The department has 26 faculty, 296 undergraduate students, and 165 graduate students. Undergraduate and graduate students enjoy individualized advising in all programs, many of which include courses taught at the Warner College of Natural Resources’ mountain campus, Pingree Park. Opportunities exist to work closely with highly qualified scientists on ongoing research and to pursue independent studies and discovery of new knowledge. Excellent laboratories and specialized equipment are available.

FRWS programs teach students about managing natural resources to support the livelihoods of people and to sustain the services of ecosystems.

Undergraduate majors

• Forestry (with concentrations in forest biology, forest fire science, forest management, and forestry business)
• Natural Resources Management
• Rangeland Ecology (with concentrations in restoration ecology, range and forest management, rangeland management, and science)
• Watershed Science
  • Read about the history of the Watershed Science Program to learn about the history of the Watershed Science Program and hear more about the 50th Anniversary Celebration held in March!

Minors

• Forestry
• Spatial Information Systems
• Range Ecology
• Watershed Science

An interdisciplinary Studies Program is offered in Conservation Biology

Graduate level Master's and Ph.D. degrees

forest fire science forest ecosystem management forest ecology forest economics natural resource policy quantitative analysis of natural resources energy flow and nutrient cycles restoration ecology rangeland ecology plant-animal interactions range animal nutrition

riparian management wetlands hydrology/ecology watershed management watershed modeling watershed analysis land use hydrology snow hydrology water quality geomorphology hydrogeology geospatial science

All of these programs of study teach students about maintaining the health and integrity of landscapes and watersheds. They focus on managing natural resources to support the livelihoods of people and sustain the services of ecosystems.

Opportunities for graduating students span a broad spectrum of careers including forestry, fire management, restoration and conservation ecology, watershed science, ranch management and environmental policy. Employers include governmental bodies at the local, regional, and national levels; consulting firms; environmental organizations; and private industry. Because of the growing interest in all aspects of the environment, the demand for graduates in the natural resources fields is expected to increase dramatically in the next decade.

Depending on coursework completed, our degree programs meet federal personnel requirements for the forester, hydrologist, range management specialist, GIS specialist, soil conservationist, biologist, or botanist professional series.