Environmental & Natural Resources Management, B.TECH.

The Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree in Environmental & Natural Resources Management (ENRM) focuses on providing students with advanced technical education in environmental and natural resources, highlighting the management, communication and business skills needed for graduates in the 21st century.

The ENRM B.Tech. is a full four-year program with two separate tracks: Natural Resources Conservation (NRC) and Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences (AQAS). While the course offerings are somewhat different during the first two years of the two tracks, these are identical for the last four semesters, including a 15-credit, full-semester internship that places students in a supervised work environment with a cooperating agency. This provides students with opportunities to gain valuable experience, make professional contacts, and build their resumes in preparation for future employment and career decisions.

Most internships are paid. Opportunities exist nationwide in both the public and private sectors. Many placement sites are available in New York State, but students who wish to travel can find opportunities in other parts of the country. Successful internships have included experiences in forestry, arboriculture, outdoor recreation management, GIS (geographic information system) mapping, wetlands delineation and management, wildlife management studies, and environmental education.

The ENRM B.Tech. degree program is offered as a standalone, eight-semester, degree program. Students are also admitted to the program after completing an A.S., A.A.S. or equivalent degree with a minimum 2.20 grade point average. A student who does not meet this requirement may be admitted as a junior on a conditional basis. A major in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Environmental Technology, Aquaculture and Aquatic Science or a closely related field is strongly recommended. An individual seeking to enroll in the Environmental & Natural Resources Management B.Tech. program with an unrelated associate degree may be granted admittance with an understanding that up to 18 prerequisite credits will be required.

The B.Tech. in Environmental & Natural Resources Management is designed to prepare students for entry into public and industrial jobs at the field, supervisory, and management levels where technical, business, and communication skills are necessary. Students completing the B.Tech. in Environmental & Natural Resources Management can pursue jobs in the forest products industry; the aquatic resources industry, including sport and commercial fisheries, wetland management, and aquaculture; the recreation industry, arboriculture and urban forestry, and environmental technology, including water treatment and brownfield reclamation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program:

• Students will utilize their developed expertise in concepts, theories, and emerging methodologies to tackle real-world issues in natural resource management.
• Students will become independent, self-motivated professionals who can recognize problems in their renewable resources technical field of expertise and formulate solutions to such problems.
• Students will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with an embodied sense of conservation stewardship.
• Students will assess, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information objectively and deal professionally and ethically with clients, the public, and agency personnel.
• Students will communicate clearly and effectively using appropriate verbal, visual, electronic, and written techniques necessary to interact in the profession.
• Students will recognize and interpret natural resource laws and policies.
• Students will demonstrate hands-on experience in natural resource sampling, inventory, and measurement techniques.
• Students will recognize and interpret natural resource problems and opportunities across spatial scales from local to global through implementing and managing geospatial technologies (Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS), Geographic Information System -- GIS, and remote sensing).
• Students will apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in formulating and evaluating alternative solutions to complex  problems in natural resource management and recommending and defending the best alternatives.
• Students will anticipate, analyze, and evaluate natural resource issues and opportunities and utilize an integrated approach to ecosystem impact assessment and adaptive management.
• Students will exercise life-long learning and management skills developed before graduation and utilize existing technology, products, and services to maximize work efficiency and success.
• Students will seek the input and perspectives of diverse stakeholders regarding natural resource issues and practice a collaborative spirit in team efforts and project coordination.

Curriculum Requirements

A minimum of 120 credits is required for degree completion.

NRC Track

¹

AQAS students will take NATR 210 Dendrology in Year 3 fall semester.

AQAS Track

¹

Proficiency through MATH 102 Intermediate Algebra w Trig Required.

²

AQAS students will take NATR 210 Dendrology in Year 3 fall semester.

Suggested Course Sequence

NRC Track

¹

AQUA students will take NATR 210 Dendrology in Year 3 fall semester.

AQAS Track

¹

AQAS students will take NATR 210 Dendrology in Year 3 fall semester.