Students who successfully complete the requirements of the Wilderness and Civilization Program are eligible for the Wilderness Studies minor. Wilderness and Civilization is an interdisciplinary campus and field-based program. Each year, 25 students investigate wildland conservation and the human-nature relationship through the lenses of policy, ecology, art, Native American Studies, and literature. Wilderness and Civilization combines the strengths of classroom and field learning, interactive classes, innovative faculty, and applied learning through internships. Field trips include extended backcountry trips as well as shorter field trips examining ecology, environmental issues, land use, and natural history. Wilderness and Civilization offers students the opportunity to explore contemporary conservation debates, make connections between disciplines, and learn how to work for positive change.
Wilderness and Civilization is an undergraduate, immersion program geared toward sophomore-, junior-, and senior-level students in any major. Students take a 16-17.0 credits of campus and field-based courses during the fall, and then continue in the spring with an art course, an internship, a 1.0 credit field course, and a 1.0 credit lecture series. The Wilderness and Civilization program is administered by the Wilderness Institute of the College of Forestry and Conservation. The program is offered in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Fine Arts, and the Davidson Honors College.
Students must apply for admission to the Wilderness and Civilization program, which is limited to 25 students each year. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all college and university work. Applications are due by April 1 and are available at the Wilderness Institute, University Hall 303.
To earn a minor in wilderness studies the student must successfully complete the Wilderness and Civilization program and the course requirements below (23-24.0 credits).
| Course # and Description | Credits |
|---|---|
| RSCN 373 Wilderness and Civilization | 3 |
| LIT 373 (ENLT 371) Literature and the Environment/Honors | 3 |
| RSCN 271N Wilderness Ecology/Honors | 3 |
| NAS 303E Ecological Perspectives of Native Americans | 3 |
| ART 324A Environmental Drawing Seminar | 3 |
| RSCN 273 Wilderness and Civilization Field Studies | 3 |
| RSCN 398 Internship: Wildlands Community Project | 2 |
| RECM 371 Wilderness Lecture Series | 1 |
| RSCN 370S Wildland Conservation Policy and Governance or RSCN 423 Montana Wilderness Policy and Politics | 2 or 3 |
| Total | 23-24 |
Requirements for minors in Wildland Restoration and Wildlife Biology are listed within their majors section of the catalog.
Don Bedunah, Professor of Range Resources Management, College of Forestry and Conservation
Mary Ann Bonjorni, Associate Professor of Fine Arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Rich Clow, Professor of Native American Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
Louise Economides, Assistant Professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences
David Moore, Professor of Liberal Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
Mike Patterson, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology and Recreation Management, College of Forestry and Conservation
Sarah Potenza, Program Manager and Field Instructor, Wilderness Institute, College of Forestry and Conservation
Pat Williams, Senior Fellow/Regional Policy Associate, O'Conner Center for the Rocky Mountain West
Laurie Yung, Assistant Professor and Wilderness Institute Director, College of Forestry and Conservation
Registrar's Office
Lommasson Center 201
Phone: (406) 243-2995
Fax: (406) 243-4807
