Your degree in Natural Resources Conservation

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Natural Resources Conservation, you’re developing the interdisciplinary skills to play an active role in protecting and managing the natural environment. You’re also learning to investigate how people can live in a more sustainable way from a perspective that considers environmental, economic, and social factors.

These skills will include:

  • Developing an understanding of the conservation and management of renewable and non-renewable resources
  • Understanding issues of developing and implementing plans in the context of sustainability goals, political realities, and diverse public opinion
  • Planning techniques at landscape and local levels for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
  • Understanding and applying ecology and conservation biology
  • Field data collection and sampling, data analysis, and study design
  • Understanding research, theory, and principles of natural resources conservation
  • Conservation and management practices for wildlife, fisheries, and forests
  • Balancing social, economic, cultural, and aesthetic values in the context of natural resources conservation
  • Technical skills in geographic information systems (GIS), geometrics, statistics, and remote sensing
  • Using ecological data and decision science to inform policy and decision making for conserving biodiversity
  • Understanding how policy influences and informs conservation and management decisions at local and global levels

Career possibilities

Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including climate change and sustainability consulting, research, forestry, policy, education, biodiversity management, law, conservation, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, and others.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.

Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.

  • Biologist
  • Conservation officer
  • Ecologist
  • Ecotourism manager
  • Environmental scientist or biologist
  • Environmental consultant
  • Environmental educator
  • Environmental impact analyst
  • Environmental lawyer
  • Environmental lobbyist
  • Environmental planner
  • Environmental science manager
  • Fish and wildlife officer
  • Forester
  • GIS Technician
  • Geomatics or remote sensing specialist
  • Land use planner
  • Municipal planner
  • Marine scientist or biologist
  • Fisheries scientist or biologist
  • Natural resources policy analyst
  • Park naturalist
  • Protected area or Park naturalist or manager
  • Soil scientist
  • Sustainability coordinator
  • Teacher
  • Treaty negotiator
  • Hydrological researcher
  • Wildlife or fisheries manager
  • Wildlife scientist or biologist

Make the most of your degree

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify your understanding of your values and interests.

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

Connect with alumni on Linkedin

Find UBC Natural Resources Conservation graduates on Linkedin to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

More information

From your Forestry degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Forestry degree.