Michael Smith Natural Resources Building

This is home to classrooms, labs, and offices of the College of Natural Resources.

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⭐ Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology focuses on teaching students how to be good stewards of our natural resources and how to solve complex environmental problems. You’ll gain a strong foundation in the biological, physical, and social sciences with an emphasis on conservation and sustainability of wild animals and their habitats. A summer field course at CSU’s mountain campus provides students with hands-on learning about natural resource ecology and measurements.

Conservation Biology Concentration

The Conservation Biology concentration focuses on understanding the ecological processes necessary to conserve biological diversity with an emphasis on fish and wildlife species and their habitats.

Wildlife Biology Concentration

Wildlife Biology focuses primarily on terrestrial vertebrates and their habitats, and builds a strong foundation in basic wildlife ecology, management, and conservation.

Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Concentration

Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences allow students to focus on a strong background in basic fishery ecology, management, and conservation, which includes an understanding of the linkages between land and water.

⭐ Ecosystem Science & Sustainability

Maybe you’ve always known you wanted to have a career that made an impact. Maybe you’re just now discovering that you can get paid to be a part of the solution to environmental stability. Either way, this major is designed to teach you about the challenges humans face in sustainably managing ecosystem services, as well as the amazing ways in which organisms interact with their environments to form complex ecosystems and cutting-edge solutions for sustainability.

⭐ Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

This major prepares you to apply economic tools to evaluate natural resources and the management of our environment. By studying economic theory, you’ll gain an understanding of environmental issues and learn how to predict effects of government policies. You’ll work to explore solutions to pressing economic and environmental problems. In contrast to other natural resource courses, this major focuses on weighing the private and public implications of choices that we make on local and global scales.

⭐ Forest and Rangeland Stewardship

Forest landscapes are always changing, sometimes very slowly as a result of long-term processes, followed by rapid changes as a result of fires or harvesting. Sustaining forests in the modern world requires people who understand these changes and how forests connect to global, ecological, and social systems. Colorado’s high-elevation grasslands, forests, and riparian areas provide the perfect backdrop for this area of study, and you’ll get plenty of chances to learn outdoors as you become a steward of the lands.

Forest Biology Concentration

Students who concentrate in Forest Biology will focus on the ecology of forests, the biology and interactions of the elements in forests, as well as economics and policy surrounding forested areas. Courses include physical sciences, rangeland ecogeography, and tree health management, along with writing and communications courses to aid students in the scientific examination and communication of forest biology. This concentration includes hands-on field courses in the summer at the CSU Mountain Campus.

Rangeland Conservation and Management Concentration

Rangeland Conservation and Management is similar to Rangeland and Forest Management, but with an emphasis on conservation of large, wide-open spaces–the world’s largest land-cover type. Students in this concentration will learn new conservation techniques to oversee rangelands that have multiple economic and social uses. Courses range from physical sciences to communications to policy to prepare students for the complex jobs in this field. This concentration includes hands-on field courses in the summer at the CSU Mountain Campus.

Forest Fire Science Concentration

This concentration focuses on forest management from a fire-science perspective. Students will learn about the balance between fire as a natural ecological process and as a forest management tool. Courses include weather and climate ecology, soil science, tree health and timber harvesting, as well as several writing, policy, and speaking courses. This concentration includes hands-on field courses in the summer at the CSU Mountain Campus.

Rangeland and Forest Management Concentration

In Rangeland and Forest Management, students prepare for natural resource management careers in both the public and private sectors. With courses in the physical sciences, natural resource ecology and history, as well as writing, communications and policy courses, students will gain the versatility to work in land management and beyond. This concentration includes hands-on field courses in the summer at the CSU Mountain Campus.

Forest Management Concentration

This concentration is for students interested in managing forestlands through careers with state and federal land-management agencies, private forestland owners, and conservation organizations. Courses include a mix of forest biology, integrated forest management, and the physical sciences. Students learn about forest productivity, economics, policy, conservation, and the latest in computer-based management tools. This concentration includes hands-on field courses in the summer at the CSU Mountain Campus.

⭐ Environmental Horticulture

When you major in Environmental Horticulture, you’ll be moved by the earth’s rhythms and seasons much more than the 9-5. Environmental horticulturists create aesthetically pleasing, functional, and environmentally sound outdoor spaces. They design landscapes like golf courses, botanical gardens, and parks, and manage landscape design firms. In this major, you’ll round out your passion for plants with science- and business-based courses, and choose a concentration to focus on.

Nursery & Landscape Management Concentration

Students gain training in landscape plant culture and use plus skills needed to start and manage a nursery, garden center, arboriculture, or landscape management firm.

Landscape Design & Contracting Concentration

The Landscape Design and Contracting concentration prepares students for careers in the design-build profession for residential, commercial, and public properties.

Turf Management Concentration

Turf Management trains students for management opportunities ranging from sod production to the establishment and maintenance of private and public grounds.

⭐ Geology

Geology offers both a specialized focus and a broad background in science, allowing for a wide range of career options at completion. Regardless of your concentration area, you’ll participate in labs and classes that largely take place out in the world, giving you hands-on experience that can be directly applied to careers and internships later on. Common careers include water, energy, and mineral jobs, geological hazards management, regulatory management, and education.

Environmental Geology Concentration

Students develop expertise in surface and shallow-subsurface processes that shape the Earth and provide important soil and water resources for human and natural use.

Geophysics Concentration

The Geophysics concentration combines a strong foundation in geology with additional depth in geophysics, physics, and mathematics, and in associated quantitative and computer skills.

Geology Concentration

A practical and field-oriented approach prepares students for employment opportunities as geologists in the energy and mining industries, government agencies, and consulting firms.

Hydrogeology Concentration

The Hydrogeology concentration provides training in water resources and allied disciplines, while ensuring that students are well prepared for a variety of geological fields.

⭐ Human Dimensions of Natural Resources

This major focuses on the understanding the social aspect of natural resources, as well as developing the skills to assess, plan and, implement strategies that lead to successful conservation. As an HDNR major, you’ll take science courses and do field work, but you’ll also become trained in thoughtful and professional communication, public speaking, and writing. You’ll come out with career opportunities that stretch from conservation to government policy, exploration to education, and beyond.

⭐ Natural Resource Tourism

Travel lovers know the value in experiencing the world, and the Natural Resources Tourism major is designed for those who want to pursue this as a career. Two concentrations within the major help you design your dream job, offering courses in tourism management, marketing and planning, natural resources, studies abroad, and social science that will give you the skills for managing recreation and tourism enterprises. This major also is available online for transfer students. This major includes an accelerated option for students to graduate on a faster schedule.

Global Tourism Concentration

Course work focuses on business and tourism topics providing students with planning, management, marketing, financial, and entrepreneurship skills essential in the tourism industry

Natural Resource Tourism Concentration

Through courses in tourism management, marketing and planning, natural resources, business, entrepreneurship, and social science, students develop skills for work in recreation and tourism enterprises.

⭐ Restoration Ecology

Restore. Rehabilitate. Renew. In the Restoration Ecology major, you’ll learn to use active intervention methods and practice repairing and reviving natural areas while examining the science behind biological areas and ecosystems.

⭐ Watershed Science

Water impacts every aspect of life from environmental stability to global political issues. The Watershed Science major is designed to give you a broad, scientific foundation in the study of water, how it moves across the land, and how different human activities affect water. You’ll come out with an array of job possibilities in the public and private sector, as well as skills to help preserve and protect earth’s most-important resource. The program capitalizes on its proximity to the Rocky Mountains, High Plains, and basins of Colorado to give students unique educational opportunities in outdoor laboratories.

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