Students Starting Fall 2010 or after

Environmental Science & Management

College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) Revised April 2012

Department: Natural Resources Science, 401-874-2495, http://www.nrs.uri.edu

University College Advisor: Dr. Jose Amador, 401-874-2902; [email protected]
Credits: 120
The Major: Environmental Science and Management is a multi-disciplinary major, incorporating course
work in water resources, wetland ecology, wildlife biology, soil science, forestry, and land
use/environmental quality relationships with other disciplines. This is a comprehensive major that
includes a solid background in the basic sciences and exposure to a broad array of subject matter relating
to environmental science and management. This major provides solid preparation for more specialized
study at the graduate level. There are three minor fields of study available within the Department of
Natural Resources Science at URI that may serve as focus areas for students in the Environmental Science
and Management major: GIS/Remote Sensing; Soil-Environmental Science; and Wildlife and
Conservation Biology.
Careers: Graduates are employed by natural resources agencies at the state or federal level,
nongovernmental conservation organizations, and environmental consulting firms. Examples of jobs
include: environmental planner, environmental/wildlife researcher, wildlife biologist, cartographer,
biology teacher, refuge manager, wetland biologist/ecologist, hydrologist, environmental scientist, soil
conservationist and forest/park ranger. Good grades, hands-on experience, a strong technical background,
and a firm commitment to sound environmental management are the key elements to being selected for
challenging positions in natural resource fields.
Transfer out of UC: Must have completed at least 24 credits, minimum GPA of 2.00, and received
permission from the University College Major Advisor.

The following is an example of the typical course schedule for the first 4 semesters for a student
majoring in Environmental Science & Management. These are recommended course selections for
ESM majors in University College; there will be variation based on course availability and schedule
restraints. Some classes are not offered every semester. It is important to plan ahead and consult with
your advisor to allow yourself time to enroll in the classes you wish to take.

Semester I (Fall) Semester II (Spring)

NRS 100 Natural Resource Conservation . 3 NRS 223 Conservation Biology ................. 3
NRS 101 Freshman in NRS ....................... 1 BIO 102, 104 Principles of Biology II ....... 4
URI 101 Freshman at URI ........... 1 General Education (Cat. A, L, or F) ........... 3
BIO 101, 103 Principles of Biology I ........ 4 WRT104, 105 or 106 Composition or
MTH 111 Precalculus or 131* Calculus .... 3 Calculus MTH 131 ..................................... 3
COM 100 Communication Fundamentals. 3 CHM 101,102 General Chemistry, Lab 4
Total credits: 15 Total credits: 17

Semester III (Fall) Semester IV (Spring)

NRS 200 Seminar in NRS.......................... 1 NRS 305 Wildlife Ecology and Mgt .......... 3
NRS 212 Introduction to Soils ................... 3 CHM124, 126 Organic Chemistry, Lab ..... 4
CHM 112, 114 General Chemistry, Lab .... 4 EEC 105 Environmental Economics.......... 3
GEO 103 Understanding the Earth ............ 4 PHY 109, 110** Intro to Physics, Lab ...... 4
General Education (Cat. A, L, or F)........... 3 General Education (Cat. A, L, or F) ........... 3
Total credits: 15 Total credits: 17

*All students are required to take MTH 131; some students may need to take MTH 099 and/or
MTH 111 first. A placement test is available in the math department.
**PHY 111, 185 and PHY 112, 186 sequence is highly recommended.
Environmental Science & Management Students Starting Fall 2010 or after
College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) Revised April 2012

Requirements: 120 credits total, Bachelor of Science.

General Education (36 credits): All Category MQ (Mathematical & Quantitative Reasoning), N (Natural
Sciences), and 3 credits of S (Social Sciences) General Education requirements (15 cr.) are satisfied by courses
taken as part of the major. Thus, to satisfy URI's General Education requirements, NRS students should take
COM 100 or COM 110, WRT 104, 105 or 106; 3 credits of an S course, and then only select 15 credits of General
Education courses from Category A (Fine Arts and Literature), L (Letters), and FC (Foreign Language/Culture).
The URI Course Catalog (or www.uri.edu/catalog/cataloghtml/) has a listing of all General Education courses.

