Nature Based Tourism

Bachelor of Science - Parks, Tourism &Rec Management; Track: Nature-Based Tourism

College of Forestry & Conserv

Catalog Year: 2016-2017

Degree Specific Credits: 75

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: There are no longer "degree options". This track allows students to work with a faculty advisor to select elective courses that will be more specific to their career choices.

Major Required Courses

Rule: Must take all courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description NRSM 121S - Nature of Montana
Offered autumn.  An exploration of the major natural resource management issues facing the people of Montana and the social processes to manage environmental conflicts. Provides an introduction to the function of ecological systems and the impacts of human uses on the environment and looks at strategies for addressing global climate change, ex-urban population growth, and protecting environmental quality.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 200 - Nat.Resource Professional Wrtg
Offered fall and spring to College of Forestry and Conservation majors. Prereq., WRIT 101. Students synthesize scientific literature and, using appropriate evidence and APA style, write natural-resources-based documents appropriate for distribution to scientists, managers, and the public.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 210N - Soils, Water and Climate
Prereq., M 115 or M 121 or M 122 or M 151 or M 162 or M 171 or M 172. The factors affecting earth’s terrestrial ecosystems are rapidly changing, and understanding their impact on ecosystem services to humanity is becoming increasingly important and yet complex. In this course, students will explore how climate, water and soils interact to shape Earth’s biosphere. We will introduce students to a number of fundamental concepts in climate, hydrology, and soil science to gain a comprehensive view of the factors that shape and affect all terrestrial ecosystems. Through a series of lectures and field-based laboratories, students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of climate and hydrology that influence soil development, how they vary across small spatial scales, and how these physical, chemical, and biological processes interact to affect soil development. Ultimately, this class will introduce students to intimate relationship between climate, water, and soils, and how they interact to affect patterns of vegetation we see across the biosphere.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 210S - Nature Tourism & Comm Rec
Offered autumn. Introduction to the tourism and commercial recreation industries. Provides initial link between the natural environment and business operations. Combination of introductory business philosophies, economics, and natural resource management into a framework for future reference and course work.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 217S - Wildland Recreation Management
Offered autumn and spring. The management of land as an environment for outdoor recreation. Understanding the relationship between the visitor, resource base and management policies. Recreation planning on multiple use forest lands, parks, wilderness areas and private lands.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 15 Total Credits Required

Outside Major Required Courses

Rule: Must take all courses

Note: Can take SOCI 202 Social Statistics OR FORS 201 Biometrics in place of STATS 216; Can take THTR 120A Intro to Acting in place of COMX 111A

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description ACTG 201 - Principles of Fin Acct
Offered every term. Prereq. or Coreq. M 115, M 121, M 151 or M 162. Introduction to financial accounting concepts, including transactions analysis, financial statement analysis, and corporate financial reporting practices.
 3 Credits
Show Description ACTG 202 - Principles of Mang Acct
Offered every term. Prereq., ACTG 201 and M 115, M 121, M 151 or M 162. Continuation of ACTG 201 with a focus on managerial accounting topics.
 3 Credits
Show Description BIOE 172N - Introductory Ecology
Offered autumn.  An introduction to ecological principles, stressing the structure and function of natural communities and examining human's role in these ecosystems.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 111A - Intro to Public Speaking
Offered every term. Preparation, presentation, and criticism of speeches. Emphasis on the development of public speaking techniques through constructive criticism. Credit not allowed for both COMM 111A and COM 160A.
 3 Credits
Show Description ECNS 201S - Principles of Microeconomics
Offered every term.  The nature of a market economy, economic decisions of the household and firm, competition and monopoly, value and price determination, distribution of income and applied microeconomic topics.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 115 - Probability and Linear Math
Offered every term. Prereq. M 090 with a grade of B- or better, or M 095, or ALEKS placement >= 3, or ACT score of 22, or SAT score of 520. Systems of linear equations and matrix algebra. Introduction to probability with emphasis on models and probabilistic reasoning. Examples of applications of the material in many fields.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSYX 100S - Intro to Psychology
Offered every term. Introduction to the scientific study of behavior in humans and other animals. Credit not allowed for both PSY 100S and PSYC 100S.
 4 Credits
Show Description STAT 216 - Introduction to Statistics
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 132, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.
 4 Credits
Show Description WRIT 101 - College Writing I
UM: Offered every term. Prereq., WRIT 095 or proof of passing score on writing diagnostic examination, referral by WRIT 095 instructor-SAT writing score at or above 440, MUSWA at or above 3.5, SAT/ACT essay score at or above 7, or ACT Combined English/Writing score at or above 18. Expository prose and research paper; emphasis on structure, argument, development of ideas, clarity, style, and diction. Students expected to write without major faults in grammar or usage. Credit not allowed for both WRIT 101 and COM 101. Grading A-F, or NC (no credit). MC: Offered every term. Prereq., WRIT 095 or proof of appropriate SAT/ACT essay, English/Writing, writing section scores, appropriate MUSWA scores, or proof of passing scores on Writing Placement Exam). Expository prose and research paper; emphasis on structure, argument, development of ideas, clarity, style, and diction. Students expected to write without major faults in grammar or usage. Grading A-F, or NC (no credit).
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 29 Total Credits Required

