Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Department Address: W-503 Turner Hall, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, (217) 333-2770
Major in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Minor in Quantitative Methods in Natural Resources and Environmental
Sciences
Major in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Designed for students interested in careers leading the conservation, protection, and management of natural and environmental resources or in pursuing advanced education in one of its many disciplinary areas, the NRES baccalaureate provides a science-based, application-oriented education. The NRES major is unique in its integration of a comprehensive physical, life, and social sciences background with coursework providing the management, decision-making, and analytical knowledge and skills required to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
Students in the NRES major begin their studies by taking a set of core courses that provides the background for more focused substantive study at the upper level. The NRES core introduces students to the range of physical, life, and social science content most relevant to their future professions and equips them with tools essential for the discovery, analysis, and application of knowledge important for successful environmental management. NRES students then build upon the core by completing one of four upper-level Concentrations. Courses in the Concentrations involve focused attention to the theories, data, and analytical tools of a particular set of natural resource and environmental science areas, helping students develop the necessary understanding of the complexities underlying resources management. All students in the major are required to complete a combination of field courses and at least one project-oriented capstone course.
All the Concentrations prepare students for graduate study as well as for multiple career paths throughout the public and private sectors. Because of its unique orientation toward integrative application of disciplinary knowledge, the NRES major prepares students for a wide range of careers involving the conservation, protection, and management of natural resources. Many occur within business or government agencies that provide services related to environmental and natural resource management. Other careers are found within social, professional, and advocacy institutions that focus on human impacts and environmental sustainability. The major also prepares students for teaching, research, or other professional activities.
Graduates from the NRES major go on to pursue careers in the direction of environmental education centers; ecological management and restoration; enforcement of laws and regulations; environmental advocacy; environmental consulting; forest and environmental economics; land use analysis and management; law; local, state, and federal government; management of parks, forests and rangelands; plant physiology; policy development and implementation; resource planning and policy analysis; social and environmental impact analysis; soil conservation, science, and testing; technical sales; watershed management; and wildlife conservation and management.
General Education Requirements
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Concentration
Global Change and Landscape Dynamics Concentration
Human Dimensions of the Environment Concentration
Resource Conservation and Restoration Ecology Concentration
Prescribed Courses including General Education
| Hours | Composition I and Speech |
|---|---|
| Choose either | |
| 4 3 |
RHET 105 - Principles of Composition or equivalent (see College Composition I requirement) AND |
| OR | |
| 6 | CMN 111 - Oral and Written Communication I AND |
| Hours | Advanced Composition |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | Select from campus approved list |
| Hours | Cultural Studies |
|---|---|
| 6 | Select one course from Western culture and one from non-Western/U.S. minority culture from campus approved list. |
| Hours | Foreign Language: Coursework at or above the third level is required for graduation. |
|---|
| Hours | Quantitative Reasoning I |
|---|---|
| 4-5 | Select one course from: MATH 220 - Calculus |
| Hours | Quantitative Reasoning II |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | Select one course from: ACE 261 - Applied Statistical Methods |
| Hours | Natural Sciences and Technology |
|---|---|
| 4 | CHEM 102 - General Chemistry I and CHEM 103 - General Chemistry Lab I |
| 4 | CHEM 104 - General Chemistry II and CHEM 105 - General Chemistry Lab II |
| 4 | IB 103 - Introduction to Plant Biology |
| 3-5 | Select one course from: |
| Hours | Humanities and the Arts |
|---|---|
| 6 | Select from campus approved list. |
| Hours | Social and Behavioral Sciences |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | ACE 100 - Agr Cons and Resource Econ OR ECON 102 - Microeconomic Principles |
| 3-4 | Select from campus approved list. |
| Hours | Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Required |
|---|---|
| 4 | IB 104—Animal Biology |
| 3 | NRES 102—Introduction to NRES |
| 4 | NRES 201—Introductory Soils |
| 3 | NRES 219—Principles of Ecosystem Mgmt |
| 3 | NRES 287—Environment and Society |
| 3 | NRES 348—Fish and Wildlife Ecology |
| 3 | NRES 454—GIS in Natural Resource Mgmt |
| 3 | NRES 456—Integrative Ecosystem Mgmt |
| Hours | ACES Required |
|---|---|
| 2 | ACES 101 - Contemporary Issues in ACES |
| 23-32 | Concentration prescribed courses. See specific requirements for each concentration listed below. |
| 126 | Total |
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Concentration
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation concentration is designed for the student interested in the fundamental properties of natural resource systems with emphasis on the ecology, biology, conservation, and management of fish and wildlife resources.
| Hours | Fish and Wildlife Conservation Concentration Required |
|---|---|
| 4 | NRES 407 - Wildlife Population Ecology |
| 4 | NRES 409 - Fishery Ecol and Conservation |
| 3-4 | NRES 421—Quantitative Methods in NRES or NRES 440—Applied Statistical Methods I |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 4 | NRES 368 - Vertebrate Natural History |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 3-5 | NRES 302—Dendrology |
| Hours | Two courses selected from: |
|---|---|
| 6-8 | NRES 211 - Forest Ecology Field Studies |
Global Change & Landscape Dynamics
The Global Change and Landscape Dynamics Concentration explores the patterns and processes interlinking biological species with landscape components in order to promote the sustainability and ecological integrity of terrestrial ecosystems at local, regional, and sub-continental geographic scales. This concentration is especially relevant for students interested in invasion biology; biological rarity; wildlife disease epidemiology; energy, nutrient, and organism exchanges; the distribution of land cover and land use; and other elements affecting the earth’s ecology.
