Special Department Information:

NATURAL RESOURCES A.A.S. DEGREE
Program Course Requirements

First Year - Fall Semester
NATR 1112  Land Measurement (3 cr)
NATR 1120  Dendrology (3 cr)
NATR 1115  Plant Taxonomy (2 cr)
NATR 1200  Introduction to Natural Resources (3 cr)
NATR 1280  Introduction to GPS & GIS (Arc View) (2 cr)
Total 13 Credits

First Year - Spring Semester
NATR 1130  Mammalogy (3 cr)
NATR 1135  Ornithology (3 cr)
NATR 1140  Limnology (3 cr)
NATR 1125  Ichthyology (3 cr)
NATR 2170  Advanced GPS & GIS (2 cr)
BIOL 2416  General Ecology (4 cr) 
Total 18 Credits

Second Year - Fall Semester
NATR 2120*  Wetland Ecology (3 cr)
NATR 2130*  Wildlife Management (3 cr)
NATR 2155    Soil Science (3 cr)
General Education (7 cr)
Total 16 Credits

Second Year - Spring Semester
NATR 2110   Herpetology (2 cr)
NATR 2140*  Fisheries Management (3 cr)
NATR 2161*  Ecosystem Management (2 cr)
NATR 2201   Intro to Parks & Interpretation (2 cr)
NATR 2235*  Silviculture & Forest Management (3 cr)
General Education (4 cr)
Total 16 Credits

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT - 63 CREDITS
*Denotes Prerequisites

Click here to download the Natural Resources AAS Degree Program Planning Form (PDF)

Career Description: People in the natural resource field often become involved with issues like biodiversity, environmental pollution, endangered species, and the future quality of human life. Students will gain the skills needed for assessing, implementing and evaluating land and water practices as part of an integrated wildlife program. Graduates in natural resources use their knowledge and develop skills in forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and parks and recreation. They have learned the identification of organisms, methods for collecting data, and resource management principles. This program will help students prepare for a wide range of careers, including forester, forestry technician, wildlife manager, wildlife technician, fisheries manager, fisheries technician, parks manager, parks technician, naturalist, hydrologist, soils scientist, non-game wildlife personnel, natural resource conservation personnel, biologist, and plant taxonomist.

Program Information: The CLC Natural Resources Program provides students a well-rounded background in natural resources, preparing them for work in a variety of fields including wildlife and fisheries management, forestry, water resources, or parks and interpretation. The natural resources core courses include a strong outdoor laboratory component which allows students to reinforce classroom learning by applying it in environmental settings. The outdoor focus, a cornerstone of the program, also prepares students to work safely and effectively in the field, skills critically important to potential employers. Some physical activity, such as walking, hiking, and working in forests and streams is required. Most of our equipment is light, but fire training certification to fight fires requires a 3 mile walk with a 45 pound pack in 45 minutes. The relatively small size of the Natural Resources Program allows students full access to their instructors and to get to know other students and forge life-long friendships.

Program Outcomes:
Graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate field identification of regionally important plants, mammals, birds and fish and their communities;
• Use a broad range of technological tools to research, document, map, measure, record and analyze data relevant to natural resources;
• Interpret how ecological relationships influence plants, mammals, birds and fish distribution, succession and biodiversity in ecosystems;
• Analyze land characteristics and create land management plans;
• Communicate in oral and written forms with supervisors, peers, area visitors and natural resource agencies;
• Navigate and safely function in an outdoor workplace.

Special Program Requirements:

Transfer Opportunities: Students have the opportunity to transfer to University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, WI and the University of Minnesota at Crookston, MN with this degree.