Environmental Resource Management (ERM) is an interdisciplinary major administered by the Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration. The major is a program of study that includes coursework in the following areas: (1) physical and life sciences relating to natural resource use; (2) the legal aspects of resource ownership and use; (3) the economic and political aspects of resource allocation and environmental protection; and (4) safety and environmental health concerns associated with resource use. The program also includes basic skills courses in areas such as communications, computers, statistics, and management. The ERM major is of sufficient breadth to prepare graduates for entry into a wide range of careers relating to the use, management, and protection of environmental assets. These careers are in areas such as resource analysis and planning, occupational safety, environmental health, compliance, technical and environmental staff support, permitting, and real estate development. Graduates typically find employment in both the private and public sectors. Public agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) typically hire individuals with skills provided within the program. The program also requires a concentration (typically four courses), which further enhances the student experience. The concentration also gives students an opportunity to specialize in select areas. Concentrations can include Forestry, Environmental Health, Land Use Policy and Planning and Occupational Safety and Health. In support of its commitment to community health and workplace safety, Aera Energy LLC has endowed the concentration in occupational health and safety management, a field with good internship and career opportunities. Internships are recommended for all concentrations.

Goal 1. Scientific Analysis of Environmental Issues Students should be able to analyze scientific aspects of various environmental issues. Objective 1: Analysis Students should be able to analyze the scientific aspects of various environmental issues such as human biology and toxicology; ecosystems and biodiversity; environmental chemistry; energy and technology; environmental geology and hydrologic systems, and probability and inferential statistics. Goal 2: Public Policy Analysis Students should be able to evaluate public policy as it relates to environmental issues. Objective 1: Economic Analysis Students should be able to evaluate trade-offs, efficiency and market failures, conduct benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analysis, calculate net present value, understand fairness and sustainability and the structuring of incentives. Objective 2: Political Analysis Students should be aware of political power and resources, understand the stages of the policy process, and strategies and tactics. Goal 3: Law and Compliance Students should be able to analyze legal issues and comply with legal requirements as they relate to the environment. Objective 1: Legal Analysis Students should be able to apply the general principles of common law, statutory law, administrative rule-making, constitutional due process and appellate review to environmental issues. Objective 2: Legal Analysis Students should ascertain the legal consequences of actions and facts by finding the law, analyzing and evaluating its applicability, and updating it through Shepardizing. Objective 3: Determining Regulatory Requirements Students should be familiar with recordkeeping and reporting, permits, labeling and information, ambiant and emission standards. Goal 4: Critically Evaluating and Synthesizing Knowledge Objective 1: Evaluate Students should be able to weigh the preponderance of evidence for competing theories or arguments. Objective 2: Students should be able to critically evaluate strengths and limitations of world views and disciplinary paradigms. Objective 3: Synthesis Students should be able to synthesize world views and disciplinary paradigms.