Colorado State University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The demand for professionals who understand and can manage natural resources to benefit current and future generations is growing rapidly. The Ecosystem Science and Sustainability degree program provides students with the knowledge and ability to integrate the latest science into real-world decision making. Our affiliation with CSU's Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, with a 45-year history of world-class ecosystem research, gives undergraduate students opportunities to gain hands-on research experience while developing solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Learn about the challenges humans face in sustainably managing ecosystem services, but also about the amazing ways in which organisms interact with their environments to form complex ecosystems, and cutting-edge integrative solutions for sustainability. Students begin their degree with core courses that build a strong foundation in the physical and natural sciences. Courses in ecosystem science put that core understanding into the context of natural resources, with coursework in the classroom, laboratory, and field.

Wildlife rules in this major with three concentrations; Wildlife Biology, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, and Conservation Biology. We were the first academic program to emphasize the importance of incorporating public input and two-way communication in decision-making for wildlife policy. Our program has an international reputation for developing new quantitative methods in applied ecology and conservation biology. Results of these initiatives have often had important policy implications. Our faculty have worked to remediate the toxic effects of mining wastes, pesticides, and other contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial habitats and food webs.

This degree allows students to gain a broad education in the Natural Resources through diverse coursework from all four departments. Students specialize by choosing from one of WCNR's 7 minors or from the 60+ minors available at CSU. The goal of the natural resources management major is to provide students with a broad-based understanding of the interconnectedness of social, political, and ecological systems. This knowledge will enable students to design sustainable solutions to address natural resource conservation and management problems. Students will learn about natural resource stewardship in both theory and practice, with an eye toward designing systems that are adaptable and resilient in light of the social and ecological complexity and change that characterize today’s challenges.

The School of Global Environmental Sustainably lists 19 majors offered by almost every college at CSU which are focused on various aspects of sustainability: http://sustainability.colostate.edu/education/csu-programs-undergraduate-students

This program is for agriculture and horticulture students considering a career in organic food production, or for any student concerned about the environmental and sociological impacts of conventional agricultural practices and interested in alternative approaches. Organic food and fiber production without the use of synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers is the fastest-growing sector of the agricultural industry, fueled by consumer demand in both North America and Europe. The Interdisciplinary Studies Program in Organic Agriculture at Colorado State University provides a unique opportunity to study the science of organic production.

The Environmental Affairs program is designed for students of all majors who have a particular interest in environmental topics. The program's core in the social sciences and humanities is supplemented with science and elective courses. It provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to draw upon Colorado State University's environmental expertise as they broaden their education.

The Global Environmental Sustainability Minor offers students in every department a curriculum that enhances their major with an understanding of the issues of sustainability and provides students with the tools to bring sustainability into their career paths.

There are at least 7 minors in Sustainability at CSU: http://sustainability.colostate.edu/education/csu-programs-undergraduate-students