Natural Resources Undergraduate Curricular Requirements
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Ecology and Conservation Biology (B.S.Ecol.-Cons.Biol.)
Improving global environmental conditions requires researchers and other citizens who can understand ecological principles, who can analyze and interpret ecological conditions, and who can predict the consequences of alternative natural resource management decisions. Understanding the importance of social values and policy for ecology and management of rare, threatened, and endangered species and their habitat is necessary to reverse the order of their decline. In the ecology and conservation biology program, students learn to apply biological, ecological, social, and political understanding to solve problems related to long-term conservation of biological diversity and to sustainable management of ecosystems.
This degree combines the biological, ecological, and social sciences to provide (1) an interdisciplinary understanding of the composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems, and (2) the skills necessary to provide long-term planning for the conservation and sustainable management of populations, species, and ecosystems.
Students will examine topics from molecular to landscape scales and integrate the social and biophysical worlds. Graduates will be equipped to address the issues and problems of sustainable resource use, conservation of rare, threatened, or endangered biota, management of ecosystems, and long-term conservation of biological diversity. This program is flexible enough to adapt to the interests of individual students, while remaining firmly grounded in ecological principles applicable to species, populations, communities, landscapes, and ecosystems. It is distinctly different from the emphasis on management in the other forestry, wildlife, fisheries, range, and conservation social sciences programs, or the more general environmental science programs. Graduates of the program often continue advanced studies at national and international universities. This natural resources "liberal science" degree can also serve as pre-professional training for law school, or for professional positions in federal, state, and private environmental organizations including local and regional planning groups and consulting firms.
The program requires 128 credits, and students must choose either the natural resources ecology or conservation biology option. Students pursuing a B.S. in Ecology & Conservation Biology must receive a grade of 'C' or better in each of the following 4 indicator courses to register in upper division courses in CSS/Fish/For/REM/WLF and to graduate with a B.S. in either option: Biol 116, Biol 213, Stat 251, For 221 or REM 221. Before students are allowed to begin their senior thesis or project (485 or 497), they must attend two evening thesis / project sessions and one senior poster presentation.
Required course work includes the university requirements (see regulation J-3) and:
Cells and the Evolution of Life (4 cr) |
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Organisms and Environments (4 cr) |
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Principles of Biological Structure and Function (4 cr) |
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Introduction to Chemistry I or |
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Principles of Chemistry I (4 cr) |
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Fundamentals of Public Speaking (2 cr) |
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Principles of Economics or |
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Foundations of Economic Analysis (3-4 cr) |
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Technical Writing (3 cr) |
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Ecology or |
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Ecology (3 cr) |
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Society and Natural Resources (3 cr) |
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Survey of Calculus or |
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Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (4 cr) |
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Exploring Natural Resources (1 cr) |
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(s) Seminar (1 cr) |
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Systematic Botany or |
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Dendrology (3-4 cr) |
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Statistical Methods (3 cr) |
Choose one of the following (3 cr):
Land and Natural Resource Economics (3 cr) |
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Environmental Economics (3 cr) |
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Economics for Natural Resource Managers (3 cr) |
Choose one of the following (1 cr):
Senior Project Presentation (1 cr) |
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Senior Project Presentation (1 cr) |
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Senior Project Presentation (1 cr) |
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Senior Project Presentation (1 cr) |
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Senior Project Presentation (1 cr) |
Choose one of the following (2 cr):
Ecology and Conservation Biology Internship (2 cr) |
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Senior Thesis (2 cr) |
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Ecology and Conservation Biology Internship (2 cr) |
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Senior Thesis (2 cr) |
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ForP 485 |
Ecology and Conservation Biology Internship (2 cr) |
Ecology and Conservation Biology Internship (2 cr) |
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Senior Thesis (2 cr) |
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Senior Thesis (2 cr) |
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Ecology and Conservation Biology Internship (2 cr) |
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Senior Thesis (2 cr) |
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Ecology and Conservation Biology Internship (2 cr) |
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Senior Thesis (2 cr) |
And one of the following options:
A. Natural Resources Ecology Option
The natural resources ecology option combines ecological theory, field experience, and quantitative tools to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of the structure and function of ecosystems. This field covers ecological topics from local, regional, and landscape scales while integrating the social and biophysical worlds.
To graduate in this option, students must achieve a "C" or better in the following six core courses: NR 200, For 330, For/REM 429, Soil 205/206, and WLF 316 or Fish 316.
Forest Ecosystem Processes (3 cr) |
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Landscape Ecology (3 cr) |
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Fundamentals of Physics or |
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General Physics I (4 cr) |
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The Soil Ecosystem (3 cr) |
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The Soil Ecosystem Lab (1 cr) |
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Wildlife Ecology II or |
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Principles of Population Dynamics (2-4 cr) |
Quantitative Resource Analysis Restricted Electives (two courses from the following):
Social Research Methods in Conservation (4 cr) |
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Introduction to Spatial Analysis for Natural Resource Management (3 cr) |
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Remote Sensing of Environment (3 cr) |
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Forest Inventory (3 cr) |
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GIS Primer (3 cr) |
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Rangeland and Riparian Habitat Assessment (3 cr) |
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Statistical Analysis (3 cr) |
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Sample Survey Methods (2 cr) |
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Fish & Wildlife Population Ecology (4 cr) |
Resource Management Restricted Electives (one course from the following):
Conservation Management and Planning I (4 cr) |
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Wilderness and Protected Area Management (3 cr) |
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Monitoring Impacts in Protected Areas and Wilderness (3 cr) |
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Fisheries Management (4 cr) |
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Forest Dynamics and Management (4 cr) |
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Watershed Science and Management (3 cr) |
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Invasive Plant Management (3 cr) |
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Integrated Rangeland Management (3 cr) |
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Wildlife Management (4 cr) |
Ecology Restricted Electives (at least 2 credits from Fish 315, Fish 415, Fish 430, Fish 435, For 423, For 463, REM 460, and/or WLF 315) (10 cr):
Advanced Evolutionary Biology (3 cr) |
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Animal Behavior (3 cr) |
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Aquatic Entomology (3 cr) |
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Fish Ecology (3 cr) |
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Fish Ecology Lab (1 cr) |
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Limnology (4 cr) |
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Riparian Ecology and Management (3 cr) |
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Fish 435 |
Wetland Ecology and Management (3 cr) |
Forest Community Ecology (1 cr) |
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Fire Ecology and Management (3 cr) |
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Hydrologic Measurement Techniques (1 cr) |
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Forest and Plant Pathology (2 cr) |
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Introduction to Forest Insects (2 cr) |
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Biogeography (2-3 cr) |
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Global Environmental Change (3 cr) |
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Microbial Ecology (3 cr) |
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Biology of Weeds (3 cr) |
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Wildland Restoration Ecology (3 cr) |
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Rangeland Ecology (2 cr) |
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Rangeland Ecology Current Topics and Field Studies (1 cr) |
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Wildlife Ecology I (3 cr) |
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Wildlife Ecology I Lab (1 cr) |
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Conservation Biology (3 cr) |
Social/Political Restricted Electives (one course from the following):
Conflict Management (3 cr) |
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Environmental Communication Skills (3 cr) |
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Conservation Leadership (3 cr) |
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Public Involvement in Natural Resource Management (3 cr) |
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Personalities and Philosophies in Conservation (3 cr) |
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International Land Preservation and Conservation Systems (3 cr) |
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Forest Policy and Administration (2 cr) |
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Land, Resources, and Environment (3 cr) |
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Environmental Assessment (3 cr) |
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American Environmental History (3 cr) |
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Philosophy of Ecology (3 cr) |
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Environmental Philosophy (3 cr) |
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Natural Resource Ethics (3 cr) |
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Politics of the Environment (3 cr) |
Electives to total 128 credits for the degree
B. Conservation Biology Option
The conservation biology option is centered around a multidisciplinary curriculum that provides students with training to work in jobs aimed at conserving the earth's biodiversity. This option provides a broad-based education that covers biological diversity from the genetic level to the landscape level, and provides additional training in social sciences and management. In the words of Hunter (1996), "Conservation biology is cross-disciplinary, reaching far beyond biology into subjects such as philosophy, economics, and sociology; disciplines that are concerned with the social environment in which we practice conservation--as well as into subjects such as law and education that determine the ways we implement conservation."
To graduate in this option, students must achieve a "C" or better in the following seven core courses: Biol 421, NR 200, For/REM 429, Phil 452, CSS 493, Fish or WLF 316, and WLF 440.
Advanced Evolutionary Biology (3 cr) |
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International Land Preservation and Conservation Systems (3 cr) |
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Landscape Ecology (3 cr) |
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General Genetics (3 cr) |
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Environmental Philosophy (3 cr) |
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Wildlife Ecology II or |
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Principles of Population Dynamics (2-4 cr) |
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Conservation Biology (3 cr) |
Quantitative Resource Analysis Restricted Electives (two courses from the following):
Social Research Methods in Conservation (4 cr) |
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Introduction to Spatial Analysis for Natural Resource Management (3 cr) |
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Remote Sensing of Environment (3-4 cr) |
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Forest Inventory (3 cr) |
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GIS Primer (3 cr) |
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Rangeland and Riparian Habitat Assessment (3 cr) |
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Statistical Analysis (3 cr) |
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Sample Survey Methods (2 cr) |
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Fish & Wildlife Population Ecology (4 cr) |
Resource Management Restricted Electives (one course from the following):
Conservation Management and Planning I (4 cr) |
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Wilderness and Protected Area Management (3 cr) |
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Monitoring Impacts in Protected Areas and Wilderness (3 cr) |
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Fish 418 |
Fisheries Management (4 cr) |
Forest Dynamics and Management (4 cr) |
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Watershed Science and Management (3 cr) |
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Invasive Plant Management (3 cr) |
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Integrated Rangeland Management (3 cr) |
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Wildlife Management (4 cr) |
Ecology Restricted Electives (at least 2 credits from Fish 315, Fish 415, Fish 430, Fish 435, For 423, For 463, REM 460, and/or WLF 315) (6 cr):
Animal Behavior (3 cr) |
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Aquatic Entomology (3 cr) |
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Fish Ecology (3 cr) |
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Fish Ecology Lab (1 cr) |
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Limnology (4 cr) |
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Riparian Ecology and Management (3 cr) |
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Fish 435 |
Wetland Ecology and Management (3 cr) |
Forest Ecosystem Processes (3 cr) |
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Forest Community Ecology (1 cr) |
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Fire Ecology and Management (3 cr) |
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Hydrologic Measurement Techniques (1 cr) |
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Forest and Plant Pathology (2 cr) |
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Introduction to Forest Insects (2 cr) |
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Biogeography (2-3 cr) |
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Global Environmental Change (3 cr) |
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Microbial Ecology (3 cr) |
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Biology of Weeds (3 cr) |
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Wildland Restoration Ecology (3 cr) |
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Rangeland Ecology (2 cr) |
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Rangeland Ecology Current Topics and Field Studies (1 cr) |
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Wildlife Ecology I (3 cr) |
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Wildlife Ecology I Lab (1 cr) |
Organismal Biology Restricted Elective (one course from the following):
Ichthyology (4 cr) |
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Mammalogy (3 cr) |
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Herpetology (4 cr) |
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Rangeland Plant Identification and Ecology (3 cr) |
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Ornithology (4 cr) |
Social/Political Restricted Electives (one course from the following):
Conflict Management (3 cr) |
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Environmental Communication Skills (3 cr) |
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Public Involvement in Natural Resource Management (3 cr) |
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Personalities and Philosophies in Conservation (3 cr) |
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Forest Policy and Administration (2 cr) |
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Land, Resources, and Environment (3 cr) |
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Environmental Assessment (3 cr) |
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American Environmental History (3 cr) |
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Philosophy of Ecology (3 cr) |
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Natural Resource Ethics (3 cr) |
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Politics of the Environment (3 cr) |
Electives to total 128 credits for the degree