| Hours | Global Change & Landscape Dynamics Concentration Required |
|---|---|
| 3 | NRES 439—Env and Sustainable Dev |
| 3-4 | NRES 421—Quantitative Methods in NRES or NRES 440—Applied Statistical Methods I |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 462—Ecosystem Ecology NRES 465—Landscape Ecology UP 406—Urban Ecology |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 2-4 | NRES 422—Earth Systems Modeling NRES 455—Adv GIS for Nat Res Planning NRES 460—Anal & Interp Aerial Photo NRES 469—Spatial Ecosystem Modeling NRES 477—Introduction to Remote Sensing ATMS 447—Climate Change Assessment UP 316—Planning Analysis |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 419—Env and Plant Ecosystems NRES 431—Plants and Global Change NRES 462—Ecosystem Ecology NRES 465—Landscape Ecology UP 405—Watershed Ecology and Planning UP 406—Urban Ecology |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 325—Natural Resource Policy Mgmt NRES 446—Sustainable Planning Seminar ATMS 202—Soc Impacts Weather & Climate PS 225—Environmental Politics & Policy ACE 406—Environmental Law |
| Hours | One course selected from: |
|---|---|
| 3-5 | NRES 351—Environmental Chemistry NRES 490—Surface Water System Chemistry ATMS 449—Biogeochemical Cycles CEE 330—Environmental Engineering AND CEE 430—Ecological Quality Engineering |
| Hours | Two courses selected from: |
|---|---|
| 6-8 | NRES 211—Forest Ecology Field Studies |
Human Dimensions of the Environment Concentration
The Human Dimensions of the Environment Concentration emphasizes the social scientific interpretations of human-environment interactions at multiple levels as well as on applied policy and management implications. It is intended for students interested in the study of environmental sociology and psychology, land use planning, environmental management and policy, natural resource allocation, social impacts, resource economics, and environmental law. The Human Dimensions of the Environment Concentration requires advanced coursework in natural resource economics, environmental psychology, communications, social impact assessment, environmental policy, and environmental law.
| Hours | Human Dimension Concentration Required |
|---|---|
| 3 | ACE 210—Environmental Economics or NRES 310—Natural Resource Economics |
| 3 | NRES 325—Natural Resource Policy Mgmt or PS 225—Environ Politics & Policy |
| 3 | NRES 472—Environmental Psychology |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 421—Quant Methods in NRES |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3 | NRES 340 Environ Social Sci Res Meth |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 242—Nature and American Culture |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 302—Dendrology |
| Hours | Two courses selected from |
|---|---|
| 6-8 | NRES 211 - Forest Ecology Field Studies |
Resource Conservation and Restoration Ecology
The Resource Conservation and Restoration Ecology Concentration emphasizes the ecology, biology, and management of aquatic, soil, forest, and wildlife resources. It is designed for students interested in the fundamental properties and practices underlying the restoration and management of soil, watershed, wetland, forest, and grassland ecosystems. Through lectures, labs and field exercise, students study biosphere relationships in natural resource systems. The Resource Conservation and Restoration Ecology concentration includes coursework in the areas of restoration ecology, soil science, environmental biology, aquatic ecosystem management, tree and plant physiology, and advanced ecology.
| Hours | Resource Conservation & Restoration Ecology Concentration Required |
|---|---|
| 3 | NRES 420 - Restoration Ecology |
| 3-4 | NRES 421—Quantitative Methods in NRES or NRES 440—Applied Statistical Methods I |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3 | NRES 270—Applied Entomology |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 351—Environmental Chemistry |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3-5 | NRES 302—Dendrology |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3 | NRES 471—Pedology |
| Hours | One course selected from |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | NRES 419—Env and Plant Ecosystems |
| Hours | Two courses selected from |
|---|---|
| 6-8 | NRES 211—Forest Ecology Field Studies NRES 215—Forest Resource Mgmt Practicum NRES 221—NRES Field Sampling NRES 276—Introduction to Field Pedology NRES 285—Natural Resource Field Experience |
Minor in Quantitative Methods in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
The Quantitative Methods in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences minor is designed for students who wish to develop competence in applying quantitative methods to natural resources and environmental decision-making to complement skills developed in their major areas of study.
| Hours | Required Courses for a Minor in Quantitative Methods in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| 3-5 | One mathematics course selected from: MATH 231—Calculus IIMATH 244—Calculus for Business II |
| 3 | One geographic information system course selected from: NRES 454—GIS in Natural Resource MgtGEOG 479—Advanced Geog Info Systems |
| 3-4 | One applied modeling course selected from: NRES 422—Earth Systems ModelingNRES 427—Modeling Natural Resources NRES 490—Surface Water System Chemistry ANSCI 448—Math Modeling in Life Sciences GEOG 467—Dynm Simul of Nat Res Problems GEOG 468—Biological Modeling GEOG 469—Spatial Ecosystem Modeling |
| 3-4 | Three or more hours in applied statistics selected from: NRES 421—Quantitative Methods in NRESACE 562—Applied Regression Models I CPSC 440—Applied Statistical Methods I ECON 471—Intro to Applied Econometrics SOC 485—Intermediate Social Statistics STAT 420—Methods of Applied Statistics |
| 2-4 | One or more courses selected from: NRES 455—Adv GIS for Nat Res PlanningNRES 493—Statistical Ecology NRES 510—Adv Natural Resource Economics ACE 516—Environmental Economics ACE 563—Optimization Methods ACE 564—Applied Regression Models II ACE 566—Mathematics for Applied Econ ANSC 446—Population Genetics CEE 434—Environmental Systems, I CS 455—Numerical Methods for PDEs ECON 465—Mathematical Economics GEOG 477—Introduction to Remote Sensing MATH 225—Introductory Matrix Theory MATH 415—Linear Algebra SOC 581—Survey Research Methods I STAT 400—Statistics and Probability I |
| 16 | Minimum hours required for the minor |