2017-2018 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Natural Resources Management - Program Description
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section in this catalog.
Website: www.gvsu.edu/biology/nrm
Environmental pollution, deforestation, climate change, and increasing demand for outdoor recreation are just a few of the factors that pose challenges to environmental sustainability. As more users place demands on scarce environmental resources, the need for intelligent conservation of our natural assets is greater than ever. The natural resources management (NRM) program prepares students not only to care for the land and water-based ecosystems of Michigan and beyond, but also to serve the people whose well-being depends on these resources.
The careful stewardship of the environment requires knowledge in both the natural and social sciences. Ecology is the foundational science of the NRM program. Students learn to combine this ecological knowledge with quantitative methods, economics, and policy and apply it to practical situations. These practical applications might include managing wildlife populations or restoring natural ecosystems, such as forests and wetlands. In the interdisciplinary NRM courses, students examine the sources of conflict that lead to environmental degradation and learn the methods of sustainable resources management. With an advisor's guidance, students may develop customized programs to develop expertise in fisheries, forestry, wildlife, soil and water conservation, watershed management, natural resources and environmental policy, ecosystem restoration, and applications of geographic information systems.
Mission
The natural resources management program provides a broad-based natural resources management education in a liberal arts curriculum and serves the public interest through the scientific analysis of natural resources.
Degree Offered
The program offers a Bachelor of Science in natural resources management.
The following programs are available: