Climate & Environment

This is an advising track only and not an official program as recognized by the University of Montana (UM) or the Montana University System. This information will not appear on your UM transcript, diploma, university lists, student data system, or university publication. You do not fill out a major change for a track.

Bachelor of Science - Resource Conservation; Track: Climate & Environmental Change

College of Forestry & Conserv

Catalog Year: 2016-2017

Degree Specific Credits: 43

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: More detailed information about the Climate & Environmental Change track can be found on our website: www.cfc.umt.edu/rc. Students in this track typically complete the Climate Change Minor (www.cfc.umt.edu/ccs). Please talk with your faculty advisor about which courses to take in this track.

Professional Writing

Rule: Must take the following course

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
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Chemistry

Rule: Must take the following course

Note: null

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CHMY 121N - Intro to General Chemistry
Offered autumn and spring. First semester of an introduction to general, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Quantitative and Spatial Analysis

Rule: Must take three of the following courses and one must be a statistics course (FORS 201, STAT 216 or SOCI 202)

Note: FORS 250 is highly recommended
Can take STAT 216 Statistics or SOCI 202 Social Statistics in place of FORS 201

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 FORS 250 - Intro to GIS for Forest Mgt
Offered every term. Open to sophomores or juniors or with consent of instructor. This course is designed as a practical introduction to the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for storing, retrieving, analyzing and displaying spatial data. It will also cover the history of cartography and the conventions of the modern map-making process.
 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 M 121 - College Algebra
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 095 or ALEKS placement >= 4. Intended to strengthen algebra skills. The study of functions and their inverses; polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Credit not allowed for both M 121, and M 151.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 122 - College Trigonometry
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 121 or ALEKS placement >= 4. Preparation for calculus based on college algebra. Review of functions and their inverses. Trigonometric functions and identities, polar coordinates and an optional topic such as complex numbers, vectors or parametric equations. Credit not allowed for both M 122 and M 151.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 151 - Precalculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 4. A one semester preparation for calculus (as an alternative to M 121-122. Functions of one real variable are introduced in general and then applied to the usual elementary functions, namely polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, and miscellaneous others. Inverse functions, polar coordinates and trigonometric identities are included. Credit not allowed for both M 151 and M 121 or 122.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 9 Total Credits Required

Biology

Rule: Must take one course from below

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BIOB 160N - Principles of Living Systems
Offered autumn and summer. Unifying principles of biological structure-function relationships at different levels of organization and complexity. Consideration of reproduction, genetics, development, evolution, ecosystems, as well as the inter-relationships of the human species to the rest of life. Students requiring a laboratory should also register for BIOB 161N. Credit not allowed for both BIOB 101N and 160N.
 3 Credits
Show Description BIOB 161N - Prncpls of Living Systems Lab
Offered autumn and summer. Prereq., or Coreq., BIOB 160N. Lab experiences illustrate biological principles underlying growth, reproduction, development, genetics and physiology, and are designed to give students practice in scientific methods of description, development of hypotheses, and testing.
 1 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
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3-4 Total Credits Required

Communications

Rule: Must take one course from below

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

Physical Science

Rule: Must take the following course

Show All Course Descriptions Course 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- 3 Total Credits Required

Ecology

Rule: Must take one course from below

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BIOE 370 - General Ecology
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 272. Analysis of the distribution and abundance of plants and animals. Includes individual, population and community-level processes (e.g., population growth and regulation, competition, predation, succession, nutrient cycling, energy flow and community organization).
 3 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 462 - Rangeland Ecology
Offered spring. NRSM 210N; and BIOO 105N or BIOB 170N or BIOE 172N or BIOB 160N or FORS 240; and FORS 201 or STAT 216 or SOCI 202 or WILD 240 or PSYX 222. We will discuss the ecological principles and processes that drive the structure and function of rangeland ecosystems. We will focus on the intersections of plant, animal, ecosystem, and landscape ecology. We will weave in discussions of management to understand how rangeland dynamics contribute and respond to differing management paradigms.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Policy

Rule: Must take one course from below

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description NRSM 370S - Wildland Conserv Pol/Govrnance
Offered autumn and spring. Examination of the historical, philosophical, and legislative background for development and management of our national system of wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, trails, and national parks; their place in our social structure. Part of the Wilderness and Civilization program.
 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 WILD 410 - Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics
Offered spring, odd years. Prereq., junior standing. Overview of the laws affecting wildlife and how those laws are initiated, implemented, and enforced; impact of politics, interest groups, and agency jurisdictions.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Social Science

