College of Natural Resources and Environment
Course Descriptions & Programs of Study
Dean: Paul M. Winistorfer
Associate Dean for Engagement: Robert L. Smith
Director of Administration and Finance: Candice Albert
Director of Academic Advising: Stephanie Hart
Web: www.cnre.vt.edu
Overview
The College of Natural Resources and Environment, through offerings in the Departments of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Geography, and Sustainable Biomaterials, provides an integrated education in renewable natural resource management, conservation, and utilization as well as a valuable perspective for understanding and solving critical contemporary environmental problems at local, regional, and global scales.
All undergraduate programs of the College of Natural Resources and Environment 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; with planning agencies and private firms utilizing skills in environmental and land-use analysis and geospatial techniques; or for graduate studies.
Students develop a specialization. These majors with options are described below and are administered by departments:
Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation
- Fish Conservation
- Wildlife Conservation
Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
- Environmental Informatics
- Environmental Resources Management
- Forestry
- Natural Resources Conservation
- Water Resources, Policy and Management
- Environmental Resource Management option
- Watershed Management option
- Forest Resource Management option
- Forest Operations and Business option
- Urban Forestry option
- Conservation and Recreation Management option
- Environmental Education (K-6) option
- Natural Resources Science Education (6-12) option
Department of Geography
- Geography
- Meteorology
Department of Sustainable Biomaterials
- Packaging Systems and Design
- Sustainable Biomaterials
The college offers minors in Forestry, Urban Forestry, Natural Resource Recreation, Watershed Management, Geographic Information Science, Geography, Meteorology, Sustainable Natural Environments, Wood Science, and Packaging Science. Contact the respective departments for more information on minors.
Accreditation
The educational programs in Forest Resource Management, Forest Operations and Business, and Urban Forestry qualify graduates as professional foresters and are accredited by the Society of American Foresters, the recognized accrediting body. Graduates in fish and wildlife conservation meet certification requirements of the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society, respectively. The Sustainable Biomaterials major is accredited by the Society of Wood Science and Technology, the recognized accrediting body.
Honors College
The University Honors Program is available to students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. The program provides enriched opportunities for highly qualified and motivated undergraduate students. Faculty advisors can provide additional information.
Cooperative Education
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 "Academics".
Exchange Programs
The College of Natural Resources and Environment participates in reciprocal exchange program with the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Where appropriate, students can also participate in the International Student Exchange Program.
Graduate Programs
The college offers educational programs leading to the M.S., M.F., MNR, and Ph.D. Complete information on these programs is in the Graduate Catalog.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (NR)
1114: INTRODUCTION TO RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES
Introduction to careers in forestry, wildlife, fisheries,
recreation, and forest products professional fields.
Discussion of current global and regional problems
affecting natural resource professionals.
(1H,3L,2C)
1115-1116 (GEOG 1115-1116): SEEKING SUSTAINABILITY
1115: Strategies to promote sustainability through the
identification, description, and analysis of the dominant
interconnections within and between environmental,
social, and economic systems across local to global
scales. 1116: Perceptions of, conditions of, and
strategies to analyze processes of change within complex
systems, and promote sustainability across local to global
scales.
(3H,3C)
1234: FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE IN NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT
Introduction to problem solving related to natural
resources and environmental issues. Developing a sense
of identity and place within the college while acquiring
skills and knowledge that enhance academic success.
Exposure to programs on campus that support sustainability
and student success. Introduction to a variety of career
pathways within natural resources and environmental
conservation.
(2H,2L,3C)
2004 (GEOG 2004): WATER, ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIETY
Introduction to the hydrologic cycle, water resources,
and related environmental issues. Emphasis on ethics and
relationships between human needs for and effects
upon water including: water quality, water treatment, and
wastewater treatment; water for health, energy, and food;
water management, laws, economics, and conflict;
hydrometeorological hazards and climate change; and
potential solutions for these and other critical water
issues.
(3H,3C)
2234: 1ST SEMESTER EXPERIENCE-TRANSFER STUDENTS IN NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT
Problem solving related to natural resources and
environmental issues, focusing on research, writing and oral
presentation skills. Orientation to the college while
acquiring skills and knowledge that enhance academic
success, including university resources and professional/
personal ethics. Introduction to a variety of career
pathways within natural resources and environmental
conservation. Restricted to transfer students.
(2H,2C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3954: STUDY ABROAD
Variable credit course.
3964: FIELD STUDY
Variable credit course.
4014 (FREC 4014): NATURAL RESOURCES ECONOMICS
Examination of domestic and international natural resource
use, exploitation, and degradation problems, with special
focus on use of economics to understand why potential
overuse of natural resources exists, and what policy options
are available to correct these problems and ensure
sustainable natural resource use over time. Water, forests,
fisheries, land and exhaustible resources. Permission of
instructor may be substituted for the pre-requisite.
Pre: ECON 2005 or AAEC 1005.
(3H,3C)
4105-4106: LEADERSHIP IN NATURAL RESOURCES
Preparation for leadership roles in the natural resource
professions. Introduction to theories of leadership;
characteristics of effective leaders; leading and working
in interdisciplinary teams. Techniques of meeting
facilitation; written and oral communication skills in a
leadership context. Effects of preferred modes of
interacting with others, perceiving information, making
decisions, and approaching tasks on the ability to lead
and work with others. Consent of instructor.
Pre: FIW 2114 or FOR 2314 or FREC 2314 or GEOG 3104 or SBIO 2124 for 4105; 4105 for 4106.
(3H,3C)
4444 (GEOG 4444): PRACTICING SUSTAINABILITY
Practicum in sustainability. Synthesize and integrate
knowledge from undergraduate career and apply to real world
problems of sustainability. Topics and projects selected
from opportunities to examine specific local and regional
sustainability issues on the VT campus, in the New River
Valley and the Commonwealth at large. Pre: Senior Standing.
(3H,3C)
4614 (ALS 4614): WATERSHED ASSESSMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND POLICY
Multidisciplinary perspectives of assessment,
management, and policy issues for protecting and
improving watershed ecosystems. Topics include:
monitoring and modeling approaches for assessment,
risk-based watershed assessment, geographic
information systems for watershed analysis,
decision support systems and computerized decision tools
for watershed management, policy alternatives for
watershed protection, urban watersheds, and current
issues in watershed management. Pre: Two 4000 level
courses in environmental/natural resource science,
management, engineering, and/or policy in BSE, CEE,
FOR, FREC, GEOL, LAR, CSES, ENT, BIOL, GEOG, AAEC,
UAP or equivalent.
(2H,2C)
4964: FIELD STUDY
Variable credit course.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.