Introductory Professional Courses (17 credits):

NRS 100 Natural Resource Conservation
NRS 200 Seminar in Natural Resources
NRS 212 Introduction to Soil Science
NRS 223 Conservation of Populations and Ecosystems
EEC 105 Introduction to Resource Economics
GEO 103 Understanding the Earth

Basic Sciences (29-30 credits):

BIO 101, 103 Principles of Biology I
BIO 102, 104 Principles of Biology II
CHM 101, 102 General Chemistry, Lab
CHM 112, 114 Gen. Chemistry, Lab or MIC 211 Microbiol., or BCM 311 Intro. Biochemistry
CHM 124, 126 Introductory Organic Chemistry, Lab,
MTH 131 Basic Calculus I
PHY 109, 110 Introductory Physics, Lab
STA 308 Introductory Statistics or STA 409 Statistical Methods in Research I

Experiential Learning Courses: Up to 15 credits of Experiential Learning Courses may be taken

(a maximum of 6 credits of Letter Grade courses may be taken for Concentration credit and a
maximum of 9 credits of either Letter Grade (in italics below) or S/U courses may be used as
Supporting Electives.

NRS 395 Research Apprenticeship (1-3 credits/ea.)

NRS 397 Internship (1-6 credits)
NRS 491/492 Special Projects (1-3 credits/ea.)
NRS 495 Advanced Apprenticeship (3 or 6 credits)
NRS 497 Cooperative Internship (6-12 credits)
NRS 498 Teaching Practicum (1-3 credits)
NRS 499 Senior Thesis (6 credits)
 Environmental Science & Management Students Starting Fall 2010 or after
College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) Revised April 2012

Concentration (24 credits): At least 3 credits must be taken from each of the 5 categories.
Remaining concentration credits may be selected from any of the categories or from letter grade
experiential learning courses (see above for courses; 6 credit maximum).

1. Biological or Ecological Science:

NRS 401 Restoration Ecology
NRS 423 Wetland Ecology
NRS 425 Wetland Field Investigations

2.Watersheds and Environmental Quality:

NRS 461 Hydrology &Water Management
NRS 412 Soil-Water Chemistry
NRS 426 Soil Microbiology

3. Methods in Environmental Science:

NRS 409 Introduction to GIS
NRS 410 Fundamentals of GIS
NRS 415 Remote Sensing of the Environment
NRS 471 Soil Morphology and Mapping

4. Natural Resources Management

NRS 305 Wildlife Management
NRS 406 Wetland Wildlife Management
NRS 407 Nongame and Endangered Species Management
NRS 301 Introduction to Forest Science

5. Land Use Management

NRS 445 Invasive Species
NRS 302 Forest Management
NRS 450 Soil Conservation & Land Use
NRS 452 Soil, Water, and Land Use Investigations

Supporting Electives (17 to 18 credits): Courses may be selected from the concentration categories
above, from an approved list (see list on the back of this page), or experiential learning courses listed
above. Supporting electives are carefully chosen with the advisors assistance to help the student
achieve career objectives. We encourage students to take experiential learning courses in order to gain
practical experience in addition to the extensive field and class work (see above for list of courses). Up
to 9 credits of experiential learning courses may be taken. Both letter grade and S/U courses may be
used as supporting electives. Senior Portfolio (NRS 480) is highly recommended as a supporting
elective. We encourage students to take EEC and GEO courses for supporting electives.

Free Electives (6 credits)

Environmental Science & Management Students Starting Fall 2010 or after
College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) Revised April 2012

Environmental Science and Management

4-Year Plan
Freshman, Fall (15) Freshman, Spring (17)
NRS 100: Natural Resource Conservation NRS 223 Conservation Biology
NRS 101: Freshman Inquiry into NRS BIO 102, 104 Principles of Biology II

URI 101: Traditions and Transformations: WRT 104: Writing to Inform and Explain
Freshman Seminar or
WRT 105: Forms of College Writing
or
WRT 106: Intro to Research Writing
or
MTH 131: Applied Calculus
BIO 101, 103: Principles of Biology I CHM 101, 102: General Chem Lecture I/ Lab
MTH 111/131: Precalculus/ Applied GEN ED (Cat. A, L, or FC)
Calculus
COM 100 Communication Fundamentals

Sophomore, Fall (15) Sophomore, Spring (17)