Rule: Must take one course from below

Show All Course Descriptions Course 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 424 - Community Forestry & Conservtn
Offered spring. Co-convened with NRSM 524. In-depth examination of the history, theory and management issues faced in community-driven forestry and conservation in the United States and abroad.  Cannot get credit for both NRSM 424 and NRSM 524.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 426 - Climate and Society
Offered spring. Co-convened with NRSM 526. This course examines the social and political aspects of climate change, with a focus on international and domestic processes and cases. Cannot get credit for both NRSM 426 and NRSM 526.
 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 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
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Ethics

Rule: Must take one course from below

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description NRSM 449E - Climate Change Ethics/Policy
Offered autumn. Same as CCS 449E. This course focuses on the ethical dimensions of climate change policy. It will cover the following major topics: (1) climate change, personal and collective responsibilities, (2) ethics, climate change and scientific uncertainty, (3) distributive justice and international climate change negotiations, (4) intergenerational justice and climate change policy.
 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
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Additional Coursework

Rule: Must take at least 36 traditional letter-graded credits from the College of Forestry and Conservation (NRSM, WILD, FORS, PTRM, CCS 103, CCS 352, CCS 391)

Note: Must take 10 credits of foreign language, unless a student tests out of one or more semester, OR 9.0 credits additional coursework in natural resource management, environmental science, or conservation relevant to the student’s track/emphasis within the major (these 9.0 credits are in addition to the 36 traditional letter-graded College of Forestry and Conservation credits described just above.
Students double majoring with Resource Conservation and Ecological Restoration, Forestry, Wildlife Biology, and Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management must take an additional 9.0 credits in FORS, NRSM, PTRM, and WILD in addition to courses required by either of their majors. These additional 9.0 credits will be relevant to the student’s track/emphasis with the major.

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Climate & Environmental Change

