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University of Montana Catalog 2024-2025

Environmental Science and Sustainability B.S. - Ecosystem Science and Restoration

The Ecosystem Science and Restoration concentration spans the range of ecology from microbial to global scales and includes basic and applied science. Students will focus on learning about how ecosystems work, solving pressing environmental problems, and/or helping to restore degraded ecosystems. In the ESR concentration, students can focus on either aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems and tailor their capstone experience to best fit their interests and career path.

General Degree Requirements

To earn a baccalaureate degree, all students must complete successfully, in addition to any other requirements, the University of Montana General Education Requirements. Please refer to the General Education Requirements page for more information. 

Additional requirements for graduation can be found on the Degree/Certificate Requirements for Graduation page

Unless otherwise noted in individual program requirements, a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all work attempted at the University of Montana-Missoula is required for graduation. Please see the Academic Policies and Procedures page for information on how your GPA is calculated.

Courses taken to satisfy the requirements of a major, minor, or certificate program must be completed with a grade of C- or better unless a higher grade is noted in the program requirements.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY; ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE AND RESTORATION CONCENTRATION

Course Requirements

Lower-Division Required Courses
Complete all of the following courses:
CHMY 121NIntroduction to General Chemistry4
COMX 111AIntroduction to Public Speaking3
or THTR 120A Introduction to Acting I
FORS 201Forest Biometrics3-4
or STAT 216 Introduction to Statistics
or WILD 240 Intro to Biostatistics
GPHY 111N
GPHY 112N
Intro to Physical Geography: Climate, Landforms, and Vegetation
and Intro to Physical Geography Laboratory: Climate, Landforms, and Vegetation
3-4
or NRSM 211N
NRSM 212N
Soils and Water
and Ecology, Physics and Taxonomy of Soils
NRSM 110First Year Seminar in Environmental Science and Sustainability 11
NRSM 121SEnvironmental Science and Sustainability3
Ecosystem Science and Restoration Concentration Requirements
Lower-Division Required Courses
Complete all of the following courses:
BIOB 160Principles of Living Systems3
BIOB 161NPrinciples of Living Systems Lab1
BIOB 260Cellular and Molecular Biology4
BIOB 272Genetics and Evolution4
CHMY 123Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry4
M 162Applied Calculus4
NRSM 265Elements of Ecological Restoration3
Complete one of the following: 3
Introduction to Physical Geology
and Introduction to Physical Geology Lab
Introduction to Botany
Upper-Division Required Courses
Complete all of the following courses:
BIOE 370General Ecology3
BIOE 428Freshwater Ecology3-5
or BIOO 335 Rocky Mountain Flora
NRSM 344Ecosystem Science and Restoration Capstone5
NRSM 385Watershed Hydrology3
NRSM 465Foundations of Restoration Ecology3
or BIOE 447 Ecosystem Ecology
NRSM 494Ecosystem Science and Restoration Seminar1
NRSM 495Ecosystem Science and Restoration Practicum3
or NRSM 498 Internship
or NRSM 499 Senior Thesis
ESR Natural Science Electives
Complete three of the following courses. Courses may not count as an elective if taken to satisfy other listed requirements.9
Alpine Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Terrestrial Plant Ecology
Landscape Ecology
Forest and Fire Ecology
General Botany
Biology and Management of Fishes
Plant Physiology
Weather and Climate
Forest Mensuration
Intro to GIS for Forest Mgt
Forest Ecology
Wildland Fuel Management
Fire Ecology
Multiple Resource Silviculture
Earth's Changing Climate
Hydrogeology
Hydrology
Process Geomorphology
Intro to Physical Geography: Climate, Landforms, and Vegetation
and Intro to Physical Geography Laboratory: Climate, Landforms, and Vegetation
Geomorphology
Soils and Water
and Ecology, Physics and Taxonomy of Soils
Rangeland Management
Natural Climate Solutions
Environmental Soil Science
Ecosystem Climatology
Rangeland Ecology
Foundations of Restoration Ecology
Conservation of Wildlife Populations
Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology
Ethics
Complete one of the following courses: 3
Climate Change Ethics and Policy
Ethics and Sustainability
Policy
Complete one of the following courses: 3
Natural Resource Policy and Administration
Water Policy
Climate Policy
Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics
Social Science
Complete one of the following courses: 3
Climate and Society
Collaborations in Natural Resource Decisions
Environment & Development
Recreation Behavior
Advanced Writing Requirement
Complete three of the following courses:
Freshwater Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Forest Ecology
Timber Harvesting & Roads
Multiple Resource Silviculture
Practice of Silviculture
Forest Stand Management
Senior Thesis
Climate and Society
Climate Change Ethics and Policy
Collaborations in Natural Resource Decisions
Ethics and Sustainability
Rangeland Ecology
Foundations of Restoration Ecology
Environment & Development
Ecosystem Science and Restoration Practicum
Senior Thesis
Recreation Behavior
Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics
Total Hours82-86
1

NRSM 110 is not required for students who declare the major after already earning 60+ credits.

 
 

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