Natural Resources And Wildlife Technology - Garrett College
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Natural Resources & Wildlife Technology


Turn your passion for hiking, hunting, fishing and the outdoors into a career with a degree program that capitalizes on a love of the natural environment.

What is NRWT?

Garrett College's Natural Resources & Wildlife Technology program, or NRWT, is a program that expands a love of the outdoors and nature into advanced knowledge to grow into a unique and fulfilling career.

NRWT strives to graduate technicians who are well prepared for employment in the field of natural resources management, who understand and appreciate the interrelationships among all components of an ecosystem, and who recognize the socioeconomic and political forces affecting resource management decisions. While taking a holistic approach to resource management, the program emphasizes wildlife, fisheries, and forest management, and soil and water conservation.

NRWT Degrees

The Garrett College NRWT program awards and Associate in Applied Sciences (A.A.S) degree to graduates.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, particularly in settings involving issues related to natural resources management.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze multifaceted natural resources and environmental problems/issues and develop and evaluate potential options and proposed solutions.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to employ the scientific method as well as quantitative reasoning and computational skills in a variety of applications, including those associated with the management of natural resources and the environment.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to use GPS technology to accurately collect geospatial data.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to input and analyze geospatial data using geographic information system software.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to correctly identify important wildlife species of the Central Appalachian/Mid-Atlantic region.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to correctly identify important woody and herbaceous plants of the Central Appalachian/Mid-Atlantic region.

Program Benefits

If you have a desire to be directly involved with the natural environment as much as possible, the NRWT program includes hands-on classes with advanced technology and field-based instruction.

  • Practical, field-based instruction
  • Hands-on classes, most with outdoor components
  • Small classes and personlized attention
  • Advanced technology, including the latest Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
  • Employment and volunteer opportunities
  • Class trips to the Chesapeake Bay and other regional environments
  • Spring break trips to southeast Arizona

Career Goals

Garrett's NRWT program prepares you for a career in any of the following areas of interest:

  • Parks and Recreation
  • Water quality monitoring
  • Wildlife habitat management
  • Fisheries management
  • Wetlands management
  • Forestry
  • Enviornmental and ecological restoration
  • Environmental consulting
  • Soil and water conservation
  • Nature education and interpretation

Natural Resources & Wildlife Technology A.A.S. Degree

Total Credit Hours Required 66

GER Required Credits (21 Credits)

English Composition

  • ENG101  Comp I—Expos Writing  3*

Arts and Humanities

  • COM101  Intro to Communication  3*
  • HUM210  Society & Environment  3*

Social and Behavioral Sciences

  • PSY101  General Psychology
    or SOC101  Principles of Sociology  3*

Science

  • BIO104  Principles of Biology
    or BIO101  General Biology I/Lab
    or BIO102  General Biology II/Lab  4*

Mathematics

  • MAT105  College Algebra
    or MAT110  Pre-Calculus
    or MAT190  Calculus 3(or 4)*

Interdisciplinary/Emerging Issues

  • CIS180  Intro to GIS  2*

Core Courses (45 credits)

  • NRW103  Nat Res Practical Skills I  0.5*
  • NRW104  Nat Res Practical Skills II  0.5*
  • ESC210  Soils  3*
  • ESC265  Soil & Water Conservation  4*
  • BIO120  Dendrology  3*
  • BIO150  General Ecology  3*
  • ENT170  Geospatial Data Coll/Analysis  4*
  • ^ENT201  Chem/Quant Mthds for Ag/NR  2*
  • ENT225  Water Quality Assessment  3*
  • NRW101  NRWT Seminar I  0.50*
  • NRW105  Env Sc/Contemp NatRes Issues
    or NRW106  Env Sc/Cont NatRes Issues 2 (or 3)*
  • NRW180  Herbaceous Plant Identification
    or BIO214  Plant Taxonomy 2 (or 3)*
  • NRW181  Wildlife Biology  3*
  • NRW270  Forest Measurements  2*
  • NRW275  Forest Management  3*
  • NRW283  Fish Biology & Mgmt  3*
  • NRW286  Wildlife Tech/Habitat Mgmt I  3*
  • NRW287  Wildlife Tech/Habitat Mgmt II  3*
  • NRW289  NRWT Seminar II  0.50*

Additional Graduation Requirement

Must pass NRWT Departmental Exit Exam

* Minimum C grade required for this major.

^ Student may request waiver of ENT201 when CHE101, CHE102, & MAT210 are taken.

Garrett College Program of Study