2025-2026 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Program Curriculum
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Minimum credit hours required for graduation is 120. Prerequisites or enrollment restrictions may apply to some courses. Consult the undergraduate course catalog or the timetable of classes. | ||
Degree Core Requirements (19 credits) | ||
FREC 2214 | Introduction to Land and Field Measurements | 3 |
FREC 2314 | Forest Biology and Dendrology | 2 |
FREC 2324 | Dendrology Laboratory | 1 |
FREC 2614 | Human-Environment Systems | 3 |
FREC/NR 4004 | Professional Skills in Natural Resources | 1 |
FREC/NR 4014 | Natural Resources Economics | 3 |
FREC 4114 | Information Technologies for Natural Resource Management | 3 |
FREC 4434 | Natural Resource Policy | 3 |
Subtotal | 19 | |
Major Requirements (39 credits) | ||
BIOL 1115 | Principles of Biology Laboratory | 1 |
BIOL 1116 | Principles of Biology Laboratory | 1 |
CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
ENSC 3134 | Soils in the Landscape | 3 |
FIW 2114 | Principles of Fish and Wildlife Conservation | 3 |
FREC 2004 | Forest Ecosystems | 3 |
or FREC 3314 | Forest Ecology and Silvics | |
FREC 2414 | Field Experience in Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation | 2 |
FREC/HORT 3354 | Trees in the Built Environment | 3 |
or FREC 4334 | Principles and Practice of Agroforestry | |
FREC 3364 | Environmental Silviculture (Pathways 6 Design) | 3 |
FREC 4354 | Forest Soil and Watershed Management | 3 |
FREC 4374 | Forested Wetlands | 3 |
FREC/AAEC/WATR 4464 | Water Resources Policy and Economics (Pathways 3 and 7) | 3 |
GEOG/GEOS 4354 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | 3 |
or FREC 4214 | Forest Photogrammetry and Spatial Data Processing | |
GEOS 1024 | Earth Resources, Society, and Environment | 3 |
or GEOS 1004 | Earth Science: Our Past, Present, and Future | |
GEOS 1124 | Earth Resources, Society and Environment Laboratory | 1 |
or GEOS 1104 | Introduction to Earth Sciences Laboratory | |
Subtotal | 39 | |
Restricted Electives (15 to 16 credits - see accompanying lists) | ||
Global Environmental Issues Restricted Elective | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
International Agricultural Development and Trade | ||
Forests, Society & Climate | ||
Forest Carbon Management and Policy | ||
Climate Change and the International Policy Framework | ||
Environmental Justice, Resources and Development | ||
Geography of Resources | ||
International Development Policy and Planning | ||
Circular Economy Analytics for Sustainable Systems | ||
Global Environmental Issues: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | ||
Gender, Environment, and International Development | ||
Law Restricted Elective | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Environmental Law | ||
Agricultural Law | ||
Legal and Ethical Environment of Business | ||
Law of Critical Environmental Areas | ||
Legal Foundations of Planning | ||
Public Relations Restricted Elective | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Grant Proposals and Reports | ||
Environmental Interpretation | ||
Multicultural Communication | ||
Principles of Public Relations | ||
Collaborative Policy-Making and Planning | ||
Urban Environments Restricted Elective | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Urbanization and Biodiversity Conservation | ||
Plants and Greenspaces in Urban Communities | ||
Urban and Community Forestry | ||
The U.S. City | ||
Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning | ||
Land Use and Environment: Planning and Policy | ||
Water Restricted Elective | ||
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Freshwater Ecology | ||
Aquatic Entomology | ||
Ecology and Management of Wetland Systems | ||
Fish Ecology | ||
Principles of Watershed Hydrology | ||
Watersheds and Water Quality Monitoring | ||
Wetland Hydrology and Biogeochemistry | ||
Subtotal | 15-16 | |
Free Electives | ||
Select free electives to total 120 credits. | 2 | |
Pathways to General Education | ||
Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse (9 credits required) | ||
COMM 1015 | Communication Skills | 3 |
or ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing | |
COMM 1016 | Communication Skills | 3 |
or ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing | |
Select three credits in Pathway 1a (3 credits) | 3 | |
Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities (6 credits required) | ||
FREC/LAR/NR 2554 | Leadership for Global Sustainability | 3 |
Select three credits in Pathway 2 (3 credits) | 3 | |
Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences (6 credits required) | ||
AAEC 1005 | Economics of the Food and Fiber System | 3 |
or ECON 2005 | Principles of Economics | |
FREC/AAEC/WATR 4464 | Water Resources Policy and Economics | 3 |
Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences (6 credits required) | ||
BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
BIOL 1106 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking (9 credits required) | ||
MATH 1025 | Elementary Calculus | 3-4 |
or MATH 1225 | Calculus of a Single Variable | |
MATH 1026 | Elementary Calculus | 3-4 |
or MATH 1226 | Calculus of a Single Variable | |
STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts (6 credits required) | ||
FREC 3364 | Environmental Silviculture | 3 |
Select three credits in Pathway 6a (3 credits) | 3 | |
Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States (3 credits required) | ||
FREC/AAEC/WATR 4464 | Water Resources Policy and Economics | 3 |
Subtotal | 47-49 | |
Total Credits | 120-123 |
Satisfactory Progress: By the end of the semester in which the student has attempted 60 hours (including transfer, advanced placement, advanced standing, and credit by examination), "satisfactory progress" towards a B.S. degree in Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation will include the following minimum criteria:
Minimum credit hours required for graduation is 120.
