Natural Resources, Associate of Science

Program Description

There are three choice of tracks to complete the Natural Resource program: Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Forest Ecosystems, and Conservation Law Enforcement. Each track will result in an A.S. degree that prepares students with the necessary knowledge for an entry-level position or provide a foundation for transferring to a university.

Program Outcomes

Students who complete the Natural Resources Associate of Science will have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to:

  1. Describe natural ecological processes and human impacts that influence ecosystem change, and ecological succession in landscapes of the Pacific Northwest
  2. Recognize and describe the interrelationships between ecosystem communities and how social communities have an effect on the use and management of natural resources
  3. Describe and evaluate a set of natural resource-related objectives and be able to evaluate the success of these actions
  4. Evaluate management problems while working collaboratively within and among teams
  5. Describe and quantify the biological and physical interrelationships between ecosystem resources

Career Considerations

Tracks in the Natural Resources program will prepare students for jobs in conservation science, conservation law enforcement, ecosystem management, wildlife biology, fisheries science, botany, forestry, and other fields related to natural resource science and conservation.

Program Core Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
First TermCredits
BI 211 Principles of Biology 5
CH 221 General Chemistry I 5
FES 241 Dendrology 4
NR 201 Introduction-Natural Resouces 3
 Credits17
Second Term
BI 212 Principles of Biology 5
MTH 111Z Precalculus I Functions 4
WR 121Z Composition I 4
NR 251 Principles Wildlife Conserv 3
 Credits16
Third Term
BI 213 Principles of Biology 5
BOT 203 General Field Botany 1 4
MTH 112Z Precalculus II Trigonometry 4
WR 227Z Technical Writing 4
 Credits17
Second Year
First Term
COM 111Z Public Speaking 4
FES 240 Forest Biology 4
G 221 Environmental Geology 4
STAT 243Z Elementary Statistics I 4
 Credits16
Second Term
ATS 201 Climate Science 4
ENG 230 Environmental Lit 4
GIS 234 GIS 1-Intro to Geographic Info 4
NR 221 Water Resource Science 4
 Credits16
Third Term
NR 230 Forest Ecosystems 3
PSY 201Z Introduction to Psychology I 4
SOIL 205 Soil Science 3
SOIL 206 Soil Science Lab 1
 Credits11
 Total Minimum Credits93

Tracks of Study

All Natural Resource students are required to complete the Program Course Requirements. In addition to the Program Course Requirements, students are responsible for completing one of the specialized tracks. Each track will provide specialized coursework unique to the respective field of study.

Fish and Wildlife Conservation – Track 1

Forest Ecosystem – Track 2

Conservation Law Enforcement – Track 3