2026-2027 Academic Catalog

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Natural Resources (NR)

NR 1234 - First Year Experience In Natural Resources and Environment (3 credits) 
Introduction to problem solving related to natural resources and environmental issues. Developing a sense of identity and place within the college while acquiring skills and knowledge that enhance academic success. Exposure to programs on campus that support sustainability and student success. Introduction to a variety of career pathways within natural resources and environmental conservation.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd) 
NR 1984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 2234 - 1st Semester Experience-Transfer Students in Natural Resources and Environment (2 credits) 
Problem solving related to natural resources and environmental issues, focusing on research, writing and oral presentation skills. Orientation to the college while acquiring skills and knowledge that enhance academic success, including university resources and professional/ personal ethics. Introduction to a variety of career pathways within natural resources and environmental conservation. Restricted to transfer students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Crd) 
NR 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 3954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 3954D - Study Abroad (1-19 credits) 
Pathway Concept Area(s): 4 Reasoning in Natural Sci. 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 3964 - Field Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
Repeatability: up to 12 credit hours 
NR 4004 - Professional Skills in Natural Resources (1 credit) 
Elements of professionalism and principles of success across a wide spectrum of natural resources careers. Skills for ethical and professional interaction including effective communication, advancement of diversity and inclusion, and personal responsibility. Career preparation principles including employer outreach, job seeking, resume writing, and interview preparation. Guest speakers from academia, industry, and government. Pre: Senior standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd) 
Course Crosslist: FREC 4004 
NR 4014 - Natural Resources Economics (3 credits) 
Examination of domestic and international natural resource use, exploitation, and degradation problems, with special focus on use of economics to understand why potential overuse of natural resources exists, and what policy options are available to correct these problems and ensure sustainable natural resource use over time. Water, forests, fisheries, land and exhaustible resources. Permission of instructor may be substituted for the pre-requisite.
Prerequisite(s): ECON 2005 or AAEC 1005 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
Course Crosslist: FREC 4014 
NR 4105 - Leadership in Natural Resources (3 credits) 
Preparation for leadership roles in the natural resource professions. Introduction to theories of leadership; characteristics of effective leaders; leading and working in interdisciplinary teams. Techniques of meeting facilitation; written and oral communication skills in a leadership context. Effects of preferred modes of interacting with others, perceiving information, making decisions, and approaching tasks on the ability to lead and work with others. Consent of instructor.
Prerequisite(s): FIW 2114 or FOR 2314 or FREC 2314 or GEOG 3104 or SBIO 2124 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 4106 - Leadership in Natural Resources (3 credits) 
Preferred styles for dealing with change and conflict; generational change in the workplace; approaches to negotiation and resolution of conflicts. Exploration of specific models of leadership. Application of leadership skills, conflict resolution, teambuilding and project development skills in student group projects. Consent of instructor.
