Majors/Minors & Degrees

Courses

Academic Standards

Test-out & Credit-by-exam policy

Field Seminar Program

Summer Camp

Master Degree

CNR Student Success Center, 180 CNR, 715-346-4081
     Susan Kissinger, Advising/Recruitment Coordinator

The College of Natural Resources offers degrees, with a variety of options:

forestry paper science and engineering resource management

soil and waste resources fisheries and water resources wildlife ecology

We offer majors and/or minors in:

conservation biology environmental communication environmental education/ interpretation environmental education for elementary/ middle school teachers environmental law/enforcement forest management, forest administration and utilization, urban forestry, forest recreation, forest ecosystem restoration and management

international resource management land use planning resource management,  soil science, soil and land management, waste management, fisheries, water resources, watershed management captive wildlife, wildlife, wildlife ecology research and management, wildlife  ecology information and education youth programming and camp management

Students in any of these majors must meet the general degree requirements, which are stated in an earlier section of this catalog. Also,

1. In order to be prepared to take most of the courses numbered 300 and above in the College of Natural Resources, you will need to complete the introductory natural resources courses (NRES 150, 151, 250, 251), as well as the summer camp courses, before the beginning of your junior year.

2. The courses you take to fulfill a specific major or minor must be approved by an advisor in that discipline before you graduate. Therefore, it is imperative that you work with an advisor when choosing your courses.

3. You may not use the pass/fail option for any courses required for your major or minor.

Abbreviations
CIS = Computer Information Systems
Comm = Communication
CWES = Central Wisconsin Environmental Station
Econ = Economics
EE/I = Environmental Education/Interpretation
GISSA = Geographic Information and Spatial Analysis
NRES = Natural Resources
Poli Sci = Political Science

Academic Standards
You must apply for official acceptance as a College of Natural Resources major before the beginning of your junior year. Requirements are:

1. Complete 45 university credits.

2. Have at least a 2.00 grade point average in courses required for the major.

3. Complete an application to the College of Natural Resources. We will notify you within four weeks of your application, and if accepted will assign an advisor. Certain 300 and 400 level courses are restricted to approved CNR and/or biology majors. Nonmajors must have written consent of instructor to enroll.

4. If you are transferring to UWSP to major in the College of Natural Resources, you must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00. To be accepted as a CNR major, complete steps 1-3 above.

5. To be retained as a major or minor and to be approved for graduation, you must meet the minimum grade point average established for your discipline in all UWSP courses taken within the major or minor (2.75 to student teach in resource management), including transfer courses, regardless of any declaration of academic bankruptcy. Minimum GPA by discipline:

   1. 2.0 GPA for general resource management, paper science, and all options of fisheries and water resources.

   2. 2.25 GPA for all options of wildlife ecology, all options of soil and waste resources, land use planning, environmental education/interpretation, and youth programming and camp management.

   3. 2.50 GPA for all options in forestry.

Test-out and Credit-by-Exam Policy
The College of Natural Resources offers credit-by-exam for all of its courses.  The comprehensive exam for each course will be written and drawn from lecture and/or lab topics normally covered in the course.

If you wish to take an exam for credit, first confer with the CNR associate dean for academic affairs. Then confer with the faculty member who most recently taught the course. The faculty member will notify you in writing with any pertinent information about the exam including the required minimum passing score before you take the exam. You will receive your grade in writing within two weeks after taking the exam. Results will be forwarded to the Registration and Records Office if credit-by-exam is granted. You may take a test-out exam only once.

Natural Resources Summer Camp Program
The summer camp program consists of Forestry 319, 320, Soils 359, 360, Water 380, and Wildlife 340, and NRES 405, each for 1 credit. See the description of these courses under the appropriate heading.

Master of Science Degree in Natural Resources
See the Graduate section of this catalog for additional information.