The Natural Resource Management (NRM) major teaches students to bridge the gap between people and the environment. Coursework prepares students to engage in environmental education efforts and planning processes for protecting natural resources. Through a combination of classroom and hands-on learning, students gain the knowledge needed to manage human interactions with the natural world in parks, protected areas, and natural resource organizations.
Students interested in NRM should have a strong background in verbal and written communications, science, policy and economics, and a desire to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds. Upon graduation, students are prepared to work in a variety of positions in environmental education or land management with local, state, or federal agencies.
Specializations
All NRM students take a core set of courses related to land management, environmental economics, and technical writing to acquire skills in program management and outreach. Students build upon this foundation by specializing in one of two areas:
Natural Resources Administration and Management: Learn skills for making management decisions by acquiring knowledge in economics and finance, leadership, law and policy, and environmental education. Expand on these skills by taking courses related to the natural environment, including forests, aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, soil, water, sustainable agriculture, and zoo management. Students in this specialization are prepared to fulfill administrative roles in land management agencies.
Parks and Recreation: Take courses that foster understandings of environmental education and outreach, environmental law, and business practices to learn how to plan programs that connect people with natural resources. Students build on these outreach skills by taking courses about environmental systems, including forests, aquatic ecosystems, soil, water, wildlife, and zoo science and management. Students in this specialization are prepared to engage the public in the values of natural resources to inspire personal stewardship and support for preserving these resources.
Career Outcomes
On average, 93% of NRM students are employed or enrolled in graduate or professional school within six months of graduation with a reported average starting salary around $39k. Typically, 5% of NRM graduates go directly into graduate or professional school.
Here are some examples of positions acquired by FFW graduates immediately following graduation between 2018 and 2023:
Many NRM students are hoping to pursue careers with local, state, or national parks. Typically, about 1/4 of NRM grads go on to work as rangers, park guides, naturalists, administrators, and educators in a parks system. Here are some of their recent destinations:
Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio
Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, Ohio
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio
Preservation Parks of Delaware County, Ohio
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio
U.S. Forest Service, various locations:
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Wayne National Forest
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White River National Forest
National Park Service, various locations:
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Acadia National Park
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Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
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Rocky Mountain National Park
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Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Selection of additional positions acquired by recent grads:
Lead Foreman / Line Clearance Trimmer, Asplundh Tree Expert Company, North Carolina
Environmental Consultant, August Mack Environmental, Ohio
Wild Encounters Interpreter, Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio
Forestry & Park Maintenance Technician, City of Upper Arlington, Ohio
Kayak Guide & Assistant Manager, Coastal Explorations, North Carolina
Environmental Educator, Connected Pathways Early Learning Center, Ohio
Environmental Health Specialist, Cuyahoga Co. Board of Health, Ohio
Youth and Adult Programs Coordinator, The Dawes Arboretum, Ohio
Wetlands Environmental Specialist, Independence Excavating, Ohio
Field Technician, Midwest Biodiversity Institute, Ohio
Soil Conservationist, NRCS, South Dakota
Wildlife Communications Specialist, ODNR – Division of Wildlife, Ohio
Biological Field Station Assistant, Ohio State University – Stone Lab, Ohio
Sea Turtle Intern, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, South Carolina
Natural Resource Specialist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio
