BS in Natural Resource Science and Management
Degree Program Description
The Natural Resource Science and Management degree addresses the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, conserving, and repairing natural and human-dominated ecosystems, in a sustainable manner, to meet desired societal goals. The degree has elements that belong to the biological, physical, social, political, and managerial sciences that are applied to conserving plant and animal species in forests, grasslands, rivers and streams, and urban areas. The degree also develops students' skills in working with diverse groups of people. Students with degrees in Natural Resource Science and Management work as fisheries biologists, foresters, interpreters, naturalists, and wildlife biologists for state and federal agencies, nature centers and museums, and consulting firms.
Students pursuing a Natural Resource Science and Management degree must individualize their degree by choosing one of four emphasis areas. The Forest Resources emphasis prepares students to manage forests to protect wildlife habitats and the environment while meeting the ever-growing demand for wood products. The Human Dimensions emphasis trains students to apply social sciences to address questions about how people’s attitudes, knowledge, values, and behaviors impact the management of our natural resources. The Fisheries and Wildlife Science emphasis focuses upon the development of skills in the conservation of wildlife habitat, the protection of endangered species, and the management of wild animal populations. The Terrestrial Ecosystem emphasis allows students to combine interests in wildlife management and forestry to conserve biodiversity and satisfy the needs of society for renewable natural resources using the practice of ecosystem management.
Major Program Requirements
Students earning a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Science and Management are required to complete all University general education, University graduation, and degree requirements, including selected foundational courses, which may fulfill University general education requirements.
Students majoring in Natural Resource Science and Management may select one of the following emphasis areas:
| Foundational Courses | 21-22 | |
| MATH 1100 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus for Social and Life Sciences I | 3 |
| ATM_SC 1050 | Introductory Meteorology | 3-4 |
| or PHYSCS 1210 | College Physics I | |
| SOIL 2100 | Introduction to Soils FR and TE emphasis areas MUST take Soil 2100 and Soil 2106 | 3 |
| or GEOL 1100 | Introduction to the Earth with Laboratory | |
| SOIL 2106 | Soil Science Laboratory FR and TE emphasis areas MUST take Soil 2100 and Soil 2106 | 2 |
| or GEOL 1100 | Introduction to the Earth with Laboratory | |
| CHEM 1400 & CHEM 1401 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| ABM 1041 | Applied Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ABM 1042 | Applied Macroeconomics | |
| or ABM 2070 | Environmental Economics and Policy | |
| Degree Program Requirements | 41-43 | |
| ABM 2225 | Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| or STAT 2500 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics I | |
| NAT_R 1070 | Ecology and Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
| PRST 3231 | Interpretation of Natural and Cultural Resources HD emphasis area MUST take PRST 3231 | 3 |
| or ENV_SC 4024 | Foundations of Environmental Education | |
| BIO_SC 1200 | General Botany with Laboratory | 3-5 |
| or PLNT_SCI 2110 | Who Runs the World? Plants. | |
| FOREST 2151 | Dendrology | 4 |
| NAT_R 4110 | Natural Resource Biometrics | 4 |
| F_W 4600W | Ecosystem Management - Writing Intensive | 3 |
| NAT_R 2325 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| or GEOG 3040 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems GIS | |
| NAT_R 4353 | Natural Resource Policy/Administration HD emphasis area MUST choose between NAT_R 4353 or ENV_SC 4400W | 3 |
| or ENV_SC 4400W | Environmental Law, Policy, and Justice - Writing Intensive | |
| or PRST 3230 | Outdoor Recreation Policy | |
| FOREST 4320 | Forest Ecology | 5 |
| or BIO_SC 3650 | General Ecology | |
| NAT_R 4940 | Natural Resources Science and Management Internship | 3 |
| or F_W 4950 | Undergraduate Research in Fisheries and Wildlife | |
| or FOREST 4950 | Forestry Undergraduate Research | |
| F_W 4650 | Natural Resource Planning and Management (Capstone) | 4 |
| Emphasis Area Requirements | 40-44 | |
Semester Plan
Below is a sample semester plan for the B.S. in Natural Resource Science and Management. A student’s actual plan may vary due to emphasis area, course choices, course availability, and transfer courses. Please consult with your advisor prior to registering for courses.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| BIO_SC 1200 | 5 | Emphasis Area Course | 3-5 | ||
| MATH 1100 | 3 | ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | ||
| NAT_R 1070 | 3 | NAT_R 2325 | 3 | ||
| ATM_SC 1050 | 3 | CHEM 1400 & CHEM 1401 | 4 | ||
| 14 | 13-15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| FOREST 2151 | 4 | SOIL 2100 | 3 | NAT_R 4950 or 4940 | 3 |
| FOREST 4320 | 5 | Emphasis Area Course | 3 | ||
| Missouri State Law Gen Ed Requirement | 3 | Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 | ||
| NAT_R 4110 | 4 | Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 | ||
| PRST 3231 | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| SOIL 2106 | 2 | Emphasis Area Course | 3 | ||
| MATH 1400 | 3 | Emphasis Area Course | 3-5 | ||
| Emphasis Area Course | 3 | Emphasis Area Course | 3 | ||
| STAT 2500 | 3 | Emphasis Area Course | 4 | ||
| Approved Econ Course | 3 | Humanities Gen Ed | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16-18 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| F_W 4600W | 3 | NAT_R 4353 | 3 | ||
| Emphasis Area Course | 3 | F_W 4650 | 4 | ||
| Emphasis Area Course | 3 | Emphasis Area Course | 3-5 | ||
| Emphasis Area Course | 3 | Emphasis Area Course | 4 | ||
| Behavioral or Social Science | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 14-16 | ||||
| Total Credits: 120-126 | |||||
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Career Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.