Natural Resources Management AAS Degree

Education Beyond the Classroom

Dive into protecting nature and managing wildlife. You gain hands-on experience and skills that open doors to exciting careers in conservation and the great outdoors.

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Natural Resources Management AAS Degree at a Glance

Degree
Associate of Applied Science
Length of Study
2 years
Course Format
Face-to-Face
Classes Meet
Daytime
Program Start
Fall, Spring, Summer

See all Natural Resources management options at Hawkeye

14+

Professional Certifications Available

50%

Of Every Class is Hands-on Learning

320

Hours of Real-World Work Experience

19

Field Trips and Activities

Your Natural Resources Career

A career in natural resources means working to protect and manage nature, like forests, wildlife, and water. The more training and skills you have, the more job opportunities you’ll find, from hands-on fieldwork to planning and managing projects. Careers include:

  • Wildlife technician
  • Fishery technician
  • Park technician
  • Naturalist
  • Conservation law enforcement
  • Roadside manager
  • Soil conservation technician
  • Environmental consultant
  • Forestry

Many students choose to continue their education and earn a four-year degree.

Succeed at Hawkeye

Graduate Spotlight Travis Weininger

Hawkeye gave Travis Weininger new experiences, like exploring Iowa and learning about game management and aquatic environments.

YouTube Video Thumbnail
Play Finding ample opportunity through Natural Resources Management - Featuring Travis Weininger

Graduate Spotlight Mara Moore

Mara Moore has always loved wildlife, thanks to her family's hunting and camping activities. She switched from Liberal Arts to Natural Resources Management and gained confidence in her career path.

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Play Building your career with confidence - Featuring Mara Moore

Natural Resources Management Overview

Step outside the traditional classroom to gain hands-on experience in all areas of natural resources management. Field trips, conferences, and hands-on activities include:

  • Wilderness Trips
  • Leave No Trace Certification
  • Pond Seining
  • Stihl Chainsaw Safety Clinic
  • Canoe Float and Overnight Campout
  • Electro-fishing
  • Prairie Restoration
  • Trail maintenance and construction
  • Timber stand improvement
  • Equipment operation
  • UTV Safety Field Day
  • Iowa County Conservation Board Conference: Winterfest Collegiate Day
  • Winter and Spring Fishing Clinic
  • The Iowa Wildlife Society Conference
  • Iowa Women in Natural Resources Conference
  • Necropsy Service Project with Iowa DNR
  • Hunter/Firearms Safety Field Day
  • Fire Certification Field Day

You may receive the following certifications, including:

  • Iowa Commercial Pesticide Applicators
  • First Aid
  • CPR
  • National Certified Interpretive Guide
  • Wilderness First Aid
  • Boater Safety
  • ATV Safety
  • Hunter/Firearm Safety
  • Leave No Trace Trainer
  • Leave No Trace Master Educator
  • S130/S190 Wildland Firefighter
  • Fish Iowa!
  • Electrofishing Safety
  • Chainsaw Safety

Additional federal certifications are also possible.

This program qualifies for the Kibbie Grant that can help you cover part of your tuition and fees.

You must apply for, be awarded, and meet the ongoing eligibility requirements for the Kibbie Grant.-

You can get right to work after your program. Or, if you plan to earn an associate degree and go on to earn a bachelor’s degree, consider your transfer options.

Articulation agreements allow you to transfer your Natural Resources Management coursework to:

  • Conservation Management, Upper Iowa University
  • Forestry, Iowa State University
  • Environmental Resource Management, University of Northern Iowa.

If you’re interested in transferring, you must work closely with a program advisor here and at the transfer institution. This is important to ensure courses transfer and you meet program requirements.

Plan your transfer

This is a partial list of employers who have hired Natural Resources Management graduates:

  • County Secondary Roads, Many Iowa locations
  • Iowa County Conservation Boards, Many Iowa locations
  • Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Many Iowa locations
  • North Dakota Parks and Recreation, North Dakota
  • Pheasants Forever, Iowa and South Dakota
  • Stantec Environmental Services, Many U.S. locations
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Many U.S. locations
  • U.S. Forest Service, Many U.S. locations
  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Many Wisconsin locations

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

" The hands-on aspect of the program made it seem like it wasn’t a class. It made school that much more enjoyable. "
  • P.J. Grine | Natural Resources Management ‘13

How to Get Started

It’s simple! Complete these steps:

  1. Apply for admission at Hawkeye.
  2. Send official transcripts to Admissions.
  3. Demonstrate college readiness.

Check the status of your application at any time by logging into your admissions account.

Program Admission Requirements

To enroll this program, you’ll need to meet the minimum score requirements.

  ALEKS ACCUPLACER Next Generation ACCUPLACER Classic COMPASS ACT GPA
Math 6 240 Arithmetic
241 Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (QAS)		 40 Arithmetic 24 Pre-Algebra 14 2.00
Literacy   228 Reading or
229 Writing		 42 Reading or
42 Sentence Skills		 47 Reading or
20 Writing		 14 Reading or
14 English		 2.00

You can take the ALEKS Placement Assessment online. If you prefer, you can take the ACCUPLACER Next Generation or ACT at Hawkeye. While ACCUPLACER Classic and COMPASS aren’t offered anymore, you can still use your scores from those tests if you took them before for program admission.

If you don’t meet the minimum score requirements, you can take success courses instead. Talk to your academic advisor to help you find the right courses to get started.

If you meet the assessment score requirements, you can be accepted into the program.

If you don't meet these requirements, you’ll be accepted into a Pre-Program. As a pre-program student, you’ll start by taking general education and prerequisite classes. Your academic advisor will help you make a plan to meet the program requirements. After finishing your pre-program courses, contact Admissions to let them know.

Program Contacts

Admissions

Main Campus
Hawkeye Center 134
319-296-4000
Email Admissions

Regular Hours — Spring 2025

Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4:30 PM

Academic Advisor

Last Names A–L

Last Names M–Z

Faculty Advisor

Ryan Kurtz
Main Campus
Bremer Hall 111F
319-296-2329 ext.1312
Email Ryan Kurtz