Sustainable Resource Management, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Resource Management (SRM) degree provides students with a comprehensive curriculum in resource planning and adaptive management while comprehending the regulatory policy envelope which directs the actions of agricultural and natural resource planners in the 21st century. Built around a core curriculum of foundational sciences and resource conservation and management practice, students may specialize their SRM BS by selecting offered electives in agriculture and natural/renewable resources disciplines.

This program requires a full-semester internship that places students in supervised work with a cooperating agricultural or environmental 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 may include experiences in agricultural resource planning, ecosystem and resource sustainability, soil and water conservation, forestry, outdoor recreation management, GIS (geographic information system) mapping, wetlands delineation, and management, or fish and wildlife management.

Admission to the SRM BS requires a minimum 2.5 grade point average with the NYS Regents Diploma, with the Advanced NYS Regents Diploma preferred. A student who does not meet this requirement may be admitted on a conditional basis.

Career Opportunities: The B.S. in Sustainable Resource Management is designed to prepare students for graduate-level studies in resource sustainability or for entry into public- and private-sector careers at the planning, supervisory, and management levels where technical, business, and communication skills are necessary. Students completing the Sustainable Resource Management B.S. can pursue jobs in agricultural and natural resource planning and management, soil and water conservation, ecological restoration, agroecology, and conservation biology. This degree program offers a unique opportunity to blend agriculture and natural resource fields with a blend of technical electives. Furthermore, this allows the students to seek employment in the fields that bridge the gap between agriculture and natural resource management, such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

Graduation Requirements: Students in the Sustainable Resource Management major must complete ALL the requirements listed below. A minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework is required. 

MATH 103 or higher is required for completion of this program.  All bachelor's degree students must complete the State University of New York Board of Trustees mandated general education requirements (see catalog section titled Academic Information: SUNY General Education Requirements).

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, and according to the specialization of this major, a successful graduate will be able to:

• Display critical thinking through the ability to recognize issues in resource sustainability.
• Interpret sustainability problems and opportunities across spatial scales from local to global.
• Correspond professionally and ethically with clients, the public, and agency personnel.
• Integrate the input and perspectives of diverse stakeholders regarding sustainable resource allocation issues.
• Interpret laws and policies in agricultural, natural, and renewable resource conservation and management.
• Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in evaluating alternative solutions to complex problems in sustainable resource management.
• Produce actionable management plans in accordance with current best management practices and in line with adaptive resource management theory.
• Defend a proposed management plan in terms of best management practice alternatives.
• Develop a comprehensive knowledge of their field of expertise and utilize that knowledge in pursuing potential career opportunities.

SUNY General Education Requirements:  All SUNY Morrisville BS degree programs require completion of at least 30 credits of SUNY GE, a minimum of seven (out of ten) knowledge and skills areas (including the four required knowledge and skills areas as indicated below), and completion of the two core competencies. The specific courses required within each knowledge and skills area/core competency for this degree program are outlined below.

Knowledge and Skills Areas:

Core Competencies:

Curriculum

A minimum of 120 credits is required for degree completion.

Sample Course Sequence