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What kind of degree do I need to pursue a career in Natural Resource Management?

The preferred degree to earn when considering a career in Natural Resources Management is a master’s degree. This program is typically designed for individuals who are already authorities in the field of natural resources and who, perhaps, already have a career established in the area of natural resources.

The science behind natural resources involves the study or relationship between man and our natural environment, including our air, land, water, fish, and animals. Your main concern will be to protect and preserve our environment for future generations to enjoy.

Although you may obtain an entry-level position in natural resources with a bachelor’s degree, you will want to consider earning your master’s degree in Natural Resources if you would like to be considered for a position in management.  A master’s program will prepare you for a leadership role.

Master’s degree programs typically take two to three years to complete, and some programs are available online for your convenience, although they are not widely available. Online programs do not always require a thesis, although a specialized research project may be mandatory. An internship may also be required.

You will need some special skills for your management position, namely, strong reasoning and analytical skills, together with good oral and written communication skills, not to mention excellent problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

The Natural Resource Management candidate must be willing to dress appropriately to endure harsh weather conditions and be physically fit for hiking rough landscape terrain. Are you a leader? Can you relate to and manage other employees with diplomacy? Are you well organized, a multi-tasker, and have a genuine love for the world around us? If you answered yes to these questions, a career in Natural Resource Management awaits you.

Once you decide to obtain your Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management, you may be asked to pick an area of specialization or concentration, such as forestry, wildlife, fisheries, or parks management.

Master degree holders in the field of Natural Resources may qualify for a position as an Environmental Scientist or Specialist or any other career in management while working for public or government agencies, in addition to becoming a researcher or teacher at the university level.

Within the focus of ecology, core course topics in the master’s program may consist mainly of math, statistics, and biology. Our timber, water, oil, wildlife, and fish are resources that are researched intensely, particularly how humans affect our environment, in addition to how the environment influences us.

Other course topics will include forestry ethics, geographic information surveying, wildlife, fish and marine mammal conservation and biology, nuclear energy, endangered species, law and the environment, ecology of rangelands and wetlands, and human dimensions of ecology.

If you would like to continue your education, Natural Resource Managers may wish to acquire certification. With experience, you will be allowed to sit for the exam. Upon passage, this accolade will afford you more opportunities for advancement and a significant pay raise.


If you would like more information regarding this field of expertise, feel free to check out our Best Master’s Programs for Natural Resource Management.

Also, check this out: The Highest Paying Business Management Positions

Rowan Jones
Chief Editor