Our students hone their skills through hands-on, experiential learning to become better scientists, resource managers, community leaders, and policymakers. They are using their talents and energy to serve and make their mark on the world.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
One of the greatest strengths of our undergraduate education is that students receive real-world field experience in our courses. Our goal is for students to apply the principles learned in the classroom to practical and relevant situations now and in the future. At the undergraduate level, we offer four majors: Forest Resources & Conservation, Geomatics, Interdisciplinary Marine Sciences, and Natural Resource Conservation.
This major offers seven optional specializations that reflect the broad career opportunities available to our graduates, ranging from conservation and restoration work on government-owned lands to the practice of environmental law, and from working with the forest resources in and around cities and towns to privately-owned lands managed by consulting firms. Six of the seven specializations in the major are accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Our School offers the only accredited forestry programs in Florida.
Our Geomatics major is available at four locations throughout the state of Florida: on the main campus in Gainesville, at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka (MFREC), at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC), and at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Plant City.
This major is also offered at the West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton, FL. Ideal for place-bound students, this version of the NRC major provides a broad ecology/environmental management curriculum.
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS - ON CAMPUS OR ONLINE
Not ready to commit to a degree program? We offer on campus and fully online certificates for busy professionals seeking to enhance their expertise and credentials.
Earn your certificate in: Aquaculture & Fish Health, Ecological Restoration, Geomatics (undergraduate), Geospatial Analysis, Natural Resource Policy & Administration, Quantitative Fisheries Sciences, and Mapping with Unmanned Aerial Systems (graduate and undergraduate).
GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
Graduate education is focused on cultivating highly-experienced Doctoral and well-qualified Master’s graduates. Graduate students design their programs under the guidance of a dedicated faculty advisor and committee, focusing on areas of study ranging broadly from the molecular to landscape levels and spanning disciplines such as ecology, resource management, social sciences, quantitative biology, and geospatial sciences including cadastral principles, unmanned aerial vehicle applications, LIDAR, and more. Our graduate degree programs also include a variety of optional interdisciplinary concentrations.
Areas of study include agroforestry, biometrics, biotechnology, ecology, economic sustainability, ecotourism, environmental education, fire science, forest economics, forest genetics, forest nutrition, geographic information systems, geomatics, hydrology, international forestry, management operations, pathology, physiology, policy, reforestation, remote sensing, resource management, silviculture, soils, tropical forestry, and urban forestry.
Research programs of faculty encompass water quality and chemistry, fish ecology, marine and estuarine ecology, paleolimnology, crustacean biology, fish and shellfish genetics, fish and shellfish reproduction and endocrinology, fish health management, fish population dynamics, phycology/microbiology, stream ecology, and aquatic plant science and management. Research associations exist with the Whitney Marine Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Biological Survey, National Marine Fisheries Service, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Mote Marine Laboratory, and several state agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Geomatics makes use of ground-based sensors, such as terrestrial lidar, GPS or total stations, to geo-reference ground features. These data are integrated in a GIS or digital mapping system to produce paper and digital representations of these features. Satellite and airborne sensors provide spatial data over larger areas. Increasingly, Geomatics explores the fusion of different forms of these technologies for addressing development and conservation problems. Geomatics deals with the theory, technology, and methods for collecting, analyzing, and managing spatial information. Geomatics deals with cadastral systems which define property rights and boundaries. The MS student is expected to provide technical leadership to surveying and mapping organizations. PhD students develop a higher level of advancements in the geomatics knowledge base.
ONLINE PROGRAMS (DISTANCE EDUCATION)
We offer several graduate degrees for students who are unable to relocate to Gainesville for a traditional graduate program, or working professionals who are seeking greater expertise and advancement. These are intended to be non-thesis degrees, though in special cases exceptions may be made.
- Master of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences (MFAS)
- MS, Ecological Restoration (non-thesis, Forest Resources & Conservation)
- MS, Geomatics (non-thesis, Forest Resources & Conservation)
- MS, Natural Resource Policy & Administration (non-thesis, Forest Resources & Conservation)
- Online Graduate Certificates in any area can be taken independently or during a degree program.