Required First Course - This course integrates natural resources within a broader, social-ecological systems context, introduces some of the central topics in social-ecological systems theory, research, and practice, and provides the basis for understanding and evaluating sustainable natural resource management. The first component explores relationships between social, ecological, economic, and policy systems, with a focus on ecosystem services and human well-being and livelihoods. The second component introduces systems theory for understanding disturbance, feedbacks, thresholds, directional change, and adaptation and resilience in social-ecological systems. The third component includes applied case studies on sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry, freshwater, marine, water, and wildlife resources.

This course presents aspects of decision making for individuals, organizations, and institutions, introduces some of the central topics in decision making theory, research, and practice, and provides the basis for understanding decision processes in natural resource management. The first component explores frameworks for decision making, including structured decision making, adaptive resource management, and organizational learning. The second component addresses tools and techniques for managing risk and uncertainty, including model-based and experience-based approaches to link alternative actions and consequences, tradeoffs and optimizations approaches, and monitoring and evaluating outcomes.

This course presents methods and techniques for effective communication with diverse audiences using written, spoken, and digital media. Central concepts and topics include conflict resolution, crisis situations, persuasion, negotiation, marketing and advocacy.

This course will help students building their knowledge and skills on basic geospatial data analysis and visualization. This course is geared towards beginners who want to develop their geospatial skills.

Course Description: Despite knowledge that the health and resiliency of the ocean and its natural resource services are extensively connected to our livelihoods and well-being, adverse impacts on this ecosystem continue to intensify, putting it, and us, in peril. This interdisciplinary course investigates environmental, social and economic connections with the marine environment, taking a systems thinking approach to environmental management and conservation practices.

NRE 5230 provides concepts and strategies for organizational leaders to adopt sustainability practices in organizations, companies, and other entities, including how to assess progress towards achieving sustainability goals. The Sustainability Leadership in Organizations course specifically addresses how social, economic, and political systems affect ecological systems.