Prerequisite(s): NR 4105 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 4964 - Field Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 4984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 5014 - Constructing Sustainablity (3 credits) 
Synthesize ecological, economic, and solid dimensions of sustainable and resilient systems. Examine history, theory, current status, and future prospects of sustainability and resiliency as organizing principles for natural resource management professions. Situate science, policy, professional and civic institutions in sustainability efforts. Analysis sustainable and resilient bio-cultural systems. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5024 - Sustainability Case Studies (3 credits) 
Theory, properties, methods, and writing of case studies useful to sustainability professionals. Application of case study to explain and help guide management and planning of natural resource systems, such as water, food and agriculture, climate, and energy. Generalize from specific cases to global situations. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5114 - Global Issues in Environmental Sustainability (3 credits) 
Investigate specific environmental and natural resource challenges in a global context, including the conservation and management of ecosystems, habitats, wildlife, and renewable and nonrenewable resources, and the associated nation-specific laws, policies and governance that enable sustainable management solutions and cooperation among diverse stakeholders. May be repeated 1 time for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours 
NR 5154 - Environmental Risk and Rationality (3 credits) 
How risk is defined, perceived, and addressed in different contexts and by different stakeholders. Scientific and ethical dimensions of risk assessment and management in decision-making under uncertainty. Introduces foundational concepts in probability and their relationship to risk assessment, common errors of reasoning under conditions of uncertainty, and strategies for avoiding them. Psychological and linguistic factors that affect human decision-making. Critical analysis of risk-based decision-making as it applies to current issues such as sustainability practices, alternative energy, and environmental conservation. Pre: Graduate Standing
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5164 - Circular Economy (3 credits) 
Circular economy is an alternative to the conventional linear economic model of take–make–waste focused on restorative and regenerative use of resources. Requires decoupling economic activity from consumption of finite resources to eliminate waste, improve efficiencies, and reduce risks. Redefines "growth" by focusing on building natural, social, and economic capital. Pre: Graduate Standing
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5174 - Sustainability Systems (3 credits) 
Systems thinking approaches to address complex natural resource management issues. Examination of the interconnectedness of environmental and social systems. Knowledge and skills to work across disciplinary boundaries to develop solutions. Ecological systems such as water, climate, energy, urbanization, global material flows, and biodiversity are examined. Emphasis on ecosystem services, natural resources management, and valuation; social values; technologies; demographics; and collaborative problem-solving. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5184 - Adaptive Management (3 credits) 
Conservation strategies and tools needed by sustainability professionals. Concept mapping, threat assessment, socio-cultural context evaluation, biodiversity threat-mitigation strategies, monitoring, evaluation for natural resource conservation. Professional skills for working in conservation organizations (i.e., writing, team work, budgeting, management planning, personnel estimates). Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5194 - Environmental Ethics (3 credits) 
In depth analysis of current and past environmental issues in context of ethical and philosophical considerations starting from individual and group ethics and moving toward global and societal ethics. Addresses the interaction between influences and pressures such as social justice, cultural traditions, politics, science, technology, and religion and environmental ethics. Explores practical application of professional ethics to the resource decision-making process regarding current environmental issues. Graduate standing required, and National Capital Region students only.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5204 - Water Conflict & Management (3 credits) 
Freshwater conflict issues and management for environmental sustainability professionals. Amount, quality, and distribution of freshwater in the US and globally. Major US and global water management agencies and programs. Impacts of local needs, cultures, and laws on water conflict. Case studies of water management and water conflicts in US and globally. Water conflict management. Water refugees. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to online Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5214 - Urban Water Systems (3 credits) 
Urban water systems and planning challenges for sustainability professionals. Case studies of contemporary urban water problems and solutions from North America and globally. Water, hydrology, green infrastructure, and rapid urbanization. Water and emergency management. Connection of urban water system to the regional landscape. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5254 - Water and Marine Policy (3 credits) 
Water and marine policy spans a wide range of management applications. Global commonalities in water policy exist despite variations in stakeholders, geography, scale, climate, economics. Inherent tensions between data-driven science and political compromises. Case studies used to contrast policies, laws, and regulation, influencing factors, outcomes. Pre: Graduate Standing
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5264 - Watershed Stewardship (3 credits) 