Major Required Courses

Rule: Must take all courses

Note: null

Note: Can take WILD 410 Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics in place of NRSM 422; Can take NRSM 462 Range Ecology in place of FORS 330; Can take PTRM 451 Tourism & Sustainability in place of PTRM 482
In addition to the above requirements, students are also required to take at least 3 credits of skills classes. Students can choose from: ECP 120/121 Emergency Care Provider and lab (3)cr., NRSM 379 Collaboration (3)cr., BKMT 325, Principles of Marketing (3)cr., or FORS 250 Introduction to GIS. Alternatively, students can take two semesters of a foreign language.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description FORS 330 - Forest Ecology
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., FORS 210 or ENSC 245N or NRSM 210N; and BIOO 105N or BIOB 170N or BIOE 172 or BIOB 160N or FORS 240; and FORS 201 or STAT 216 or SOCI 202 or WILD 240 or PSYX 222. Examination of physical and biological factors affecting forest structure, composition, and function, including biodiversity, disturbance, and nutrient cycling. Field labs throughout Northern Rockies including developing skills in field observation, data interpretation and problem solving.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 422 - Nat Res Policy/Administration
Offered autumn and spring. Policy formation in the United States and a survey of the major resource policies interpreted in their historical and political contexts.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 300 - Recreation Behavior
Offere spring. Prereq., PTRM 217S. This course provides an understanding of recreation behavior in wildland and nature-based tourism oriented settings. Students will learn about theories/conceptual frameworks from social and environmental psychology and their application to visitor management issues in the wildland recreation and nature-base tourism fields.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 310 - Nat Res Interp and Comm
Offered autumn. Prereq., COMX 111A or THTR 120A, junior or senior standing in PTRM or RECM. Principles, concepts, techniques essential to providing high quality interpretive programs in natural or cultural history.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 380 - Rec Admin & Leadership
Offered spring. The theories, principles and practices that shape the administration of recreation opportunities offered through public, nonprofit and private agencies and organizations. Course content includes leadership roles of recreation managers, organizational structure, management, legality, risk management, staffing, communication and public relations.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 482 - Wilderness & Protctd Area Mgt
Offered spring. Prereq., PTRM 217S, or consent of instructor. Examination of the origin, evolution, and application of the park concept on state, federal, and international levels. Evaluation of legislation, philosophy, and policy leading to consideration of goals, objectives, and strategies for wilderness and protected area management.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 484 - PTRM Field Measurement Tech
Offered autumn. Co-req. with either PTRM 485 or PTRM 451. Field measurement and management techniques critical in park, tourism & recreation management. Includes measurement of impacts on biophysical and social attributes of park, tourism & recreation settings.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 485 - Recreation Planning
Offered spring. Prereq., PTRM 217S and PTRM 300. Offered autumn. Needs of recreation opportunities and response to those needs through planning, demand assessment and resource analysis.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 495 - Practicum in PTRM
(R-15) Offered every term. Prereq., PTRM 380, PTRM 450, senior standing, and consent of instr. Supervised pre-professional practice in approved parks, tourism & recreation management agencies.
 1 To 6 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 28 Total Credits Required