For students interested in pursuing hydrology positions in the federal government, please note:
US Office of Personnel Management: Hydrology Qualification Standards:
Basic Requirements:
Degree: physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical sciences, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work must have included at least 6 [credit hours] in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus, e.g., MATH 1025 Elementary Calculus and MATH 1026 Elementary Calculus), and at least 6 [credit hours] in physics (e.g., PHYS 2205 General Physics and PHYS 2206 General Physics).
The Watershed Management minor will facilitate completion of additional water-related coursework that may be beneficial for those seeking federal hydrology positions. For full information, consult your advisor.
Acceptable Substitutions: The following courses have acceptable substitutions .
Foreign Language Requirement: A sequence of two (2) foreign language courses is required for graduation unless two (2) high school credits of the same foreign language or six (6) transfer credit hours of foreign language have been earned. These credits do not count toward graduation. See catalog section on "Graduation Requirements."
Students do not need to follow this plan exactly. This is an example plan.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall Semester | Credits | |
COMM 1015 or ENGL 1105 | Communication Skills (Pathway 1f) or First-Year Writing | 3 |
BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology (Pathway 4) | 3 |
BIOL 1115 | Principles of Biology Laboratory | 1 |
MATH 1025 or MATH 1225 | Elementary Calculus (Pathway 5f) or Calculus of a Single Variable | 3-4 |
Pathway 2 Course | 3 | |
Pathway 6a Course | 3 | |
Credits | 16-17 | |
Spring Semester | ||
COMM 1016 or ENGL 1106 | Communication Skills (Pathway 1f) or First-Year Writing | 3 |
BIOL 1106 | Principles of Biology (Pathway 4) | 3 |
BIOL 1116 | Principles of Biology Laboratory | 1 |
MATH 1026 or MATH 1226 | Elementary Calculus (Pathway 5f) or Calculus of a Single Variable | 3-4 |
CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
Credits | 14-15 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
FREC 2214 | Introduction to Land and Field Measurements | 3 |
FREC 2314 | Forest Biology and Dendrology | 2 |
FREC 2324 | Dendrology Laboratory | 1 |
AAEC 1005 or ECON 2005 | Economics of the Food and Fiber System (Pathway 3) or Principles of Economics | 3 |
FIW 2114 | Principles of Fish and Wildlife Conservation | 3 |
FREC 2554 | Leadership for Global Sustainability | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring Semester | ||
FREC 2414 | Field Experience in Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation | 2 |
FREC 2614 | Human-Environment Systems | 3 |
GEOS 1024 or GEOS 1004 | Earth Resources, Society, and Environment or Earth Science: Our Past, Present, and Future | 3 |
GEOS 1124 or GEOS 1104 | Earth Resources, Society and Environment Laboratory or Introduction to Earth Sciences Laboratory | 1 |
FREC 2004 or FREC 3314 | Forest Ecosystems or Forest Ecology and Silvics | 3 |
Free Electives | 3 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
FREC/WATR/AAEC 4464 | Water Resources Policy and Economics (Pathways 3 and 7) | 3 |
FREC/HORT 3354 or FREC 4334 | Trees in the Built Environment or Principles and Practice of Agroforestry | 3 |
STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics (Pathway 5a) | 3 |
Restricted Electives (Example: Law) | 3 | |
Restricted Electives (Example: Urban Environments) | 3 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring Semester | ||
FREC 3364 | Environmental Silviculture (Pathway 6d) | 3 |
Pathway 1a Course | 3 | |
ENSC 3134 | Soils in the Landscape | 3 |
Restricted Electives (Example: Public Relations) | 3 | |
Restricted Electives (Example: Global Environmental Issues) | 3 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
FREC/NR 4014 | Natural Resources Economics | 3 |
FREC 4374 | Forested Wetlands | 3 |
FREC 4354 | Forest Soil and Watershed Management | 3 |
FREC 4114 | Information Technologies for Natural Resource Management | 3 |
FREC/NR 4004 | Professional Skills in Natural Resources | 1 |
Free Electives | 2 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring Semester | ||
FREC 4434 | Natural Resource Policy | 3 |
FREC 4214 or GEOG 4354 | Forest Photogrammetry and Spatial Data Processing or Introduction to Remote Sensing | 3 |
Restricted Electives (Example: Water) | 3-4 | |
Free Electives | 3 | |
Free Electives | 3 | |
Credits | 15-16 | |
Total Credits | 120-123 |
Total Credits Required for Graduation = 120
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