Rule: Can take these track courses

Note: More detailed information about the Climate & Environmental Change track can be found on our website: www.cfc.umt.edu/rc. Students in this track typically complete the Climate Change Minor (www.cfc.umt.edu/ccs). Please talk with your faculty advisor about which courses to take in this track.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CCS 103X - Intro Climate Change:Sci & Soc
Offered autumn. This is an introductory and foundational course on the scientific and social dimensions of global climate change. The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the fundamental scientific, social, political and technological issues arising from rapid climatic change. As a result, it provides students with a breadth of knowledge and builds connectedness across these varied dimensions of the complex global issue.
 3 Credits
Show Description CCS 352 - Climate Field Studies
Offered summer. This is an interdisciplinary field course focused on climate change impacts and adaptation.  Through site visits and meetings with key decision-makers, students gain knowledge of projected impacts due to climate change (water availability, wildfire, beetle kill, biodiversity), the impacts to various sectors of human society (land management, food and water security, economic stability, and livelihoods), and different mitigation and adaptation responses. 
 3 Credits
Show Description CCS 398 - Clmt Change Internship/SERV
(R-6) Offered autumn and spring. This course gives students an opportunity to gain hands-on, "real world" experience working with a local, regional, national or international group to address climate change. Students gain supervised, practical work experience with specific projects and organizations; create a network of professional contacts; and have opportunity to apply ideas and approaches studied in the Climate Change Studies minor.
 2 To 4 Credits
Show Description COMX 349 - Comm Consump & Climate
Offered every other year. Same as CCS 349. Analyzes consumption as a communication practice, investigates discourses that promote consumption, and illuminates environmental impacts on consumption.
 3 Credits
Show Description ECNS 445 - Int Env Econ & Clim Change
Offered autumn every other year. Same as CCS 445. Prereq., ECNS 201S. An introduction to the economics of various policy approaches towards climate change and other international environmental issues such as trans-boundary pollution problems, international trade and the environment and pollution haven hypothesis.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 232 - Forest Insects & Diseases
Offered spring. Identification, significance of and remedies for insect infestations and infectious and non-infectious diseases of forests and forest products.
 2 Credits
Show Description FORS 333 - Basic&Applied Fire Ecology
Offered spring. Prereq., FORS 230. A detailed, analysis of fire ecology in terrestrial ecosystems with a focus on the Rocky Mountains, including fire history, fire effects, landscape pattern, land use legacies, and management implications.
 3 Credits
Show Description GPHY 335 - Water Policy
Offered autumn. Prereq., WRIT 101 or WRIT 201, and one Intermedite Writing Course or consent of instructor. Exploration of water resources issues facing the public, resource managers, and water users in the western United States today. Examines concepts, terms, and regulatory environment which provide the foundation for modern water management and policy.
 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 385 - Watershed Hydrology
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 or M 121 or M 122 or M 151 or M 162 or M 171 or M 172. An introduction to physical and biological controls over water movement and storage in the environment, and how those controls are affected by land management practices.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 408 - Global Cycles and Climate
Offered spring even-numbered years. Same as CCS 408. An analysis of the earths major global biogeochemical cycles with a focus on the ways and extent to which each of them influences and interacts with the global climate system.  
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 415 - Environmental Soil Science
Offered spring odd-numbered years Prereq., ENSC 245N or NRSM 210N or consent of instr. A detailed analysis of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils and how they function, with a focus on soil processes and how they affect, and are affected by human activities. Specific topics include element cycling, water quality, the effects of environmental change soil biogeochemistry, plant-soil interactions, and the consequences of large-scale disturbances on soil processes.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 418 - Ecosystem Climatology
Interactions between the biosphere and atmosphere to advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. This course will explore the interactions between Earth’s biosphere and atmosphere and how they affect climate over a range of scales. We will focus on the exchange of energy, mass, and important elements between the biosphere and atmosphere and how this exchange can lead to fascinating feedbacks in Earth’s climate system. Basic physics and math is not required but it is recommended.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 426 - Climate and Society
Offered spring. Co-convened with NRSM 526. This course examines the social and political aspects of climate change, with a focus on international and domestic processes and cases. Cannot get credit for both NRSM 426 and NRSM 526.
 3 Credits
Show Description NRSM 449E - Climate Change Ethics/Policy
Offered autumn. Same as CCS 449E. This course focuses on the ethical dimensions of climate change policy. It will cover the following major topics: (1) climate change, personal and collective responsibilities, (2) ethics, climate change and scientific uncertainty, (3) distributive justice and international climate change negotiations, (4) intergenerational justice and climate change policy.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSCI 324 - Climate Policies: China & U.S.
Offered every other year. Same as CCS 324. Explores historic, current, and future greenhouse-gas emissions of the United States and China, reasons why both are the two largest C02 emitters, and prevailing national and subnational government policies and nongovernmental actions that affect emissions mitigation and adaptation.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 49 Total Credits Required

Writing

Rule: Must take both lower-division courses (WRIT 101 and NRSM 200) and at least 3 courses at the upper-division level listed below

