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Natural Resources Policy

Types of Degrees Natural Resources Policy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Natural Resources Policy may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	43
Bachelor’s Degree	714
Master’s Degree	850
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Natural Resources Policy Majors Need to Know

Programs in Natural Resources Policy build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Natural Resources Policy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Natural Resources Policy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Natural Resources Policy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Natural Resources Policy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Resources Policy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Resources Policy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE	Map creation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Resources Policy graduates include:

• Forest Ecology Professor
• Range and Road Instructor
• Environmental Conservation Professor
• Forest Pathology Professor
• Natural Resources Program Instructor
• Range Instructor
• Lecturer
• Wildlife Conservation Professor
• Forest Management Teacher
• Forest Resources Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Extension Professor
• Natural Resources Instructor
• Forestry Faculty Member
• Forest Management Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Natural Resources Policy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.6%
Doctoral degree	31.8%
Master’s degree	12.1%
Post-doctoral training	10.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.5%
Some college courses	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Resources Policy?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 55.7% women and 44.3% men among Natural Resources Policy graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	905	55.7%
Men	721	44.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Natural Resources Policy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,165	71.6%
Asian	37	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	136	8.4%
Black or African American	52	3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.2%
Two or More Races	71	4.4%
Race Unknown	50	3.1%
International Students	97	6.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Resources Policy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Natural Resources Policy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,496
4 years	$52,434
5 years	$59,221

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,221 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Natural Resources Policy Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Natural Resources Policy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	6	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Natural Resources Policy Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Natural Resources Policy graduates earn a median of $52,434 four years after completion — roughly 38% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	03.02
Bioenergy	03.0210
Energy and Environmental Policy	03.0209
Environmental/Natural Resource Economics	03.0204
Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism	03.0207
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services	03.0208
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other	03.0299
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	03.0206
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management	03.0205
Forest Management/Forest Resources Management	03.0506
Forest Sciences and Biology	03.0502
Forestry, General	03.0501

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.