Careers
Careers with an educational background in natural resources span across a variety of industries including government, outdoor education and recreation, consulting, conservation, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit work and education.
Know your value
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with a bachelor's degree earn on average 64 percent more per week than those with a high school diploma. The difference in total earnings over the course of a person's career could be as much as $1 million.
Sample job titles for natural resources graduates
- Environmental or science educator
- Field researcher
- Forest/rangeland/wildlife ecologist
- GIS systems specialist
- Land-use planner
- Naturalist
- Riparian/watershed specialist
- Wetlands restoration specialist
The undergraduate program is also a great foundation for going on to graduate work, such as the Master of Natural Resources. The Natural Resources Accelerated Master’s Platform allows students in the undergraduate Natural Resources degree to complete graduate level coursework that can be applied to both their bachelor’s degree and their Master’s degree once they are accepted into the MNR program.
Other potential graduate programs include Professional Science Master's in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration and the Sustainable Natural Resources graduate certificate – all delivered online through OSU Ecampus.
For information about job prospects for these career fields, please visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook. And The Oregon State University Career Development Center is also a great resource for career information.
Important dates
See our academic calendar for our full quarter term schedule.
Degree details
* Oregon State University is on a quarter-term system. There are four quarters each year and classes are 11 weeks long. This program's 180 quarter credits are equal to 120 semester credits.
† Cost per credit is calculated using tuition per credit for the current academic year. It does not include associated fees, course materials, textbook expenses, and other expenses related to courses.
‡ You can complete all or nearly all requirements of this program online. View the curriculum.
Find application deadline
Ready to apply?
Once you've gathered the information you need to know before you apply to Oregon State University, take the next steps.
Apply now