Note: The following courses count for the entire upper-division writing requirement (only one course is required): PTRM 451W Tourism and Sustainability, PTRM 482W Wilderness and Protected Area Mgmt.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BIOE 428 - Freshwater Ecology
Offered spring. Prereq., BIOB 160N and either CHMY 123N or 143N.  Physical and chemical dynamics of lakes and streams. Diversity, distribution and dynamics of freshwater organisms.
 5 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 FORS 341 - Timber Harvesting & Roads
Offered spring. Prereq., NRSM 200 or WRIT 222. An overview of harvesting system capabilities and selection for multiple resource objectives. Fundamentals of forest road management. Best management practices as they apply to forest operations in Montana and the western United States.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 342 - Wood Anatomy, Properties, & ID
Offered spring. Prereq., BIOO 105N or FORS 240 or FORS 241N. Lecture and laboratory investigation of the structure, identification and physical and mechanical properties of the commercial tree species of North America.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 347 - Multiple Resource Silviculture
Offered spring. Prereq., FORS 330 or BIOE 370. Credit not allowed for both FORS 347 and 349. An introduction to the concepts and application of silvicultural techniques to forest ecosystems to meet multiple resource objectives.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 349 - Practice of Silviculture
Offered autumn. Prereq., FORS 202 or FORS 302 and FORS 241N and either prereq or coreq FORS 330. Practice of Silviculture is designed primarily for Forestry majors (open to others with appropriate prerequisites), and will consider the conceptual foundations behind various silvicultural practices and techniques, as well as and their application in forest ecosystems to meet multiple resource objectives. The course will cover natural stand dynamics, stand assessment and site classification schemes, even- and uneven-aged silvicultural systems, thinning/stand density concepts, regeneration practices, stand diagnosis and prescription development, vegetative management strategies for diverse objectives, along with quantitative assessment and modeling of alternative prescriptions.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 440 - Forest Stand Management
Offered autumn. Prereq., FORS 202 or 302; FORS 341; FORS 347 or 349. The management and manipulation of forest stands to reach multiple objectives, with a focus on the planning of forest operations for a community partner.
 3 Credits
Show Description FORS 499 - Senior Thesis
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., senior standing and consent of instr. Preparation of a major paper based on study or research in a field selected according to the needs and objectives of the student.
 1 To 3 Credits
Show Description NASX 403 - Contmp Tribal Resource Issues
Offered intermittently. Acquaints students with contemporary tribal resource management and environmental policies.
 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 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 444 - Ecological RestorationCapstone
Offered spring. Prereq., junior or senior standing in Wildland Restoration and successful completion of NRSM 265 and one advanced ecology course: BIOE 370, BIOE 428, BIOE 447, BIOE 448, FORS 330, or NRSM 462; and completion or concurrent enrollment in NRSM 365. This service-learning course teaches students about designing and implementing restoration and monitoring projects. The course includes lectures, labs, and hands-on experience working with ecologists and restoration practitioners from local government agencies, NGOs, or other organizations.
 5 Credits
Show Description NRSM 462 - Rangeland Ecology
Offered spring. NRSM 210N; and BIOO 105N or BIOB 170N or BIOE 172N or BIOB 160N or FORS 240; and FORS 201 or STAT 216 or SOCI 202 or WILD 240 or PSYX 222. We will discuss the ecological principles and processes that drive the structure and function of rangeland ecosystems. We will focus on the intersections of plant, animal, ecosystem, and landscape ecology. We will weave in discussions of management to understand how rangeland dynamics contribute and respond to differing management paradigms.
 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 NRSM 495 - ESR Practicum
(R-6) Offered every semester. Prereq., senior standing in the Ecological Resotration major and successful completion of NRSM 344, a faculty-approved practicum proposal; and consent of instructor. The goal of this service-learning practicum is for students to gain real-world experience in research, monitoring, or project implementation. Students will implement a project under the supervision of faculty and mentors from local management agencies, organizations or other sponsors.
 1 To 6 Credits
Show Description NRSM 499 - Senior Thesis
(R-3) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., senior standing and consent of instr. Preparation of a major paper based on study or research in a field selected according to the needs and objectives of the student.
 1 To 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 WILD 410 - Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics
Offered spring, odd years. Prereq., junior standing. Overview of the laws affecting wildlife and how those laws are initiated, implemented, and enforced; impact of politics, interest groups, and agency jurisdictions.
 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- 15 Total Credits Required

Math

Rule: Must take one course from below

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
Show Description M 121 - College Algebra
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 095 or ALEKS placement >= 4. Intended to strengthen algebra skills. The study of functions and their inverses; polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Credit not allowed for both M 121, and M 151.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 122 - College Trigonometry
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 121 or ALEKS placement >= 4. Preparation for calculus based on college algebra. Review of functions and their inverses. Trigonometric functions and identities, polar coordinates and an optional topic such as complex numbers, vectors or parametric equations. Credit not allowed for both M 122 and M 151.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 151 - Precalculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 4. A one semester preparation for calculus (as an alternative to M 121-122. Functions of one real variable are introduced in general and then applied to the usual elementary functions, namely polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, and miscellaneous others. Inverse functions, polar coordinates and trigonometric identities are included. Credit not allowed for both M 151 and M 121 or 122.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3-4 Total Credits Required

Symbolic System

Rule: Must take one course from below

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

Rule: Must take one course from below

Note: null

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

Ethical & Human Values

Rule: Must take one course from below

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description NRSM 449E - Climate Change Ethics/Policy
Offered autumn. Same as CCS 449E. This course focuses on the ethical dimensions of climate change policy. It will cover the following major topics: (1) climate change, personal and collective responsibilities, (2) ethics, climate change and scientific uncertainty, (3) distributive justice and international climate change negotiations, (4) intergenerational justice and climate change policy.
 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
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Natural Sciences in Major

Rule: Must take all courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CHMY 121N - Intro to General Chemistry
Offered autumn and spring. First semester of an introduction to general, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
 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