take most of these courses in your sophomore through senior years.
- Introduction to Natural Resources Management
- Introduction to Measurements and Computers
- Introduction to Wildlife Management
- Natural Resource Ecology
- Natural Resources and Society
- Forest Plants and Ecosystems
- Arid Land Plants and Ecosystems
- Natural Resource Economics
- Conservation Biology
- Restoration Ecology
- Soil as a Living System
- Social Science Elective
- Ecology Elective
Natural Resource Science Options
At the end of your sophomore year or beginning of your junior year, you select an option that lets you specialize your degree. Each option consists of approximately 5 to 7 core courses and 2 to 5 electives. Together with your faculty advisor, you select an option and tailor the courses to fit your interests and career goals.
• Wetland/Aquatic Resources: Emphasizes understanding,
managing, and restoring riparian, wetland, stream, and lake ecosystems and their component resources.
• Policy: Focuses on the social, economic, and political factors that influence how natural resources are viewed, valued, utilized, and managed. By choosing certain courses, you can get a minor in sociology or political science. This option also can be ideal for pre-law preparation.
• Directed Study: Work with your faculty advisor to build a customized program of courses that fit your academic interests and professional goals.
NOTE: Students should consult the General Catalog for option course lists and course planning and must meet course requirements as outlined in the catalog to graduate.
Careers in Natural Resource Sciences
Highly trained and motivated natural resource science professionals are in demand. WSU graduates are valued by employers, who know that our natural resources majors are prepared to evaluate, study, and manage the complex demands society places on our forests, wildlife habitat, rangeland, and related natural resources.
You can find rewarding employment in a variety of areas:
• Private consulting firms
• County and state government and various non-governmental organizations
• Federal land management agencies, such as the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and Army Corps of Engineers
• Natural resource law, law enforcement, or the political arena
A major in natural resources also can be ideal preparation for graduate programs in environmental science, natural resource sciences, or veterinary medicine.
Career options are diverse. Examples include foresters, range conservationists, wildlife biologists, wildlife ecologists, park managers, information specialists, environmental educators, Peace Corps workers, policy advisors, land restoration specialists, environmental consultants, and environmental lawyers.
Suggested Strengths, Interests, and Preparation
Students who become natural resource science majors often enjoy:
• The outdoors and working outside
• Science, especially biology/life sciences
• Hands-on learning
• Applying analytical techniques to solving problems
• Finding practical solutions to problems
• Making a difference in the real world
High school preparation should emphasize biological/physical sciences, mathematics, communication, reading/reasoning, and computer literacy.
If you plan to transfer from another college, completion of pre-calculus mathematics, one semester of general chemistry, one semester of microeconomics, and one year of general biology and English/communication is recommended; this preparation will greatly expedite fulfillment of the natural resource curriculum at WSU.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
The Department of Natural Resource Sciences and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences award thousands of dollars to qualified forestry students each year.
The department administers a number of scholarships for undergraduate students, including the E.H. Steffen, Frank and Ethel Lenzie, Elmer Kegel Memorial, Keith Henrickson Memorial, Norman and Linda Baer, Wildlife Conservation Conclave, and Safari Club International scholarships. Additional scholarships are available from the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
You may also qualify for a variety of federal, state, and University-sponsored financial aid and scholarships that are based on need and/or academic merit. To find more information and to apply for the full range of scholarships and financial aid, visit the Costs and Financial Aid area of the WSU Web site.
Related Fields of Study That Might Interest You
Other majors and options in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences:
Forest Management
Forestry
Policy (includes pre-law)
Wetland/Aquatic Resources
Wildlife Ecology
Wildlife Ecology/Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Related fields of study:
Ecology/Evolutionary Biology
Environmental and Resource Economics and Management
Environmental Science
Contact Information
Department of Natural Resource Sciences
College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
Washington State University
115 Johnson Hall
PO Box 646410
Pullman, WA 99164-6410
(Fax: 509-335-7862)
nrs@wsu.edu
509-335-6166
Visit Department Web Page
Department of Natural Resource Sciences
Watch a Video about this program
Department of Natural Resource Sciences
Animal Tracking Facility
The Bear Center
Strengths of the Program
- Close proximity to the University of Idaho creates exceptional opportunities for cooperation in teaching between WSU’s Department of Natural Resources and UI’s College of Natural Resources.
- The Wildlife Habitat Nutrition Laboratory determines the food habits of both domestic livestock and wildlife and performs chemical analyses on plants eaten by those animals.
- The E.H. Steffen Center provides numerous specialized plantings, a critical source for teaching plant identification, and is used extensively for elementary forest and range measurement exercises.
- WSU’s Bear Program provides information and the understanding necessary to conserve bears around the world. It is the only university facility in the world to house adult grizzlies for research.
- The Colockum Multiple Use Unit, an 11,300-acre forest and rangeland watershed near Wenatchee, Washington, demonstrates sustainable multiple use and management strategies for wildland resources.
- Student chapters of the Society of American Foresters, Society for Range Management, and Wildlife Society provide opportunities for students to interact with faculty and other professionals.
- Join other science, math, and engineering students in the Gannon-Goldsworthy residence hall—share courses with your neighbors, study together, get free tutoring, and use the hall’s own computer lab.