Natural Resources Minor
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
- OSU-Cascades
Students majoring in other programs at OSU can choose to complete the Natural Resources minor. The minor is intended to provide a broad exposure to the natural resources field. It offers coursework that integrates a number of natural resource disciplines.
Minor Code: 643
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Describe ecological processes, including human impacts that influence ecosystem change, natural succession and the future sustainability of natural resources.
- Characterize natural resources and be able to quantify at least one of these resources.
- Envision desired future conditions in an area to achieve a set of natural resource-related objectives, prescribe management actions needed to achieve those objectives, and evaluate success of these actions.
- Describe how the use, management, and allocation of natural resources are affected by laws, policies, economic factors (both market and non-market), and characteristics (including demographic, cultural, ethnic, and “values” differences) of private and public resource owners and users.
- Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with audiences of diverse backgrounds.
- Work effectively with, and within, interdisciplinary and diverse groups to resolve management problems and achieve management objectives.
A minimum of 27 credits are needed for the minor with at least 12 upper-division credits. No more than two S/U grades can be used in the minor.
Some elective courses in the minor have prerequisites, such as a full year of 200-level biology, that are not part of the minor requirements. Students should check prerequisites carefully before selecting electives.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| NR 201 | +MANAGING NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE | 3 |
| NR 202 | NATURAL RESOURCE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS | 3 |
| FES 365 | *ISSUES IN NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION | 3 |
| FES 485 | *CONSENSUS AND NATURAL RESOURCES | 3 |
| Resource Management | ||
| Select a minimum of two courses from any of the following focus areas: | 6-8 | |
| Climate Science | ||
| +*CLIMATE SCIENCE | ||
| +*SNOW, SMOKE, AND STORMS: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST | ||
| ^CLIMATOLOGY | ||
| +*INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE | ||
| Land Science | ||
| +*SOIL SCIENCE | ||
| +*ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES | ||
| +*PLANET EARTH | ||
| +*PHYSICAL GEOLOGY | ||
| +*EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE | ||
| *GLOBAL CHANGE AND EARTH SCIENCES | ||
| SURFACE PROCESSES | ||
| +*DYNAMIC PLANET | ||
| SOIL SCIENCE and +*SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY FOR SOIL 205 (or FOR 206) | ||
| Water Science | ||
| WATERSHED PROCESSES | ||
| FOREST WATERSHED MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROGEOLOGY | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| +*OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
| +*INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
| COASTAL OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
| Animal Science | ||
| FOREST ENTOMOLOGY | ||
| TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATE IDENTIFICATION AND NATURAL HISTORY | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION | ||
| BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF MARINE MAMMALS | ||
| ORNITHOLOGY | ||
| ICHTHYOLOGY | ||
| MAMMALOGY | ||
| ECOLOGY OF MARINE AND ESTUARINE BIRDS | ||
| HERPETOFAUNA CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| AVIAN CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| MAMMAL CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| MARINE CONSERVATION BIOLOGY | ||
| WILDLIFE ECOLOGY | ||
| ANIMAL BEHAVIOR | ||
| BIOLOGY OF INSECTS | ||
| HERPETOLOGY | ||
| AQUATIC ENTOMOLOGY | ||
| Plant Science | ||
| +*BOTANY: A HUMAN CONCERN | ||
| +*INTRODUCTION TO PLANT BIOLOGY | ||
| PLANT SYSTEMATICS | ||
| *INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN PLANTS AND HUMANITY | ||
| PLANT ECOLOGY | ||
| FOREST PATHOLOGY | ||
| FLORA OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST | ||
| MYCOLOGY | ||
| +*FOREST BIOLOGY | ||
| DENDROLOGY | ||
| LANDSCAPE PLANT MATERIALS I: DECIDUOUS HARDWOODS AND CONIFERS | ||
| LANDSCAPE PLANT MATERIALS II: SPRING FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS | ||
| WILDLAND PLANT IDENTIFICATION | ||
| Aquatic Ecosystems | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MARINE BIOLOGY | ||
| OCEANS IN PERIL | ||
| MARINE ECOLOGY | ||
| MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES OF PACIFIC SALMON IN THE NORTHWEST | ||
| AQUATIC BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS | ||
| COASTAL ECOLOGY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| FRESHWATER ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION | ||
| WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN ECOLOGY | ||
| ESTUARINE ECOLOGY | ||
| RIPARIAN ECOHYDROLOGY AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| Terrestrial Ecosystems | ||
| +*FOREST BIOLOGY | ||
| FOREST ECOLOGY | ||
| FOREST TYPES OF THE NORTHWEST | ||
| URBAN FORESTRY | ||
| WILDLAND FIRE ECOLOGY | ||
| ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION | ||
| BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN MANAGED FORESTS | ||
| +TOPICS IN WILDLAND FIRE | ||
| SILVICULTURE PRINCIPLES | ||
| ^ECOLOGICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY | ||
| CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US | ||
| THE WORLD'S WATER | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WILDLAND ECOLOGY | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF RANGELAND ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| ECOLOGY OF GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS | ||
| ECOLOGY OF SHRUBLAND ECOSYSTEMS | ||
| RANGELAND RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| RANGELAND-ANIMAL RELATIONS | ||
| ECOSYSTEMS OF WILDLAND SOILS | ||
| SOIL SYSTEMS AND PLANT GROWTH | ||
| Environmental Assessment and Planning | ||
| ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION | ||
| URBAN FOREST PLANNING, POLICY AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| ECOSYSTEM SERVICES | ||
| +*LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT | ||
| SCIENTIFIC METHODS FOR ANALYZING NATURAL RESOURCE PROBLEMS | ||
| RANGELAND RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| HABITAT ANALYSIS 1: HABITAT USE AND MOVEMENT | ||
| ^RANGELAND MANAGEMENT PLANNING - PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES | ||
| *SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT | ||
| +*SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | ||
| +PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE RECREATION | ||
| +PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM | ||
| *EVALUATING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS | ||
| Social and Political Dimensions | ||
| Select two to three courses from any of the following focus areas: | 6-8 | |
| Social and Ethical Issues | ||
| *ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, POLICY, AND ECONOMICS | ||
| +*INDIGENOUS ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGIONS | ||
| +*ANTHROPOLOGY, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT | ||
| ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| *NATURAL RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY VALUES | ||
| *ANTHROPOLOGY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | ||
| *HUMAN IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEMS | ||
| +*FOOD FROM THE SEA | ||
| +*WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN A CHANGING WORLD | ||
| +*POWER AND JUSTICE IN U.S. NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| +*MINERALS, ENERGY, WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| *NATIONAL PARK GEOLOGY AND PRESERVATION | ||
| +*CLIMATE JUSTICE | ||
| +*THERE IS NO PLAN(ET) B: HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT GEOGRAPHY IN THE ANTHROPOCENE | ||
| +*HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE | ||
| +*TRANSFORMING ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS | ||
| +URBAN AQUA NETWORKS: ANCIENT TO MODERN | ||
| +*SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| +*ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| +LANDSCAPES AND WATERSCAPES IN INDIGENOUS NORTH AMERICA | ||
| *ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | ||
| HUMANS AND THE OCEAN | ||
| SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| CRITICAL THINKING FOR NATURAL RESOURCE CHALLENGES | ||
| +OCEANS, COASTS, AND PEOPLE | ||
| *ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS | ||
| *WORLD VIEWS AND ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHIES | ||
| +INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY | ||
| SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY | ||
| RURAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
| *ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
| *SOCIETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| *ENERGY, CLIMATE AND SOCIETY | ||
| +*SUSTAINABILITY, JUSTICE, AND ENGAGEMENT | ||
| SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY | ||
| +OUTSIDE: SHARING YOUR OUTDOOR ORIGIN STORY | ||
| RECREATION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| OUTDOOR RECREATION MANAGEMENT ON PUBLIC LANDS | ||
| NATURE, ECO, AND ADVENTURE TOURISM | ||
| COMMUNITIES, NATURAL AREAS, AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM | ||
| *PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS MANAGEMENT | ||
| *WOMEN AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Natural Resource Policy and Politics | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL LAW | ||
| CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ISSUES | ||
| +*PESTS, PLAGUES AND POLITICS | ||
| ^PUBLIC LANDS POLICY AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| FOREST POLICY ANALYSIS | ||
| ^FOREST POLICY AND REGULATION | ||
| +*ENDANGERED SPECIES & SOCIETY | ||
| FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE LAW AND POLICY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN LAW | ||
| CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US | ||
| THE WORLD'S WATER | ||
| PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS | ||
| THE POLICY AND LAW OF UNITED STATES COASTAL GOVERNANCE | ||
| INTEGRATED POLICY: FOOD, ENERGY, WATER, CLIMATE | ||
| MARINE POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| *THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE | ||
| US ENERGY POLICY | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| Resource Economics | ||
| *NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
| *ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCE ECONOMICS | ||
| FOREST RESOURCE ECONOMICS I | ||
| ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF FOREST WILDLAND FIRE | ||
| ECONOMIC APPLICATIONS IN TOURISM, RECREATION, AND SPORTS | ||
| Total Credits | 27 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
Minor Code: 643