NRS 200: Seminar in Natural Resources CHM 124,126: Introduction to Organic Chem/ Lab
CHM 112, 114: General Chemistry GEN ED (Cat. A, L, or FC)
Lecture II/Lab
GEO 103: Understanding the Earth NRS Concentration

NRS 212: Intro to Soil Science PHY 109, 110: Intro to Physics/ Lab
GEN ED (A, L, or FC) EEC 105: Intro to Resource Economics

Junior, Fall (15) Junior, Spring (15)

Free Elective NRS Concentration
GEN ED ( A, L, or FC) NRS Concentration
STA 308: Introductory Statistics NRS Supporting Electives
NRS Concentration NRS Supporting Electives
NRS Supporting Elective GEN ED (A, L, or FC)

Senior, Fall (15) Senior, Spring (12)

NRS Concentration NRS Concentration
NRS Concentration NRS Concentration
NRS Supporting Elective NRS Supporting Elective
NRS Supporting Elective NRS Supporting Elective
Free Elective
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & MANAGEMENT, 120 CREDITS Students Starting: Fall 2010
Revised April 2012

College of the Environment & Life Sciences (CELS)

Department of Natural Resources Science
STUDENT__________________________ STUDENT ID___________________ ADVISOR__________________________
General Education (36 credits) 5. Land Use Management:
EC[D]: COM 100 (3) or COM 110_____(4) NRS 302 (3) NRS 450 (3)
ECw: WRT 104, 105, or 106 (3) NRS 445 (4) NRS 452 (1)
MQ: (3 cr. from Basic Sciences below)
N: (6 cr. from Basic Sciences below) Supporting Electives (17 to18 credits)
S: _______________(3) (3 cr. EEC 105 below) At least 9 credits must be NRS courses. These courses
L: (3) (3) may be chosen from: a) the following list
A: (3) (3) (see back); b) courses in the Concentration Courses list
FC: (3) (3) that were not used for Concentration; or c) up to 9
(Note: 15 cr. from L, A and FC) credits of Letter Grade or S/U Experiential Learning
Courses (see box). Senior Colloquium (NRS 480, 2 cr.)
Intro. to URI and NRS (2 credits) is strongly recommended, and we urge you to take EEC
URI 101 (1) NRS 101 (1) and GEO courses

Intro. Professional Courses (17) _________( ) ________ ( ) _________( )

NRS 100 (3) NRS 212 (3)
NRS 223 (3) NRS 200___ (1) _________( ) ________ ( ) _________( )
EEC 105 (3) GEO 103___(4)
_________( ) ________ ( ) _________( )
Basic Sciences (29-30 credits.; 9 credits. applicable to
General Education requirements)* Free Electives (6)
BIO 101, 103 (4)
BIO 102, 104 (4) _________( ) ________ ( ) _________( )
PHY 109, 110 (4) **
CHM 101,102 (4) Note: Concentration and Supporting Electives must
CHM 112,114 (4) or MIC211 (4) or BCH311 _ (3) total at least 41 credits. Credits for graduation must equal
CHM 124, 126 (4) at least 120.
MTH 131 (3)
STA 308___(3) or STA 409 (3)

*Six credits apply to Division N and three credits apply to

Division MQ. **PHY 111,185 and PHY 112,186 needed for
those interested in career in secondary education.

Concentration (24 credits) Experiential Learning Courses

At least 3 credits must be taken from each of the Up to 15 credits of Experiential Learning Courses may be
following categories. Remaining concentration credits taken. A maximum of 6 credits of Letter Grade courses
may be selected from any of the categories or from may be taken for Concentration credit; both Letter Grade
Experiential Learning Courses. Up to 6 credits of Letter courses (in italics below) and S/U courses may be used as
Grade Experiential Learning Courses may be taken as Supporting Electives.
Concentration Courses (see box)
1. Biological or Ecological Science: NRS 395 Research Apprenticeship (1-3 credits/ea.)
NRS 401 (4) NRS 423,425 (4,1) NRS 397 Internship (1-6 credits)
BIO 455,457 (3,1) NRS 491/492 Special Projects (1-3 credits/ea.)
NRS 495 Advanced Apprenticeship (3 or 6 credits)
2. Watersheds and Environmental Quality: NRS 497 Cooperative Internship (6-12 credits)
NRS 461 (4) NRS 412 (3)
NRS 498 Teaching Practicum (1-3 credits)
NRS 426 (3)
NRS 499 Senior Thesis (6 credits)
3. Methods in Environmental Science:
NRS 409 (3) NRS 410 (3)
NRS 415 (3) NRS 471 (3)

4. Natural Resources Management:

NRS 305 (3) NRS 406 (3)
NRS 407 (3) NRS 301 (3)
 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORTING ELECTIVES
Environmental Science and Management students are required to select 17 to 18 credits of Supporting Electives. At
least 9 credits must be NRS courses. Courses may be chosen from: a) the following list; b) courses in the
Concentration Courses list not used for Concentration; or c) any NRS Experiential Learning Courses (see front).

