Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management - BS, Natural Resources Management and Policy Track
Texas rangeland, woodland, wetland, and aquatic ecosystems provide the citizens of Texas with a multitude of benefits. These benefits include income, water, recreation, wildlife habitat, and scenic beauty. The population of Texas grew over 15% from 2010 to 2020 to approximately 29 million. This population increase has impacted several key regions in the state, e.g., suburban areas and the Hill Country. However, this rapid population growth and environmental change threaten resilience and sustainability of these vital ecosystems. Educating ecosystem managers skilled in making decisions that promote sustainability and resilience is a primary goal of the faculty and staff of the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management (RWFM). The RWFM curriculum provides graduates with the necessary skills and integrates knowledge from several science disciplines. The synergy that arises from the integration of biological, physical, and social sciences in RWFM gives rise to novel real-‐world solutions suitable for uncertainty and unprecedented change. The RWFM curriculum is not entrenched in any one discipline or any single ecosystem. It equips students with the breadth and depth of knowledge that is reflective of the diversity in the ecosystems in which we live and the issues we face.
Natural Resources Management and Policy Track
Environmental issues are complex. They require a broad range of competencies to be successfully addressed. The Natural Resource Management and Policy track prepares students to examine environmental and conservation issues through a multi-disciplinary framework that includes political, cultural, social, economic, regulatory and ecological dimensions. Students in the Natural Resource Management and Policy track gain knowledge and skills from courses in the natural and social sciences to evaluate environmental and conservation issues with consideration of varied stakeholder interests, to understand different perspectives, and to work effectively with others to find solutions to environmental challenges domestically and internationally. These critical skills are taught in the classroom and through field experiences that will enable students to envision a desired environmental or conservation outcome, and then design a plan and identify the steps needed to bring the vision to fruition. The Natural Resource Management and Policy track prepares students for a variety of jobs in conservation, environmental management, and policy, with an emphasis on positions that require strong interpersonal skills, leadership, and collaboration with people of diverse insights, experiences, and opinions. These skills are transferable to a broad range of conservation and environmental management employment opportunities in areas such as outdoor education, park and protected area management, environmental planning and consultation, and non-profit organizations.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
ESSM 201 | Exploring Ecosystem Science and Management | 1 |
MATH 140 | Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
General elective 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
Spring | ||
ENGL 210 or COMM 203 | Technical and Professional Writing or Public Speaking | 3 |
MATH 142 | Business Calculus | 3 |
RENR 205 | Fundamentals of Ecology | 3 |
RENR 215 | Fundamentals of Ecology--Laboratory | 1 |
HORT 201 & HORT 202 | Horticultural Science and Practices and Horticultural Science and Practices Laboratory | 4 |
Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
POLS 206 | American National Government 2 | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Zoology | ||
Introductory Biology I | ||
Introductory Biology II | ||
American history 2 | 3 | |
Creative arts 2 | 3 | |
Language, philosophy and culture 2 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
AGEC 105 | Introduction to Agricultural Economics | 3 |
POLS 207 | State and Local Government 2 | 3 |
RWFM 202 | Concepts in Applied Plant Biology | 3 |
RWFM 305 | Principles and Practices of Wildlife and Fisheries Management | 3 |
American history 2 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
ESSM 351/RENR 405 | Geographic Information Systems for Resource Management | 3 |
RPTS 308 | Foundations of Community and Community Development | 3 |
RWFM 321 | Communicating Natural Resources | 3 |
RWFM 345 | Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management and Policy | 3 |
STAT 302 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
ESSM 314 | Principles of Rangeland Management Around the World | 3 |
RENR 375 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
RPTS 316 | Recreational Management of Wildlands | 3 |
RPTS 336 | Research and Analysis in Recreation and Tourism | 3 |
Directed elective 3 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Summer | ||
RENR 345 | Park Ecology and Management | 3 |
Semester Credit Hours | 3 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
ESSM 318 | Coupled Social and Ecological Systems | 3 |
ESSM 406 | Natural Resources Policy | 3 |
WFSC 303 | Fish and Wildlife Laws and Administration | 3 |
Directed elective 3 | 3 | |
General elective 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
AGEC 325 | Principles of Farm and Ranch Management | 3 |
ESSM 481 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
RPTS 460/RENR 460 | Nature, Values, and Protected Areas | 3 |
RWFM 461 | Community-Based Conservation | 3 |
Directed elective 3 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 |
1 | Select any 100-499 course not used elsewhere. |
2 | Graduation requirements include a requirement for 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. Select in consultation with an academic advisor. |
3 | Direct electives to be chosen in consultation with Academic Advisor. |