The College of Natural Resources, through offerings in the Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Forestry, and Wood Science and Forest Products, provides an integrated education in renewable natural resource management and utilization.
All undergraduate programs of the College of Natural Resources are designed to provide a professional education that starts with core courses emphasizing physical, biological, and social sciences, along with concepts of renewable natural resource management. More advanced courses teach the principles and practices of individual disciplines, along with advanced skills in communications and computer use. Students prepare for professional careers with public agencies responsible for managing forest, water, wildlife, fish, and recreation resources; with private firms concerned with producing, manufacturing, and marketing wood products; or for graduate studies.
All students completing undergraduate degree requirements receive the bachelor of science. Students develop a specialization by selecting one of five majors. These majors with options are described below and are administered by departments:
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
Fisheries Science
Wildlife ScienceDepartment of Forestry
ForestryEnvironmental Resource Management optionNatural Resource Recreation
Forest Resource Management option
Industrial Forestry Operations option
Urban Forestry optionDepartment of Wood Science and Forest Products
Wood Science and Forest ProductsForest Products Marketing and Management option
Wood Products option
The college offers minors in Forestry, Natural Resource Recreation, and Wood Science and Forest Products. Contact the respective department for more information on minors.
The Fisheries Science program is for students interested in research and management of aquatic animals and ecosystems, including wild fish and shellfish, endangered species, and hatchery-raised fish. Most graduates work for state or federal fisheries agencies, environmental consulting firms, or public utilities. Because the more challenging and rewarding jobs require a master's degree, the program emphasizes preparation for graduate study.
The Wildlife Science program is for students interested in research and management of terrestrial animals and ecosystems, including game birds and mammals, non-game animals, and endangered species. Many students also qualify for a minor in biology. Most graduates work for state or federal wildlife agencies, environmental consulting firms, or private land management companies. Because the more challenging and rewarding jobs require a master's degree, the program emphasizes preparation for graduate study. Wildlife Science is a restricted program. See Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Science for application procedures.
The Forest Resource Management option emphasizes the biology, policy, and management skills needed to ensure the sustainability of the many renewable forest resources on which society depends. Graduates manage the forested landscape to provide society a renewable supply of wood and paper products along with clean water, recreation opportunity, wildlife habitat, and environmental quality.
Industrial Forestry Operations graduates are well prepared for careers in private industry emphasizing harvesting and reforestation operations. Industrial Forestry Operations specializes beyond the Forest Resource Management option by emphasizing the operations side of forestry along with landowner assistance and management skills for people and business.
The Environmental Resource Management option develops professionals who tackle a variety of environmental issues in the forested landscape. The foundation of this area of study is the same as the Forest Resource Management option with additional emphasis placed on water resources, forest soils, environmental policy, and wildlife management.
The Urban Forestry option produces graduates who can deal with the ecological and biological characteristics of the forest in an urban environment, as well as the managerial and political context within which forest management takes place. Special education, training, and experience are necessary to address the many and complex biological, social, economic, and political issues that are part of the urban forest setting.
Natural Resource Recreation blends natural sciences, resource management, and social sciences disciplines and topics. Graduates provide high quality recreation experiences to ever increasing numbers of recreationists while protecting the natural environment on which these experiences depend. Emphasis is on the human dimensions of natural resource management.
In this program, students gain a unique combination of business skills and scientific expertise in forest products. Students take courses in forest products and forestry as well as essential courses in management and marketing. Graduates choose from jobs in private companies, federal and state agencies, and trade associations. Typically in this program, more jobs are available than graduates to fill them.
The Wood Products program offers education in conversion of raw forest materials into finished consumer products. Emphasis is placed on conservation through waste-free utilization and environmentally benign processing technologies for wood. This option involves knowledge of technologies including processing and computer applications.
The educational programs in Forest Resource Management, Industrial Forestry Operations, Environmental Resource Management, and Natural Resource Recreation qualify graduates as professional foresters and are accredited by the Society of American Foresters, the recognized accrediting body. Graduates in fisheries and wildlife sciences meet certification requirements of the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society, respectively. The Wood Products and the Forest Products Marketing and Management programs are accredited by the Society of Wood Science and Technology, the recognized accrediting body.
The University Honors Program is available to students in the College of Natural Resources. The program provides enriched opportunities for highly qualified and motivated undergraduate students. Faculty advisors can provide additional information.
The college encourages students to become involved in the Cooperative Education Program, in which students alternate on-campus academic terms with off-campus employment in their areas of interest. Additional information is provided in the "Academics" chapter of this catalog.
The College of Natural Resources participates in reciprocal exchange programs with the University of Melbourne in Australia, the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, the University of Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa, and Moi University, Kenya. Where appropriate, students can also participate in the National Student Exchange Program which offers study at colleges and universities in 160 locations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and in the International Student Exchange Program.
First-year students complete a common core of courses*, which provides the opportunity to explore a wide range of career interests before selecting an option of study.
| BIOL 1105, 1106: Principles of Biology | 6 |
| BIOL 1115, 1116: Principles of Biology Lab | 2 |
| Chem 1035, 10361: General Chemistry | 6 |
| Chem 10452, 10462: General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| Engl 1105, 1106: Freshman English | 6 |
| NR 1114: Intro to Renewable Nat. Resources | 2 |
| FOR 2154: Intro to Microcomputing in Forestry | 1 |
| Math 1016, 2015: Elementary Calculus with Trigonometry I and II | 6 |
| University Core electives, Area 6 | 1 |
| Credits | 29 - 32* |
|---|---|
| 1 Natural Resource Recreation and Urban Forestry students choose between CHEM 1036 and Geological Sciences. CHEM 1036 is not required for Industrial Forestry Operations students. | |
| 2 General Chemistry Lab not required in all options. | |
A student in the College of Natural Resources must complete at least 128 semester credits to earn the bachelor of science. The minimum GPA requirement for graduation is 2.0, both for all classes attempted and for all classes taken in fisheries and wildlife sciences (FiW), forestry (For), wood science and forest products (Wood), and natural resources (NR).
The college offers educational programs leading to the M.S., M.F., and Ph.D. Complete information on these programs is in the Graduate Catalog.
Virginia Tech -- Undergraduate Catalog, 2002-2004
Last update: August 2002
URL: http://www.vt.edu/academics/ugcat/ucCNR.html