BS Natural Resource Conservation and Management

The Natural Resource Conservation and Management Program prepares students to protect and advocate for the wise use of natural resources. In jobs ranging from wetland ecologist to conservation coordinator, graduates may collect information about forest, soil and water conditions, prepare reports and apply techniques for protecting and restoring specific conditions. Few places can match Western Carolina's location for studying our natural resources. Located in the heart of the southern Appalachians and surrounded by 6,000-foot peaks, national forests, national parks, the program’s hands-on activities take place in areas with some of the highest biological diversity in the world.

Graduates gain employment in positions such as forester, ecologist and consultant with state and federal forest and wildlife management agencies, extension services and schools, landscaping firms and nurseries, environmental protection agencies, museums and universities, nonprofit conservation organizations, soil and water conservation districts, environmental consulting firms and many others.