Flexible course requirements allow students to develop individual areas of concentration in preparation for a variety of positions after graduation.

Areas of concentration include:

Biological or Ecological Science
Watersheds and Environmental Quality
Methods in Environmental Science
Natural Resources Management
Economics, Planning, Policy & Law

This major incorporates multidisciplinary course work in water resources, wetland ecology, wildlife biology, soil science, forestry, and land use/environmental quality relationships, along with other disciplines.

This is a comprehensive major that requires the same broad-based background as the other majors within the Department of Natural Resources Science, but students are allowed more flexibility in choosing supporting courses.

REQUIREMENTS
All students admitted to the University of Rhode Island are eligible to major in Environmental Science and Management.

Program:

12 credits of introductory professional courses, which include natural resource conservation, resource economics, introductory soil science, and environmental data analysis.
38-41 basic science credits include chemistry, physics, botany, ecology, and biology
26 courses in their chosen area of concentration.
20-23 credits of supporting electives

Students may earn up to 24 credits in experiential learning settings.

A maximum of 12 credits of letter grade courses may be taken for concentration credit; both letter grade and S/U courses may be used as supporting electives.

All students must complete at least 4 credits of NRS capstone courses in their senior year.

See designated courses as listed in the URI Catalog, under Natural Resources Science.

A total of 130 credits is required for graduation

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Depending on course selection, this major can meet the educational requirements listed in state and federal employment guidelines for biologists, natural resource specialists, environmental scientists, and other environmental job classifications.

Graduates are employed by natural resources agencies at the state and federal levels and with environmental consulting firms.

Examples of jobs in this field include: environmental planning, environmental/ wildlife researcher, extension forester, wildlife biologist, cartographer, biology teacher, wetland inventory specialist, refuge manager, wetland biologist/ecologist, hydrologist, environmental scientist, soil conservationist, and forest/park ranger.

Good grades, hands-on experience, a strong technical background, and a firm commitment to sound environmental management are the key elements to being selected for challenging positions in natural resource fields.

FURTHER STUDIES
This major provides solid preparation for more specialized study at the graduate level.

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