The natural resource conservation (NRC) major enables students to tailor a curriculum that suits their interests and career goals. Working with a faculty advisor, students can elect to focus their curriculum on any number of natural resource fields. Students preparing for advanced degrees in natural resources often elect to complete a broad, interdisciplinary program.
About This Major
- College: Agricultural and Life Sciences
- Degree: Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources and Conservation
- Credits for Degree: 120
- Minor: No
- Combined-Degree Program: Yes
- Academic Learning Compact
- Website
- Contact: SFRC Student Services; khaselier@ufl.edu
Overview
All NRC majors are required to complete eight core courses (minimum 24 credits) that span and integrate across forest, wildlife, fisheries, and aquatic resources, including bio-physical and socio-economic domains. These courses embrace conservation and production objectives and span local to global scales. They stress the complexities in achieving social, environmental and economic sustainability, develop critical thinking skills, create significant and valuable field experience, and provide the tools needed for graduates to manage, conserve and educate people about natural resources.
Students work closely with a faculty advisor to select the remaining 36 upper-division credits to create a curriculum plan designed to meet the specific goals of each student. Each curriculum plan must be approved by the program's undergraduate coordinator before the student reaches 70 credits.
This major is also offered at the West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton, FL. Ideal for place-bound students, this version of the NRC major provides a broad ecology/environmental management curriculum.
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Critical Tracking
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1
- Complete at least 1 of 7 critical-tracking courses (excluding labs): AEB 2014 or ECO 2013 or ECO 2023, AEC 3030C or SPC 2608, AEC 3033C, BSC 2010/2010L, CHM 1030 or CHM 2045, MAC 1105, STA 2023
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 2
- Complete at least 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 3
- Complete at least 2 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 4
- Complete at least 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 5
- Complete all critical-tracking courses, including labs
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
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Recommended Semester Plan
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
| Semester 1 |
Credits |
|---|
| IUF 1000 What is the Good Life (GE-H) |
3 |
| MAC 1105 College Algebra (or higher) (State Core GE-M) |
3 |
| Composition (State Core GE-C) (WR) |
3 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) (FOR 2662 Forests for the Future recommended) |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 2 |
Credits |
|---|
CHM 1030 Basic Chemistry Concepts and Applications, Part 1 or
CHM 2045 General Chemistry 1 (GE-B/P) |
3 |
| STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (GE-M) |
3 |
| Electives (FAS 2024 Global and Regional Perspectives in Fisheries recommended) |
6 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (State Core GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 3 |
Credits |
|---|
| AEC 3033C Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences (WR) * |
3 |
| BSC 2010 and 2010L Integrated Principles of Biology 1 (3) and Integrated Principles of Biology 1 Laboratory (1) (State Core GE-B/P) * |
4 |
| Composition (GE-C) |
3 |
| Electives (FOR 3004 Forests, Conservation and People recommended) |
5 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 4 |
Credits |
|---|
AEB 2014 Economic Issues, Food and You (3) or
ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics (4) or
ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (4) (GE-S) |
3-4 |
AEC 3030C Effective Oral Communication or
SPC 2608 Introduction to Public Speaking |
3 |
| Elective (FAS 2024 Global and Regional Perspectives in Fisheries recommended, if not already taken) |
3 |
| Humanities (State Core GE-H) |
3 |
| Physical Science (GE-P) (PHY 2020 Introduction to Principles of Physics recommended) |
3 |
| Total |
15-16 |
* The following courses may be used as substitutions: ENC 2210 or ENC 3254 for AEC 3033C
Placement tests and/or prerequisites may be necessary for access to certain courses.
Course availability may necessitate departure from this course sequence. Successful completion is more important than the sequence in which the course is taken.
| Summer B |
Credits |
|---|
| FOR 3200C Foundations for Natural Resources and Conservation |
3 |
| Total |
3 |
| Semester 5 |
Credits |
|---|
FAS 4932 Field Ecology of Aquatic Organisms (4) (summer only) or
FNR 3131C Dendrology/Forest Plants (3) or
WIS 3402 and 3402L Wildlife of Florida (3) and Wildlife of Florida Lab (1) (spring only) or
ZOO 2203C Invertebrate Zoology (4) (spring only) |
3-4 |
| FNR 3410C Natural Resource Sampling |
3 |
| FOR 3153C Forest Ecology |
3 |
| Advisor-approved course |
3 |
| Total |
12-13 |
| Semester 6 |
Credits |
|---|
| FOR 3202 Society and Natural Resources |
3 |
| Advisor-approved courses |
12 |
| Total |
15 |
The summer term between the junior and senior year is normally reserved for professional work experience. For questions regarding opportunities, contact the SFRC Student Services office at khaselier@ufl.edu.
| Semester 7 |
Credits |
|---|
| FNR 4624C Field Operations for Management of Ecosystems |
3 |
| FNR 4660 Natural Resource Policy and Economics |
3 |
| Advisor-approved courses |
9 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 8 |
Credits |
|---|
| FNR 4623C Integrated Natural Resource Management |
3 |
| Advisor-approved courses |
12 |
| Total |
15 |
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