The Wilderness Institute in the School of Forestry offers educational opportunities and special presentations, and coordinates research related to wilderness and wildlands management. In addition to the Wilderness Issues Lecture Series and a summer educational program, the Wilderness Institute offers the interdisciplinary undergraduate program Wilderness and Civilization.
The Wilderness and Civilization program is designed to provide students, at or beyond the sophomore level, with a broad interdisciplinary introduction to the subject of wilderness, focusing on the multi-faceted values that wild lands hold for civilized society. The intent is to produce informed citizens, better able to participate in processes for public involvement concerning wilderness issues; the program is not intended as a professional land management qualification, although many students supplement their professional education through this program. A special feature is that students develop a sense of community by participating as a group in the intensive package of courses and field experiences required. Students who complete the Wilderness and Civilization program become eligible for the wilderness studies minor.
To earn a minor in wilderness studies the student must participate in the Wilderness and Civilization two-semester program and fulfill the course requirements shown below (about 24 credits). The program's course offerings may vary from year to year, but will include sufficient courses from the A and B lists: