Natural Resources Management
School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management
(907) 474-7083
Degrees: B.S., M.S.
Minimum Requirements for Degree: B.S.: 130 credits; M.S.: 30-35 credits
Natural Resources Management consists of making and implementing decisions to develop, maintain or protect ecosystems to meet human needs and values. The core natural resources management curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad education in the various natural resources and their related applied fields. Programs can be tailored to enhance a student's depth or breadth in a given field of interest. The program is designed for students desiring careers in resources management or in other fields requiring knowledge of resources management, students planning advanced study, as well as those wishing to be better informed citizens.
The Forestry option offers students the opportunity to focus on the multi-resource management of forests and associated ecosystems for the sustained production of goods and services and to prepare for forestry related employment. See page 92 for professional accreditation information on forestry. The Plant, Animal, and Soil Science option offers opportunities for scientific study and education in areas such as: field and greenhouse plant production, domestication and propagation of native plants, revegetation, domestic and native animal production, and agricultural and ecological aspects of soil science. The Resources option emphasizes responsible stewardship in the management of multiple resources that occur in natural systems.
Field and laboratory activities and applications of knowledge gained are stressed throughout the program. Internships and work-study arrangements are often available for qualified students.
The School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management offers a Master of Science degree in natural resources management. The courses and curriculum for this program were developed in cooperation with groups and agencies that work professionally with resource management in Alaska.
State and federal agencies such as the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Soil Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contribute significantly to the instructional program, by providing guest lecturers and internship and field work opportunities for students.
Thesis research in natural resources management is directed toward resource problems at high latitudes. Research by graduate students has centered on biological and physical aspects of land management in Alaska in relation to land ownership, land use planning, economic analysis, and competing resources needs. Areas of emphasis have included forest management, land use planning, soil management, natural resource policy, parks and recreation management, horticulture and agronomy and animal science.
Courses required for the majors may also be used to satisfy the general university requirements as appropriate.
Natural Resources Management -- B.S. Degree
- Complete general university requirements and B.S. degree requirements.
- Complete the following (major) requirements (39 credits):
BIOL 105X -- Fundamentals of Biology I (4 credits)
BIOL 106X -- Fundamentals of Biology II (4 credits)
BIOL 271 -- Principles of Ecology (4 credits)
CHEM 105X -- General Chemistry I (4 credits)
CHEM 106X -- General Chemistry II (4 credits)
ECON 235 -- Intro. to Nat. Resource Econ. (3 credits)
NRM 101 -- Natural Resources Conservation and Policy (3 credits)
NRM 304 -- Perspectives in Natural Resources Management (3 credits)
NRM 380 -- Soils and the Environment (3 credits)
NRM 405 -- Senior Thesis in Natural Resources Management (4 credits)
STAT 200 -- Elementary Probability and Statistics (3 credits)
- Complete the requirements for one of the following options:
- Forestry Option -- Department of Forest Sciences
- Complete the following (55/56 credits):
AIS 101 -- Information Systems Technology (or approved alternative) (3 credits)
CE 112 -- Elementary Surveying (3 credits)
ECON 335 -- Intermediate Natural Resource Economics (3 credits)
GEOS 101X -- The Dynamic Earth (4 credits)
NRM 204 -- Natural Resources Legislation and Policy (3 credits)
NRM 211 -- Intro to Applied Plant Science or
BIOL 239 -- Introduction to Plant Biology 3-4
NRM 251 -- Silvics and Dendrology (4 credits)
NRM 290 -- NRM Issues at High Latitude (2 credits)
NRM 338 -- Intro. to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
NRM 340 -- Natural Resources Measurement & Inventory (3 credits)
NRM 365 -- Principles of Outdoor Recreation Management (3 credits)
NRM 370 -- Introduction to Watershed Management (3 credits)
NRM 430 -- Resource Management Planning (3 credits)
NRM 450 -- Forest Management (3 credits)
NRM 451 -- Silviculture (3 credits)
NRM 452 -- Forest Protection (3 credits)
NRM 453 -- Harvesting & Utilization of Forest Products (3 credits)
WLF 201 -- Wildlife Management Principles or
FISH 401 -- Fisheries Management (3 credits)
- Complete three courses that total at least 8 credits from the following list of restricted electives (courses other than those listed must be approved by student's advisor):
AVTY 302 -- Aerial Data Collection (2 credits)
BA 350 -- Introduction to Real Estate and Land Economics (3 credits)
BIOL 331 -- Systematic Botany (4 credits)
FIRE -- Any course on wildland fire control/management (3 credits)
GEOS 408 -- Photogeology (2 credits)
GEOS 422 -- Geoscience Applications of Remote Sensing (3 credits)
NRM 277 -- Introduction to Conservation Biology (3 credits)
NRM 300 -- Internship in Natural Resources Management (must be forestry related) 1-6
NRM 303 -- Environmental Ethics and Actions (3 credits)
NRM 312 -- Introduction to Range Management (3 credits)
NRM 341 -- GIS Analysis (4 credits)
STAT 401 -- Regression and Analysis of Variance (3 credits)
STAT 402 -- Scientific Sampling (3 credits)
WLF 201 -- Wildlife Management Principles
or FISH 401 -- Fisheries Management (3 credits)
WLF 417 -- Forest and Tundra (2 credits)
Minimum credits required (130 credits)
- Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences Option -- Department of Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences
- Complete the following (14 credits):
NRM 211 -- Introduction to Applied Plant Science (3 credits)
NRM 290 -- NRM Issues at High Latitudes (2 credits)
NRM 310 -- Agricultural Concepts (3 credits)
NRM 320 -- Introduction to Animal Science (3 credits)
NRM 480 -- Soil Management for Quality and Conservation (3 credits)
- Complete a minimum of 12 credits in biology, botany, physics, chemistry, geosciences and/or mathematics, in addition to the above basic courses. Courses must be approved for science majors.
- Complete a minimum of 9 credits in the following Natural Resources Management electives:
NRM 102 -- Practicum in Natural Resources Management
and/or NRM 300 -- Internship in Natural Resources Management 1-3
NRM 204 -- Natural Resources Legislation and Policy (3 credits)
NRM 215 -- Plant Propagation (3 credits)
NRM 251 -- Silvics and Dendrology (4 credits)
NRM 312 -- Introduction to Range Management (3 credits)
NRM 313 -- Introduction to Plant Pathology (4 credits)
NRM 321 -- Applied Animal Nutrition (3 credits)
NRM 338 -- Intro to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
NRM 340 -- Natural Resources Measurement and Inventory (3 credits)
NRM 341 -- GIS Analysis (4 credits)
NRM 370 -- Introduction to Watershed Management (3 credits)
NRM 404 -- Processes of Natural Resources Management (3 credits)
NRM 412 -- Field Crop Production (3 credits)
NRM 420 -- Animal Nutrition and Metabolism (3 credits)
NRM 425 -- Ungulate Management and Production Systems (3 credits)
NRM 485 -- Soil Biology (3 credits)
- Complete a minimum of 12 credits beyond those taken to fulfill categories above in a support field which is a group of courses selected for its clear pertinence to a cohesive program. Support fields may include but are not limited to: animal science, chemistry, communications, education, engineering, forestry, geography, marketing, natural resources management, nutrition, plant science, rural development and soils. The courses must be approved by the student's academic advisor prior to attaining senior standing.
Minimum credits required (130 credits)
- Resources Option -- Department of Resources Management
- Complete the following (34 credits):
ECON 335 -- Intermediate Natural Resource Economics (3 credits)
GEOS 101X -- The Dynamic Earth (4 credits)
NRM 204 -- Natural Resources Legislation and Policy (3 credits)
NRM 251 -- Silvics and Dendrology (4 credits)
NRM 290 -- NRM Issues at High Latitude (2 credits)
NRM 312 -- Introduction to Range Management or
NRM 480 -- Soil Conservation (3 credits)
NRM 340 -- Natural Resources Measurements and Inventory (3 credits)
NRM 365 -- Principles of Outdoor Recreation Management (3 credits)
NRM 370 -- Introduction to Watershed Science (3 credits)
NRM 430 -- Resource Management Planning (3 credits)
WLF 201 -- Wildlife Management Principles or
FISH 401 -- Fisheries Management (3 credits)
- Complete a minimum of 9 credits from the Humans and the Environmental electives category. Courses involve human effects on the environment and its products through management. Substitutions may be made only with the permission of the student's academic advisor and the department head.
