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Rangeland Ecology and Management Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate Major

The curriculum below includes University and Departmental requirements for the B.S. degree and provides emphasis either in science, management, ecology, or allied disciplines. The B.S. degree is also offered on the campus of Eastern Oregon University at LaGrande through an extension of the OSU Rangeland Ecology and Management Department. Facilities for study include classroom and field-oriented educational environments both on-campus and at locations throughout Oregon. Field trips are taken in conjunction with specific courses.

Five important facts about the B.S. degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management at Oregon State University:

  • Curriculum prepares students to think critically and understand interactions between plants, animals, soils and climate.
  • Courses qualify students for professional career paths.
  • Students have opportunities to travel and experience real-world examples of Rangeland Management.
  • Students are taught by nationally recognized teachers
  • Opportunities exist to make life-long friends.

Once you have chosen this degree, you will also choose an option or emphasis area that allows you to specialize in rangeland ecology and management, rangeland management, rangeland science, watershed management, wildland ecology, rangeland soils, rangeland wildlife, rangeland forestry, or fire ecology and management. There are also a wide variety of minors available through other departments.

Rangeland Ecology and Management (B.S.)

Requirements:

180 credit hours for an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Rangeland Ecology and Management.

  • 50 credit hours of writing, math, and science within the Baccalaureate Core
  • 102 credit hours of chemistry, math, biology, economics, animal science, and rangeland science within the Rangeland Ecology and Management Core
  • 27 credit hours in a range option or emphasis area

An Undergraduate Minor in Rangeland Ecology and Management is also available. Information on the minor program is listed at the end of this page.

Curriculum

Each student must take core courses plus additional courses in one of the seven options.

Baccalaureate Core (48)

Rangeland Ecology and Management Core (110)

  • MTH 241. Calculus for Management and Social Science (4)*
  • CH 121, CH 122. General Chemistry (5,5)*
  • CH 130. General Chemistry of Living Systems (4)
  • BI 211, BI 212. Principles of Biology (4,4)*
  • CSS 305. Principles of Soil Science (4)
  • CSS 306. Solving Problems: Soil Science Applications (1)
  • CSS 466. Soil Morphology and Classification (4)
  • ECON 201. Intro to Microeconomics (4)*
  • AREc 351. Natural Resource Economics and Policy (3) or AREc 352 Environmental Economics and Policy (3) *
  • ST 351. Intro to Statistical Methods (4) or ST 201 Principles of Statistics (3) plus ST 209 Principles of Hypothesis Testing (1)
  • ANS 210. Applied Animal Nutrition: Feeds and Feed Processing (3) or ANS 310 Applied Animal Nutrition: Ration Formulation (3)
  • ANS 436. Sheep Production Systems (3) or ANS 443 Beef Production Systems (3)
  • BOT 321. Intro to Plant Systematics (4)
  • BOT 331. Plant Physiology (4) or BOT 488 Environmental Physiology of Plants (3)
  • BOT 414. Agrostology (4)
  • BI 370. Ecology (3) or BOT 341. Plant Ecology (3)
  • GEO 102. The Surface of the Earth (4)*
  • WR 327. Technical Writing (3)*

* Bac Core Course

Rangeland Ecology and Management (30)

  • RNG 241. Rangeland Ecology and Management(3)
  • RNG 351. Range Ecology I - Grasslands (3)
  • RNG 352. Range Ecology II - Shrublands (3)
  • RNG 353  Wildland Plant Identification (4)
  • RNG 355. Desert Watershed Management (3)
  • RNG 403. Senior Thesis (WIC Course) (3)
  • RNG 421. Wildland Restoration and Ecology (4)
  • RNG 441. Rangeland Analysis (4)
  • RNG 442. Rangeland-Animal Relations (4)
  • RNG 490. Rangeland Management Planning (4)
  • Free electives (3-13)

Options

Option course work must include a minimum of 15 upper division credits. Students must choose one option.

Range Science Option (27)

The Range Science option is intended to prepare students for specialized rangeland evaluation work. It includes more physics and other sciences than the other options.

  • ANS 378. Animal Genetics(4)
  • Physics (8)
  • Biology and Range (13)
  • Electives (2)

Range/Forestry/Fire Management Option (27)

The Range/Forestry/Fire Management option provides a strong background in forest-related courses. Students interested in working for the U.S. Forest Service often select this option.

