Undergraduate Course Catalog 2008-2009
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
» http://www.colsa.unh.edu/
Environmental Conservation Studies
» http://www.unh.edu/natural-resources/ug-ec.html
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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 course.
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
3/4. PBIO 412, Introductory Botany and ZOOL 412, Biology of Animals
or BIOL 411 and BIOL 412, Principles of Biology I and II
5. Introductory Resource System Course (choose one):
NR 415, Global Biological Change
NR 425, Field Dendrology
NR 433, Wildlife Ecology
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. 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
12. Environmental Ethics and Values (choose one):
NR 701, Ecological Values and Ethics
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 Writing Skills course (beyond ENGL 401)
ENG 502, 503, 521, 621, or 623
16. 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 735, Land Conservation Principles and Practices,
or NR 663, Applied Directed Research in New Zealand
Specialization (36 credits required)
Students select one from the following 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.
Students interested in the environmental conservation studies program may consult with the program coordinator Robert Eckert, (603) 862-2508.
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 724, Resolving Environmental Conflicts
NR 731, Ecosystem-Based Governance: Policies and Management Strategies
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
Students interested in the environmental conservation studies minor should contact Professor Mimi Larsen Becker, Department of Natural Resources, (603) 862-3950.