Watershed stewardship theory and practices for sustainability professionals. Identification, mapping, evaluation of peri-urban and rural watershed characteristics. Watershed threat assessment and restoration planning. Stewardship programming promoting water quality monitoring, public education, and advocacy. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5274 - Infrastructure for Resilience (3 credits) 
Infrastructure design and development for urban sustainability and resilience. Focus on the interface of engineered, natural, and urban systems relevant to practicing sustainability professionals. Contemporary case studies illustrating innovations, processes, stakeholders, policies, and challenges of infrastructure planning for resiliency. Foundation for interdisciplinary team work on infrastructure planning. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5284 - Coastal & Marine Management (3 credits) 
Science, management, planning, and policy for sustainability professionals working in coastal and marine environments. Social, economic, and environmental interactions that cause coastal and marine system problems. National and international policy. Coastal zone management strategies and marine spatial planning. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5324 - Natural Resource Policy and Management (3 credits) 
Focus on natural resources management and policy, laws and regulations, including environmental conservation and sustainable development in the public and private sectors. Topics include economics, transboundary resource management, governance, public relations, stakeholder engagement, and renewable and nonrenewable resources such as energy, water, and wildlife. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5344 - International Environmental Law and Policy (3 credits) 
Purpose, scope, and justification of international environmental law and policy. Sources of international laws and conventions and their respective strengths and weaknesses; assessment and enhancement of their effectiveness. Mechanisms to assess and facilitate implementation and compliance. Non-environmental actors and regimes. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5394 - Transboundary Resource Management (3 credits) 
Cultural, social, geographic, and political dimensions of transboundary management for sustainability professionals. Types of boundaries. Natural resources boundary management needs and challenges when managing resources across boundaries. Strategies and best practices for transboundary resource management. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5424 - Urban Wildlife (3 credits) 
Provides a topical and historical overview of the field of urban wildlife and issues encompassed by wildlife in cities and towns. Focus will be on the structure and nature of cities as ecosystems. The role of wildlife within urban ecosystems and the relationships of people to wild animals will be explored. Graduate standing required. National Capital Region students only.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5434 - Human-Wildlife Conflicts (3 credits) 
Resolving human-wildlife conflicts in urbanizing environments. Legal and regulatory policy tools. Social science theory and facilitation tools for cooperation, collaboration, innovation, and conflict resolution applied to human-wildlife interactions. Social and ecological benefits and costs of managing conflicts. Human-wildlife ethics. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5454 - Biodiversity Stewardship (3 credits) 
Biodiversity science useful to sustainability professionals stewarding community conservation efforts. Mapping and documenting biodiversity; setting biodiversity goals; challenges of climate change, water use, habitat loss, and invasive species. Roles of government agencies, advocacy groups, and businesses in biodiversity stewardship. Biodiversity partnerships. Generating support for stewardship with community awareness and citizen science. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5464 - Biodiversity Policy (3 credits) 
Biodiversity policy tools for practicing sustainability professionals. International conventions and US laws protecting biological diversity, threatened and endangered species, and habitats. Tools and approaches for monitoring and assessing convention effectiveness. Policy obstacles and adaptive management responses. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5524 - Climate Change Science (3 credits) 
Climate change science needed by sustainability professionals. Causes and consequences of climate change. Greenhouse gas accounting for major emission sources. Science needed to compare strategies for mitigation, carbon sequestration, and adaptation. Function of major international climate science networks and organizations. Communicating climate science with different audiences. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5534 - Climate Change Policy (3 credits) 
Policy tools needed by sustainability professionals to address climate change. US and International policies and efforts to address climate issues. Business policies for adaptation and mitigation. Climate justice. Local government policy tools for mitigation, adaptation, sequestration. Climate geoengineering. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5544 - Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (3 credits) 
Competencies needed to develop and implement strategic climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience plans at local to national scales. Impacts of climate change. Climate vulnerability assessment for communities, environments, and businesses. Strategic mitigation, adaptation, and resilience approaches for sustainability. Scenario planning at local and national scales and in developed and developing countries. Communication, process, justice, and politics of implementation. Limits of adaptation. Climate adaptation and resilience planning. Restricted to Virtual Campus students. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5634 - Urban Ecology (3 credits) 