  • BOT 415. Forest Insects & Disease Mgt (5)
  • FOR 220. Aerial Photos Interpretation and Forest Measurements (4), or
  • FOR 241. Dendrology (5)
  • FOR 321. Forest Mensuration (5)
  • FOR 341. Forest Ecology (4)
  • FOR 407. Seminar (1)
  • FOR 420. Advanced Aerial Photos and Remote Sensing (3)
  • FOR 441. Silviculture Principles (4)
  • RNG 436. Wildland Fire Science (3)
  • RNG 446. Wildland Fire Ecology (3)

Range/Soils Option (27)

The Range/Soils option is designed with an emphasis in understanding soil resources. It includes several courses from the Crop and Soil Science Department while maintaining the core Rangeland Management focus.

  • CSS 315. Nutrient Management & Cycling (4)
  • CSS 435. Physics of Soil Ecosystems (4)
  • CSS 455. Biology of Soil Ecosystems (4)
  • CSS 485. Environmental Applications of Soil Science (4)
  • Other soils and range classes (8)

Range Management Option (27)

The Range Management option is oriented to students interested in federal rangeland jobs. It includes more aerial photo interpretation and management classes than other options.

  • ANS 121. Intro to Animal Sciences (4)*
  • ANS 436. Sheep Production Systems (3)
    or ANS 443. Beef Production Systems (3)
  • FW 251. Principles of Fish and Wildlife Conservation (3)
  • RNG 351. Range Ecology I - Grasslands (3)
  • RNG 352. Range Ecology II - Shrublands (3)
  • RNG 353. Wildland Plant Identification (4)
  • RNG 477. Agroforestry (3)*

Range/Wildlife Option (27)

The Range/Wildlife option includes emphasis in wildlife and zoology. It prepares students for Rangeland Management jobs where wildlife resources are an important objective for managers.

  • BI 311. Genetics (4)
  • Zoology Courses (6)

Select at least 17 credits from below:

  • FW 311. Biology of Birds (3)
    or Z 471. Ornithology (4)
  • FW 317. Biology of Mammals (3)
  • FW 318. Systematics of Mammals (2)
  • FW 320. Introduction to Population Dynamics (3)
  • FW 321. Fish and Wildlife Ecology (3)
  • FW 451. Avian Conservation and Management (5)
  • FW 458. Management of Big Game Animals (4)
  • FW 481. Wildlife Ecology (3)
  • FW 485. Consensus and Natural Resources (3)*
    or Z 348. Human Ecology (3)*
  • Z 365. Biology of Insects (4)
  • Z 473. Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (3)

Wildland Ecology Option (27)

Wildland Ecology is an option that provides a degree in terrestrial ecology. It includes a blend of botany, wildlife, and soils courses to develop a depth of understanding in ecology.

Select two courses from:

  • CSS 435. Physics of Soil Ecosystems (4)
  • FW 311. Biology of Birds (3) or FW 317. Biology of Mammals (3)
  • FW 321. Fisheries and Wildlife Resource Ecology (3)
  • FW 458. Management of Big Game Animals (4)
  • RNG 455. Riparian Ecology and Management (3)

Select three courses from:

  • BI 371. Ecological Methods (3)
  • BOT 442. Plant Population Ecology (3)
  • FOR 341. Forest Ecology (4)
  • GEO 422. Reconstructing Historical Landscapes (3)
  • Electives (6)

General Rangeland Ecology and Management

General Rangeland Ecology and Management Option has no specified electives. It allows the students and advisors to develop an option focused on any area of the student's interest.

27 credits of electives chosen in consultation with adviser and department head.

Minor Program (27)

Note: Completion of the Rangeland Ecology and Management Minor alone does not qualify students for Rangeland Conservationist positions with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Requirements

  • RNG 241. Rangeland Ecology & Management (3)
  • RNG 351. Range Ecology I - Grasslands (3)
  • RNG 352. Range Ecology II - Shrublands (3)
  • RNG 421. Wildland Restoration and Ecology (4)
  • RNG 442. Rangeland-Animal Relations (4)
  • RNG 490. Rangeland Management Planning (4)

Select 9 additional credits from:

  • Any other RNG course
  • BOT 341. Plant Ecology (4)
  • ANS 436. Sheep Production Systems(3)
  • ANS 443. Beef Production Systems(3)


  
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