Nature Based Tourism Recommended Electives

Rule: Can take these track courses

Note: Courses are not required in this track - please talk to a faculty advisor on what classes will be best for your area of interest.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description ANTY 101H - Anthro & the Human Experience
Offered autumn and spring. Offered intermittently in summer. A survey of anthropology which introduces the fundamental concepts, methods and perspectives of the field. The description and analysis of human culture, its growth and change. The nature and functions of social institutions.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMKT 325 - Principles of Marketing
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in Business. The marketing environment, product, price, distribution, and promotion strategies including government regulation and marketing ethics.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMKT 337 - Consumer Behavior
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in Business and BMKT 325; PSYX 100S and 230S recommended. A behavioral analysis of consumer decision making and of the factors influencing consumer decisions, i.e., those decisions directly involved with the obtaining of economic goods and services.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 220S - Intro to Organizational Comm
Offered yearly. Theory and research on communication in organizations. Focus on topics such as productivity, power, culture, socialization, technology and globalization covering a wide range of organizations including corporations, government, educational institutions, non-profit agencies and media organizations.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 351 - Principles of Public Relations
Offered yearly. The many uses of communication in the endeavor of public relations. Communication theories and models including interpersonal communication, organizational communication, and mass communication are applied to explore the internal and external communication behavior associated with public relations.
 3 Credits
Show Description ECNS 202S - Principles of Macroeconomics
Offered every term.  Prereq., ECNS 201S.  The determination of the level of national economic activity, inflation, economic instability, the role of money and financial institutions, and selected topics in public economic policy.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 202 - Forest Mensuration
Offered spring. Prereq., FORS 201 or STAT 216 or SOCI 202 or WILD 240; and M 121 and M 122 or M 151 or M 162 or M 171 or M 172. The theory and practice of timber inventory and growth projection, including field measurements, sampling procedures, statistical methods, inventory compilation, and stand growth simulation under specified management prescriptions. Stand growth under specified management prescriptions.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 320 - Forest Environmental Economics
Offered autumn. Prereq., ECNS 201S; and M 121 and M 122 or M 151 or M 162 or M 171 or M 172.  Economic techniques to support decision making about the allocation of scarce resources, and management of forests for timber and other ecosystem services.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 351 - Env Remote Sensing
Offered spring. The theory and application of photo- and electro-optical remote sensing for mapping resources and developing information systems.
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 101N - Intro to Physical Geology
Offered autumn and spring. General geology including the work of wind, flowing water, glacial ice, gravity, earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics in shaping the earth. 
 3 Credits
Show Description GPHY 111N - Intro to Physical Geography
Offered autumn and spring. Introduction to the earth’s major natural environmental systems, their spatial distribution and interrelationships, including weather and climate, vegetation and ecosystems, soils, landforms, and earth-surface processes.
 3 Credits
Show Description GPHY 311N - Biogeography
Offered intermittently. Changing patterns of plant and animal distributions in space and time. Combination of historical and ecological approaches to biological species and communities. Study of external causes of plant and animal distributions, especially climatic change and human impacts.
 3 Credits
Show Description GPHY 433 - Cultural Ecology
Offered most springs. Prereq., WRIT 101 or WRIT 201 and one Intermediate Writing Course or Consent of Instructor. Examines issues related to culture and the natural environment. Topics include cultural origins and diversity, geography of religion, geolinguistics, plant and animal domestication, livelihood systems, folk and popular culture, ethnic geography, political patterns, demography, industries, urban genesis, and the transformation of environmental systems.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 121S - Nature of Montana
Offered autumn.  An exploration of the major natural resource management issues facing the people of Montana and the social processes to manage environmental conflicts. Provides an introduction to the function of ecological systems and the impacts of human uses on the environment and looks at strategies for addressing global climate change, ex-urban population growth, and protecting environmental quality.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 379 - Collab in Nat Res Decisions
Offered autumn. Political and social processes affecting natural resource decisions. Examination of cases of multi-party collaboration in forestry, range, and watershed management issues.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 475 - Environment & Development
Offered spring. Co-convened with NRSM 575. Examines key social forces that influence how individuals, groups and nation-states understand and live within their bio-physical environments, especially policies and processes relating to development, corporate capitalism, globalization, culture, class and other forms of power and social relations. Pays close attention to ways both indigenous and introduced resource use and management practices (including conservation) variably impact people of different races, classes, genders, cultures and livelihood practices. Cannot get credit for both NRSM 475 and NRSM 575.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 489E - Ethics Forestry & Conservation
Offered autumn. Prereq., junior or senior standing. Theoretical and practical ethical issues affecting the management of natural resources in national forests and on other public lands.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHL 112E - Intro Ethics and Environment
Offered intermittently. An introductory-level ethics course with a special interest in the natural environment. The course will (a) introduce students to the three classical traditions in ethics - virtue, Kantianism, and utilitarianism, (b) ground these theories in questions about the moral status of non-humans and our moral duties to non-humans, (c) include an applied section that covers animal welfare, biotechnology, and other current topics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 150 - Current Issues in PTRM
Offered autumn. This course will explore issues related to recreation and tourism in western Montana. This is a field based course designed to get students outside the classroom. Students will have a chance to visit outdoor recreation areas and meet recreation and tourism managers.
 1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C-

Writing Within Major

Rule: Must complete the following subcategories

9 Total Credits Required

Lower Division Writing

Rule: Must take all courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description NRSM 200 - Nat.Resource Professional Wrtg
Offered fall and spring to College of Forestry and Conservation majors. Prereq., WRIT 101. Students synthesize scientific literature and, using appropriate evidence and APA style, write natural-resources-based documents appropriate for distribution to scientists, managers, and the public.
 3 Credits
Show Description WRIT 101 - College Writing I
UM: Offered every term. Prereq., WRIT 095 or proof of passing score on writing diagnostic examination, referral by WRIT 095 instructor-SAT writing score at or above 440, MUSWA at or above 3.5, SAT/ACT essay score at or above 7, or ACT Combined English/Writing score at or above 18. Expository prose and research paper; emphasis on structure, argument, development of ideas, clarity, style, and diction. Students expected to write without major faults in grammar or usage. Credit not allowed for both WRIT 101 and COM 101. Grading A-F, or NC (no credit). MC: Offered every term. Prereq., WRIT 095 or proof of appropriate SAT/ACT essay, English/Writing, writing section scores, appropriate MUSWA scores, or proof of passing scores on Writing Placement Exam). Expository prose and research paper; emphasis on structure, argument, development of ideas, clarity, style, and diction. Students expected to write without major faults in grammar or usage. Grading A-F, or NC (no credit).
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 6 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Writing

