Undergraduate Course Catalog 2006-2007
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
» http://www.colsa.unh.edu/
Environmental Conservation Studies
» http://www.unh.edu/natural-resources/ug-ec.html
» Click to view course offerings
Chairperson: Mimi Larsen Becker
Program Coordinator: Robert T. Eckert
The environmental conservation studies (ECS) major gives students a
broad, interdisciplinary background for developing their understanding
of environmental and resource problems and what is needed to solve
them. It also provides a solid foundation for the development of
critical thinking skills. The program is designed to ensure that
graduates possess broad-based integrated knowledge of how local and
global ecological systems work as well as an understanding of the
interdependency between people and the environment. Building on a solid
natural science base, students discover how political, institutional,
and economic systems relate to environmental quality and learn ways to
sustainably manage human activities within the constraints of the
Earth’s ecological systems. Students acquire a set of basic skills and
problem solving tools that enable them to tackle complex environmental
conservation problems. Graduates will have gained hands-on practical
experience integrating and applying their accumulated knowledge and
skills in real world situations.
International education to support ECS students’ educational goals is
encouraged as a means to broaden their perspectives and knowledge,
particularly through the UNH-Ecoquest New Zealand Field Studies
Program. ECS students may also take advantage of a wide range of
undergraduate research opportunities.
ECS students meet a set of 19 CORE requirements, through which they
develop a foundation in natural resources, biology, ecology, chemistry,
water quality management, soils, natural resources and environmental
policy, economics, environmental ethics, and environmental law. They
also acquire basic statistics, oral communication, writing and
geographic information skills and develop their abilities to apply
their knowledge and skills professionally through a practicum
(internship) and a capstone Senior Project.
In addition to the CORE, each student chooses a 36 credit hour
specialization, which may be selected from a range of natural resources
and environmental policy and management course sequences that provide a
specific focus as each student develops an area of academic competency
and the skill sets to help meet her or his career goals. For example,
students can choose specializations in the following subject areas:
land and water resource policy and management; international
environmental and natural resource policy and sustainable development;
environmental education, communication, public participation and
leadership; or conservation biology. Or a student may, in consultation
with his or her adviser, design a specialization.
Students with strong interests in field-based natural resource
management careers can choose a focus on a particular land or water
natural resource system, such as forest resources, marine and coastal
resources, watersheds or wetlands, or food production to build their
expertise. Those with wildlife interests and habitat protection may
choose conservation biology. Students with interests in environmental
policy, politics, law and administration, or sustainable community
development may want to gain additional background through selected
courses in the social sciences. Those with interests in environmental
education may want to obtain a teaching certificate or develop
expertise in outdoor education or leadership. Others may want to pursue
interests in environmental communication through courses in journalism
or the visual or theater arts. Many undergraduates in ECS participate
in faculty research or gain experience through UNH’s undergraduate
research opportunities programs. Students with particular interests in
international environmental studies may want to participate in the dual
major in International Affairs.
Students graduating with a B.S. degree in environmental conservation
studies, with excellent academic records, are qualified for graduate
work in environmental studies, environmental sciences, natural
resources and environmental policy, resource management, conservation
biology, environmental law, or environmental education and
communication. ECS graduates work with private or nongovernmental
conservation organizations; local, state or federal natural resources
or planning agencies; industrial firms (e.g., waste management,
compliance, land protection, watershed management, community planning,
energy conservation, etc.); in primary and secondary education; field
studies programs; journalism; and specialized environmental consulting
firms. A number of graduates also choose to serve in the Peace Corps or
with AmeriCorps prior to making more specific career path commitments.
