Degrees & Majors
Choose your academic path
It’s a great feeling when you know what you want to study. Some people seem to have always known what their academic path will be; others take more time and exploration to find the perfect major. Regardless of how straight or winding your path might be, we’ll help you stick to it and get the most out of your academic journey.
Undergraduate majors
We encourage you to explore the majors that interest you in CNRE. Learn more about what you’ll study and why you should consider pursuing each major at Virginia Tech. If you have questions, contact our Director of Recruitment or sign up for an interest session as part of your campus visit.
Explore CNRE majors
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Environmental conservation and society , homeStudy life and social sciences, and learn how to protect the environment while planning and leading outdoor recreational activities, educating the public and getting them excited about conservation, or leading sustainability initiatives.
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Environmental data science , homeStudy the application of big data and information science to sustainability and conservation efforts related to forestry, watersheds, climate, and human-environment interaction. Learn about geospatial technology, mathematical and statistical modeling, remote sensing, and database management.
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Environmental resources management , homeStudy all aspects of managing environmental resources and improving their quality to address global challenges. Learn about managing protected areas, influencing economic policy, and forest and soil productivity.
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Fish conservation , homeStudy the sustainable management of aquatic animals and ecosystems, including shellfish, endangered species, sport fish, and aquaculture systems.
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Forestry , homeStudy various aspects of the sustainable management, protection, and utilization of wildland and urban forests for their commercial, environmental, and social values.
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Geography , homeStudy the importance of place and its impact on human development. Learn more about land-use patterns, topography, cartography, cultures, human health, rural-urban interactions, and geospatial analysis, and utilize cutting-edge technology.
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Meteorology , homeStudy weather forecasting and atmospheric sciences with a significant focus on using geospatial technology to study how landforms affect weather patterns. Learn to predict severe weather and assess its impacts on both humans and the environment.
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Packaging systems and design , homeStudy the science behind the third largest industry in the world: packaging. Learn about the design, transportation, storage, and delivery of products with an emphasis on “green” packaging and the recycling and reuse of materials.
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Sustainable biomaterials , homeStudy how to best utilize renewable resources like wood and other biomaterials to create “greener” products with less environmental impact. This discipline applies science, technology, engineering, and business to sustainable natural resources.
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Water: resources, policy, and management , homeStudy how we utilize and protect the most important natural resource of all: water. Learn about water science and policy, while acquiring the interdisciplinary training and knowledge needed to address current and future water quality and access challenges.
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Wildlife conservation , homeStudy the sustainable management of terrestrial species and their habitats, including game and nongame birds and mammals, as well as reptiles and amphibians.
Graduate programs
The College of Natural Resources and Environment offers several different types of master’s degrees as well as doctoral programs. We encourage you to research your options carefully and to get in touch with the contact person in your department as soon as you decide that you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree.
If you have questions or need more specific information about graduate programs, here are the contacts by department and center:
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation: Marcella Kelly, associate department head for graduate affairs/graduate program director and professor, 540-231-1734 or makelly2@vt.edu
- Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation: Jay Sullivan, department head and professor, 540-231-4356 or jsulliva@vt.edu, or Mary Williams, department administrative assistant and graduate student coordinator, 540-231-5483 or mwilliams@vt.edu
- Geography: Luke Juran, director of graduate studies and associate professor, 540-231-0265 or ljuran@vt.edu
- Sustainable Biomaterials: Audrey Zink-Sharp, associate department head and professor, 540-231-8820 or agzink@vt.edu
Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability: Kieran Lindsey, Program Director, Online Master of Natural Resources, 314-605-8820 or klindsey@vt.edu, or David P. Robertson, Program Director, Executive Master of Natural Resources, 434-258-2236 or davidrobertson@vt.edu
Program description: The Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation offers one of the leading programs of its type. The comprehensive curriculum covers fisheries and wildlife biology and ecology, habitat analysis, and human dimensions of natural resources science and management.
Degrees offered: Master of Science (M.S.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Contact: Marcella Kelly, associate department head for graduate affairs/graduate program director and professor, 540-231-1734 or makelly2@vt.edu
Program description: The Department of Sustainable Biomaterials provides educational and research opportunities in the areas of sustainable biomaterials, ranging from nanotechnology and the basic science of wood and other renewable materials, to processing, manufacturing, marketing, management, and competitiveness aspects of the various biomaterials industries.
Degrees offered: Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Forestry (M.F.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Contact: Audrey Zink-Sharp, associate department head and professor, 540-231-8820 or agzink@vt.edu
Program description: The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation is one of the leading programs in natural resources management in the United States. Our teaching and research focus on the latest applications to uncover the science needed to manage forests and other natural resources. Our programs are diverse and approach critical natural resources issues from many disciplinary perspectives.
Degrees offered: Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Forestry (M.F.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Contact: Jay Sullivan, department head and professor, 540-231-4356 or jsulliva@vt.edu, or Mary Williams, department administrative assistant and graduate student coordinator, 540-231-5483 or mwilliams@vt.edu
Program description: The M.S. degree in geography develops specialists for academic, agency, and industry positions though an emphasis on the appropriate use of methods for geographic inquiry to determine, analyze, and interpret spatial and temporal patterns and processes; identify debates and gaps in the current literature to define an original research question; and conduct research by collecting primary or secondary data, defending, and presenting findings in publishable form.
Degrees offered: Master of Science (M.S.)
Contact: Luke Juran, director of graduate studies and associate professor, 540-231-0265 or ljuran@vt.edu
Program description: The interdisciplinary doctoral program in geospatial and environmental analysis focuses on the application of geospatial analysis for improving the science, management, and conservation of natural resources and the environment. Based in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, the program draws upon the expertise of faculty from the college’s four departments, and from faculty in departments in other colleges, including Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Biological Systems Engineering.
Degree offered: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Contact: Luke Juran, director of graduate studies and associate professor, 540-231-0265 or ljuran@vt.edu
Program description: The Master of Natural Resources degree programs prepare students for employment and career opportunities in environmental conservation and sustainability development, especially for jobs emerging in an increasingly global, urban, and interconnected world.
Degree offered: Master of Natural Resources (MNR), online or executive
Contacts: Kieran Lindsey, Program Director, Online Master of Natural Resources, 314-605-8820 or klindsey@vt.edu, or David P. Robertson, Program Director, Executive Master of Natural Resources, 434-258-2236 or davidrobertson@vt.edu
Virginia Tech also offers a variety of graduate certificate programs within and between disciplines. The following programs may be of particular interest to students who are pursuing a graduate degree in CNRE or who have an interest in natural resources and the environment:
- Biobased materials
- Environmental politics and policy
- Geospatial information technology
- Global sustainability
- Interdisciplinary water and health science
- Natural resources
- Remote sensing
- Watershed management
If you have questions or need more specific information about graduate programs, here are the contacts by department:
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation: Marcella Kelly, associate department head for graduate affairs/graduate program director and professor, 540-231-1734 or makelly2@vt.edu
- Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation: Jay Sullivan, department head and professor, 540-231-4356 or jsulliva@vt.edu, or Mary Williams, department administrative assistant and graduate student coordinator, 540-231-5483 or mwilliams@vt.edu
- Geography: Luke Juran, director of graduate studies and associate professor, 540-231-0265 or ljuran@vt.edu
- Sustainable Biomaterials: Audrey Zink-Sharp, associate department head and professor, 540-231-8820 or agzink@vt.edu