Natural Resources, Associate of Science
Program Description
There are three choice of tracks to complete the Natural Resource program: Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Forest Ecosystems, and Conservation Law Enforcement. Each track will result in an A.S. degree that prepares students with the necessary knowledge for an entry-level position or provide a foundation for transferring to a university.
Program Outcomes
Students who complete the Natural Resources Associate of Science will have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to:
- Describe natural ecological processes and human impacts that influence ecosystem change, and ecological succession in landscapes of the Pacific Northwest
- Recognize and describe the interrelationships between ecosystem communities and how social communities have an effect on the use and management of natural resources
- Describe and evaluate a set of natural resource-related objectives and be able to evaluate the success of these actions
- Evaluate management problems while working collaboratively within and among teams
- Describe and quantify the biological and physical interrelationships between ecosystem resources
Career Considerations
Tracks in the Natural Resources program will prepare students for jobs in conservation science, conservation law enforcement, ecosystem management, wildlife biology, fisheries science, botany, forestry, and other fields related to natural resource science and conservation.
Program Core Requirements
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Term | Credits | |
| BI 211 | Principles of Biology | 5 |
| MTH 111Z | Precalculus I Functions | 4 |
| NR 201 | Introduction-Natural Resouces | 3 |
| WR 121Z | Composition I | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Term | ||
| BI 212 | Principles of Biology | 5 |
| COM 111Z | Public Speaking | 4 |
| HPE 295 | Wellness-Hlth Assess | 3 |
| FES 241 | Dendrology | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Term | ||
| BI 213 | Principles of Biology | 5 |
| CH 221 | General Chemistry I | 5 |
| MTH 112Z | Precalculus II Trigonometry | 4 |
| WR 227Z | Technical Writing | 4 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Term | ||
| ENG 230 | Environmental Lit | 4 |
| ATS 201 | Climate Science | 4 |
| FES 261 | Recreation Resource Mgmt | 4 |
| GIS 234 | GIS 1-Intro to Geographic Info | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Term | ||
| STAT 243Z | Elementary Statistics I | 4 |
| NR 221 | Water Resource Science | 4 |
| FES 240 | Forest Biology | 4 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Third Term | ||
| NR 230 | Forest Ecosystems | 3 |
| NR 251 | Principles Wildlife Conserv | 3 |
| SOIL 205 | Soil Science | 3 |
| SOIL 206 | Soil Science Lab | 1 |
| Credits | 10 | |
| Total Minimum Credits | 88 | |
Tracks of Study
All Natural Resource students are required to complete the Program Course Requirements. In addition to the Program Course Requirements, students are responsible for completing one of the specialized tracks. Each track will provide specialized coursework unique to the respective field of study.