Degree Core Requirements
1. NR 400, Professional Perspectives in Natural Resources
2. NR 401, Introduction to Natural Resources
3. PBIO 412, Introductory Botany
4. ZOOL 412, Biology of Animals, or BIOL 411/412
5. Introductory Resource System Course (choose one)
NR 415, Global Biological Change
or NR 425, Field Dendrology
or NR 433, Wildlife Ecology
or NR 502, Forest Ecosystems and Environmental Change
6. Ecology Elective (choose one)
BIOL 541, General Ecology
NR 527, Forest Ecology
NR 660, Ecology and Biogeography of New Zealand (only for UNH-EcoQuest NZ program students)
ZOOL 503, Introduction to Marine Biology
7. Introduction to Natural Resource Economics
EREC 411, Environmental and Resource Economics Perspectives
or ECON 402, Principles of Economics (Micro)
8. Physical Science (one relevant to specialization)
CHEM 403, General Chemistry
ESCI 409, Environmental Geology
PHYS 401, Intro to Physics
9. NR 504, Freshwater Resources
10. NR 501, Introduction to Soil Sciences
11. NR 602, Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (WI)
12. Environmental Ethics and Values (choose one)
NR 701, Ecological Values and Ethics (WI)
NR 784, Sustainable Living
PHIL 755, Environmental Philosophy and Policy
HIST 618, American Environmental History
SOC 665, Environmental Sociology
13. One Statistical Skills course (BIOL 528, PSYC 402, SOC 502 or equivalent)
14. One Communication Skills course
CMN 600, Public Speaking as a Civic Art
EDUC 710B, Micro-communications
THDA 520, Creative Drama (Children’s Theater)
THDA 583, Introduction to Puppetry
THDA 622, Storytelling, Story Theater and Involvement Dramatics
THDA 624, Theater for Young Audiences
15. One Critical Analysis Writing Skills course (beyond ENGL 401)
ENG 502, 503, 519, 521, 529, 621, or 623
16. Information Management Skills
NR 658, Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
17. NR 718, Law of Natural Resources and Environment
18. NR 637, Practicum in Environmental Conservation (Internship)
19. NR 775, Natural Resources Senior Project (WI),
or NR 663, Applied Directed Research in New Zealand (WI)
Specialization (36 credits required)
Students select one from the below listed specialization areas to
develop their expertise in an area of interest. Alternatively, a
student may, in consultation with the student’s adviser, design a
specialization area.
A. Land and Water Resource Policy and Management
B. International Environmental and Natural Resource Policy and Sustainable Development
C. Environmental Education, Communication, Public Participation and Leadership
D. Conservation Biology
For each area of specialization students are required to select one listed course from each of 5 specified categories:
Category 1: Ecology (a listed 600 or higher level course)
Category 2: Economics (a listed 600 or higher level course)
Category 3: Theory (from identified courses relevant to the specialization)
Category 4: Problem Solving Skills (from identified courses relevant to the specialization)
Category 5: Professional and/or Field Skills (from identified courses relevant to the specialization)
Students select four additional courses in their Specialization to
complete their 36 hour specialization. These four courses may be
selected from any of the 5 categories. The majority of courses selected
for the student’s specialization should be at the 600 or 700 level.
Special permission will be required to apply a 400 level course to
fulfill a specialization requirement. Students must achieve a grade of
C- or better for all courses they wish to be counted for their
environmental conservation studies major. Students work closely with a
faculty adviser to plan their program of study.
Environmental Conservation Studies Minor
A minor in environmental conservation studies (5 courses totaling at
least 20 credits) is available to students outside of the environmental
conservation studies major.
Required Courses
1. Any one of the following: PBIO 412; ZOOL 412, BIOL 411, BIOL 412.
2. NR 435, Contemporary Conservation Issues and Environmental Awareness, or
NR 502, Forest Ecosystems and Environmental Change
3. One course in ecology: Possibilities include: NR 433, NR 425, NR 527, NR 660, BIOL 541.
4. One intermediate course in Environmental Policy, Ecological or Resource Economics
NR 662, Environmental Policy, Planning and Sustainability in New Zealand
NR 718, Law of Natural Resources and Environment
NR 720, International Environmental Politics and Policies for the 21st Century
ECON 607, Ecological Economics
EREC 606, 611, 627 or 676
5. Choose One
NR 504, Freshwater Resources
NR 501, Introduction to Soil Sciences
NR 661, Restoration Ecology and Ecosystem Management in New Zealand
NR 785, Systems Thinking for Sustainable Living
A petition to the environmental conservation studies program is required for consideration of substitutions to listed courses.
Interested students should contact Professor Mimi Larsen Becker,
environmental conservation studies program coordinator, Department of
Natural Resources. James 207B, (603) 862-3950.