ANTH 428 -- Ecological Anthropology (3 credits)
ECON 437 -- Regional Economic Development (3 credits)
EQS 201 -- Environmental Management (3 credits)
FISH 261 -- Introduction to Seafood Science and Nutrition (3 credits)
FISH 401 -- Fisheries Management (3 credits)
FIRE 256 -- Wildland Fire Planning and Multiple Use Management (3 credits)
GEOG 327 -- Cold Lands (3 credits)
MIN 101 -- Minerals, Man and the Environment (3 credits)
MIN 400 -- Practical Engineering Report (1 credit)
MIN 407 -- Mineral Industry and the Environment (2 credits)
NRM 277 -- Introduction to Conservation Biology (3 credits)
NRM 300 -- Internship in Natural Resources Management (3 credits)
NRM 310 -- Agricultural Concepts (3 credits)
NRM 312 -- Introduction to Range Management (3 credits)
NRM 404 -- Processes of Natural Resources Management 3
NRM/WLF 431 -- Wildlife Policy and Administration (3 credits)
NRM 450 -- Forest Management (3 credits)
NRM 465 -- Outdoor Recreation Planning (3 credits)
NRM 480 -- Soil Management for Quality and Conservation (3 credits)
PS 420 -- Environmental Policies (3 credits)
RD 255 -- Rural Alaska Land Issues (3 credits)
RD 265 -- Perspectives on Subsistence in Alaska (3 credits)
RD 350 -- Community Research and Planning Techniques (3 credits)
WLF 201 -- Wildlife Management Principles (3 credits)
WLF 417 -- Wildlife Management: Forest and Tundra (3 credits)
WLF 419 -- Waterfowl and Wetlands Ecology and Management (3 credits)
- Select a minimum of 12 credit in an approved support field. Selections may include courses listed within the Humans and the Environment elective category, and need not be limited to those with NRM designators. Courses are selected for their clear pertinence to a cohesive program and must be approved by the student's academic advisor prior to attaining senior standing. Examples include but are not limited to: communications, data management, economics, marketing, recreation, or resources policy. Support fields may also include subject areas in forest and plant, animal, and soil sciences.
- Minimum credits required (130 credits)
MINOR in Natural Resources Management
A minor in Natural Resources Management requires completion of NRM 101 and 15 credits of any other NRM courses, 6 credits of which must be upper division. The minor program must be approved by an NRM advisor.
Natural Resources Management -- M.S. Degree
Degree Requirements
- Complete UAF degree requirements.
- Candidates must have or acquire a general familiarity with the major resource fields listed as program emphases above. Course requirements in any one field will depend on the needs of the candidate and the capabilities of the university.
- Candidates must have coursework, prior to or within the program, in computer science, statistical methods, and basic economics.
- Complete 30-35 credits with approval of the graduate advisory committee. At least 24 credits must be at the 600 level.
Thesis option (30 credits):
Designed for those intending to pursue management careers requiring thorough familiarity with research procedures and techniques in one or more of the resources fields, to proceed to doctoral programs, and/or to conduct research in management problems.
Required courses: Credits
A research methods course above the 200 level. (This requirement may be met with a research methods course in a discipline related to natural resources management.) (3 credits)
A statistics course above the 200 level. (This requirement may be met with a statistics course in mathematical sciences or in a discipline related to natural resources management.) (3 credits)
NRM 692 -- Graduate Seminar (3 credits)
Additional approved courses 9-15
NRM 699 -- Thesis 6-12
Non-thesis option (35 credits):
Designed for those planning a management career involving largely non-research responsibilities such as general planning and administration, communication and public information, and impact assessment. The requirements are similar to the above, with exceptions as noted.
Required courses (same as in thesis option above) (9 credits)
Additional approved courses (23 credits)
NRM 698 -- Professional paper (3 credits)
Total credits required 30-35
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