Natural Science Electives Social Science Electives

NRS 302 Fundamentals of Forest Management (3) NRS 300 Intro. Global Issues Sustainable Devel. (3)
NRS 304 Field Ornithology (4) EEC 205 Resource Manage. and Conservation (3)
NRS 309 Wildlife Manage. Techniques Lab. (3) EEC 310 Economics Environ. Res. Man. Policy (3)
NRS 324 Biology of Mammals (3) EEC 410 Fish and Wildlife Economics (3)
NRS 351 Soil Morphology Practicum (2) EEC 432 Environmental Economics and Policy (3)
NRS 401 Invasive Species (4) EEC 440 Benefit-Cost Analysis (3)
NRS 402 Wildlife Biometrics (3) CPL/MAF 434 Intro. to Environmental Law (3)
NRS 403 Wildlife Biometrics Field Investigations (1) CPL 410 Fund. of Community Planning Practice (3)
NRS 411 Population and Environmental Change (3) NRS 487 International Development Internship (1-6)
NRS 414 Climate Change Science and Policy (3) CPL 495 International Development Seminar (3)
NRS 445 Foundations of Restoration Ecology (4) CPL 511 Planning and Natural Environ. Systems (3)
NRS 480 Senior Portfolio (3) MAF 312 The Politics of the Ocean (3)
NRS 482 Innovative Subsurface Remed. Tech. (4) MAF 415 Marine Pollution Policy (3)
NRS 484 Environmental Hydrogeology (4) MAF 461 Coastal Zone Management (3)
NRS 496 International Development Seminar (3) MAF 484 Environ Analysis Policy Coastal Man. (3)
NRS 505 Biology & Management of Migr. Birds (2) PSC 402 Environmental Policy and Politics (3)
NRS 516 Advanced Remote Sensing (3) PSC 403 Global Ecopolitics (3)
NRS 522 Advanced GIS Analysis Environ. Data (3)
NRS 524 Application of Advan. Spatial Analysis (1)
NRS 526 Microbial Ecol. of Soils & Sediments (3)
NRS 532 Conservation Bio. and Resource Econ. (2)
NRS 533 Landscape Pattern and Change (3)
NRS 534 Ecology of Fragmented Landscapes (2)
NRS 538 Physiolog. Ecol. Wild Terrestrial Vert. (3)
NRS 555 Applied Coastal Ecology (2)
NRS 567 Soil Genesis and Classification (3)
NRS 568 Recent Advances in NRS (3)
NRS 582 Seminar in Soil Ecology & Biochem. (1)
BIO 262 Ecology
BIO 323 Field Botany and Taxonomy (4)
BIO 354 Invertebrate Zoology (4)
BIO 366 Vertebrate Biology (3)
BIO 458 Freshwater Ecology (4)
BIO 467 Animal Behavior (3)
ENT 385 Introductory Entomology (3)
ENT 386 Introductory Entomology Laboratory (1)
GEO 204 Evolution of the Earth (4)
GEO 210 Landforms: Origin and Evolution (4)
GEO 305 Global Warming (4)
GEO 320 Earth Materials (4)
GEO 370 Structure of the Earth (4)
GEO 450 Intro. To Sedimentary Geology (4)
GEO 465 Intro to Geophysics (3)
GEO 468 Groundwater Chemistry (4)
GEO 482 Innovative Subsurface Rem Policy (4)
GEO 483 Hydrogeology (4)
GEO/NRS 484 Environmental Hydrogeology
GEO 485 Environmentla Engineering Geophysics
GEO 515 Glacial Geology (3)
MAF 465 GIS Appl. Coastal & Marine Manage. (3)
WRT 333 Scientific and Technical Writing (3)