Theory and practice of urban ecology. The science and policy of urban ecosystems. Local, regional, and global aspects of urban ecological processes. Social, historical, and political dimensions of urban ecosystem management and environmental governance. Strategies for sustainable urban development. Graduate standing required.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5694 - Food Policy Sustainability (3 credits) 
Environmental, economic, and social impacts of food systems relevant to natural resource sustainability professionals. Production, processing, distribution, and consumption components of food systems. Implications on food systems of contemporary issues such global supply chains, urban/rural divide, climate change, poverty, local and organic food, equity, biotechnology, foreign policy, development, national security, political instability, and human health. Strategies and collaborative efforts among business, government, and nongovernmental actors addressing sustainable food challenges. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5724 - Conservation Ecology (3 credits) 
Explores interdisciplinary knowledge, theories, and research related to natural resource management and conservation. Investigate the causes and solutions to biodiversity and habitat loss and preservation. Emphasis will be on the synthesis and integration of knowledge, skills and abilities required to develop innovative approaches to sustain resource development as conservation issues become more complex. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5804 - Sustainable Purchasing and Supply Chains (3 credits) 
Managing supply chains to improve resource efficiency and reduce risk across key domains (e.g., food, transportation, housing, consumer goods, leisure). Implementing individual initiatives and campaigns to achieve more sustainable systems of production and consumption at regional and global scales. Identifying key stakeholders and strategies to achieve sustainable development goals. Pre: Graduate Standing
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5814 - Business Sustainability Applications (3 credits) 
Business and corporate sustainability theory and best practices for environmental sustainability professionals. Business motivations for sustainability. Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability programs and practices. Markets and demand for green goods and sustainable brands. Global trends in markets and demographics. Supply chain management for climate and other sustainability challenges. Sustainable dimensions of investing, reporting, employee recruitment and retention, insurance, and risk management. Circular economy policy and theory. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5824 - Sustainability Accounting and Reporting (3 credits) 
Accounting, evaluation, compliance, and reporting practices needed by sustainability professionals. Governance by disclosure through accountability and transparency. Applications include greenhouse gas, water, and human rights. Labels, certification, standards, and roundtables. Emphasis on reporting for businesses and government organizations. International and sectoral differences in sustainability reporting platforms and practices. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5844 - Leadership for Sustainability (3 credits) 
Leadership tools needed by practicing sustainability professionals. Leadership theory for wicked situations facilitating direction, alignment, commitment. Leadership practices at four levels of social organization: individual, team, organization, network. Individual level tools include self-awareness of personality traits, conflict and influence style, integrity, trust. Team tools include principles, feedback, project management, active listening. Organization tools include strategic planning, indicators, organizational change. Network level tools include boundary spanning, cross-sector collaboration, partnering. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5854 - Leadership and Communication for Sustainability Professionals (3 credits) 
Leadership and communication techniques for environmental, natural resource and sustainability professionals. Persuasive communication and collaboration within teams and within and across organizations, contextualized by examining environmental sustainability topics and case studies. Competencies such as emotional intelligence, self-awareness, empathy, active listening, and influencing without formal authority across boundaries. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5874 - Strategies for Sustainability (3 credits) 
Strategies to influence sustainability outcomes. Focus on social science approaches to influencing and explaining human behavior. Applied projects focused on interventions to address sustainability challenges. Pre: Graduate standing; restricted to Virtual Campus students.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
NR 5884 - Topics in Natural Resources (1-3 credits) 
Advanced exploration of topical studies related to natural resources science, policy, and management. Topics and formats will vary, and course may be taken for credit more than once up to a total of 6 credits. Graduate standing required. National Capital Region students only.
Instructional Contact Hours: (1-3 Lec, 1-3 Crd) 
Repeatability: up to 6 credit hours 
NR 5904 - Project and Report (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 5954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 5964 - Field Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 5974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 5984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 5994 - Research and Thesis (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
NR 6104 - Advanced Topics in Remote Sensing (3 credits) 
In-depth coverage of advanced topics in the field of remote sensing selected to cover emerging techniques and technologies. Examples of topics, which will differ each semester, include field data in support of remote sensing, accuracy assessment, and hyperspectral remote sensing. Critical assessment of the ways in which remotely sensed data and information are employed in varied scientific disciplines and by society.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 3 Lab, 3 Crd)