Rule: Must take one of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PTRM 451 - Tourism & Sustainability
Offered spring. Prereq., PTRM 210, or consent of instructor. Theories and conceptual models are applied to analyzing relationships between the integration of planning theories to sustainability concepts.
 3 Credits
Show Description PTRM 482 - Wilderness & Protctd Area Mgt
Offered spring. Prereq., PTRM 217S, or consent of instructor. Examination of the origin, evolution, and application of the park concept on state, federal, and international levels. Evaluation of legislation, philosophy, and policy leading to consideration of goals, objectives, and strategies for wilderness and protected area management.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Math within Major

Rule: Must take all courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 115 - Probability and Linear Math
Offered every term. Prereq. M 090 with a grade of B- or better, or M 095, or ALEKS placement >= 3, or ACT score of 22, or SAT score of 520. Systems of linear equations and matrix algebra. Introduction to probability with emphasis on models and probabilistic reasoning. Examples of applications of the material in many fields.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C 3 Total Credits Required

Symbolic Systems

Rule: Must take at least one of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description FORS 201 - Forest Biometrics
Offered autumn. Prereq., M 115 or M 121 or M 122 or M 151 or M 162 or M 171 or M 172. Introduction to probability and statistical methods for forestry and environmental sciences covering natural resource applications of common probability distributions, data analysis, hypothesis testing, and regression.
 3 Credits
Show Description SOCI 202 - Social Statistics
Offered every term. Prereq., M 115, Sociology majors only, or consent of instr. Application of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to sociological data. Required of all majors.
 3 Credits
Show Description STAT 216 - Introduction to Statistics
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 132, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3-4 Total Credits Required

Expressive Arts Requirement

Rule: must take one of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description COMX 111A - Intro to Public Speaking
Offered every term. Preparation, presentation, and criticism of speeches. Emphasis on the development of public speaking techniques through constructive criticism. Credit not allowed for both COMM 111A and COM 160A.
 3 Credits
Show Description THTR 120A - Introduction to Acting I
Offered every term. An introduction to the skills and techniques required of the actor to be effective in communication with others on stage and off stage.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Social Science within Major

Rule: must take the following course

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PTRM 217S - Wildland Recreation Management
Offered autumn and spring. The management of land as an environment for outdoor recreation. Understanding the relationship between the visitor, resource base and management policies. Recreation planning on multiple use forest lands, parks, wilderness areas and private lands.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Ethical & Human Values Elective within Major

Rule: CAN take the elective course

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description NRSM 489E - Ethics Forestry & Conservation
Offered autumn. Prereq., junior or senior standing. Theoretical and practical ethical issues affecting the management of natural resources in national forests and on other public lands.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Natural Sciences within Major

Rule: Must take NRSM 210 and one of the biology courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BIOB 170N - Princpls Biological Diversity
Offered spring and summer.  Survey of the diversity, evolution and ecology of life including prokaryotes, viruses, protista, fungi, plants and animals.
 3 Credits
Show Description BIOE 172N - Introductory Ecology
Offered autumn.  An introduction to ecological principles, stressing the structure and function of natural communities and examining human's role in these ecosystems.
 3 Credits
Show Description BIOO 105N - Introduction to Botany
Offered spring.  Introduction to the plant kingdom including anatomy, physiology and ecology.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 210N - Soils, Water and Climate
Prereq., M 115 or M 121 or M 122 or M 151 or M 162 or M 171 or M 172. The factors affecting earth’s terrestrial ecosystems are rapidly changing, and understanding their impact on ecosystem services to humanity is becoming increasingly important and yet complex. In this course, students will explore how climate, water and soils interact to shape Earth’s biosphere. We will introduce students to a number of fundamental concepts in climate, hydrology, and soil science to gain a comprehensive view of the factors that shape and affect all terrestrial ecosystems. Through a series of lectures and field-based laboratories, students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of climate and hydrology that influence soil development, how they vary across small spatial scales, and how these physical, chemical, and biological processes interact to affect soil development. Ultimately, this class will introduce students to intimate relationship between climate, water, and soils, and how they interact to affect patterns of vegetation we see across the biosphere.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 6 Total Credits Required