Resource Conservation
Laurie Yung, Associate Professor, Resource Conservation Program Director
The challenging and rapidly evolving field of environmental conservation requires broad training and the ability to integrate and communicate across disciplines. Resource Conservation is an interdepartmental undergraduate major that prepares students for the diverse opportunities that now exist in environmental conservation, natural resource management, and sustainable livelihoods and communities. Students can choose a more structured area of study in the natural sciences, such as ecology or hydrology, or emphasize emerging sub-disciplines such as wildland fire management, natural resource economics, or climate and environmental change. Students can also integrate across disciplines and focus on environmental policy and natural resources planning, wilderness studies, sustainable livelihoods and community conservation, or international conservation. For more information on different curricular tracks within the Resource Conservation major, please see: www.cfc.umt.edu/rc. In addition to degree requirements listed below, students selecting the Bachelor of Science in Resource Conservation should contact their faculty advisor to approve their curriculum.
Core Resource Conservation Requirements
Oral and Written Communication:
- COMX 111A (COMM 111A) (Introduction to Public Speaking) OR THTR 120A (DRAM 111) (Introduction to Acting)
- WRIT 222 (Technical Writing) or NRSM 200 Natural Resources Professional Writing
- At least three of the following courses (to fulfill the major requirement and the general education requirement for upper division writing): PTRM 300 (RECM 300), FORS 330 (FOR 330), FORS 341 (FOR 341), FORS 342 (FOR 342), FORS 347 (FOR 347), NRSM 379 (EVST/FOR/RSCN 379), NASX 403 (NAS 403), WILD 410 (WBIO 410), BIOE 428 (BIOL 366), FORS 437 (FOR 437), FORS 440 (FOR 440), NSRM 444 (FOR 444), NRSM 445, NRSM 462 (FOR/RSCN 462), NRSM 475 (FOR 475), NRSM 489E (FOR 489E), FORS 499 (FOR 497), or NRSM 499 (or, one writing course, such as PTRM 451 (RECM 451) or PTRM 482 (RECM 482))
Quantitative Skills:
- Math, one of the following courses: M 115 (MATH 117) (Probability and Linear Math), M 121 (MATH 111) (College Algebra), M 122 (MATH 112)(College Trigonometry), M 151 (MATH 121) (Precalculus), M 162 (MATH 150) (Applied Calculus)
- Statistics, one of the following courses: STAT 216 (MATH 241) (Introduction to Statistics), SOCI 202 (SOC 202) (Social Statistics), FORS 201 (FOR 201) (Forest Biometrics)
- GPHY 284 (Intro to GIS and Cartography) or equivalent, or an additional math course (a math course listed above, but not already taken)
Natural and Social Sciences:
- Biology, one of the following Courses: BIOB 160N (BIOL 110N) (Principles of Living Systems), BIOB 170N (BIOL 108N) (Principles Biological Diversity), BIOO 105N (BIOL 120N) (Introduction to Botany), BIOE 172N (BIOL 121N) (Introductory Ecology)
- CHMY 121N (CHEM 151N) Introduction to General Chemistry
- ENSC 245N (FOR 210) (Soils) (prerequisite: CHMY 121N (CHEM 151N)
- Ecology, one of the following courses: FORS 330 (FOR 330) (Forest Ecology), BIOE 370 (BIOL 340) (General Ecology) (prerequisites: BIOB 275 (BIOL 223), STAT 216 (MATH 241)), NRSM 462 (RSCN 462) (Range Ecology) (prerequisites: NRSM 360 (RSCN 360) and plant ecology course)
- Policy, one of the following courses: NRSM 422 (FOR 422) (Natural Resource Policy/Administration), NRSM 370S (RSCN 370S) (Wildland Conserv Pol/Govrnance), WILD 410 (WBIO 410) (Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics)
- Social science, one of the following courses: NRSM 379 (FOR/EVST/RSCN 379) (Collaboration in Natural Resource Decisions), NRSM 424 (FOR/RSCN 424) (Community Forestry and Conservation), NRSM 475 (FOR 475) (Environment and Development), NRSM 426 (Climate and Society) or PTRM 300 (RECM 300) (Recreation Behavior)
- NRSM 489E (FOR 489E) (Ethics, Forestry, and Conservation) or NRSM 449E (Climate Change Ethics and Policy)
Additional Resource Conservation Requirements
Students have to take at least 36 traditional letter-graded credits within the College of Forestry and Conservation – all courses with the FORS, NRSM, PTRM, and WILD prefixes will work. In addition, WRIT 222 (FOR 220), ENSC 245N (FOR/RSCN 210N), BIOE 447, and CCS courses taught by College of Forestry and Conservation faculty count toward this requirement. Resource Conservation students typically use these additional credits in the College to obtain depth and/or breadth in areas of interest. There are a number of advising “tracks” that enable specialization within the major. Go to www.cfc.umt.edu/rc and click on Areas of Study for more information.
