Rangeland ecology and management

Nearly half the land on Earth is rangeland. These vast  grasslands, shrublands, woodlands and deserts sustain livestock, wildlife, water supplies and rural communities across the American West and beyond. Managing them well, especially as invasive species, development and wildfire reshape these landscapes, demands professionals with serious scientific grounding, hands-on field skills and the ability to work across competing interests. The B.S. in rangeland ecology and management in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences prepares graduates to meet that challenge.  

Deeply rooted in ecology, the program builds a comprehensive understanding of how rangeland ecosystems work and how those ecosystems respond to pressure. You’ll study the science of rangelands, then apply it across coursework in livestock management, wildlife habitat, watershed science, restoration ecology, spatial analysis and GIS and natural resource policy. The curriculum is designed to be tailored to your individual interests: 12 credits of advisor-approved electives allow you to focus in areas like animal production, ecosystem restoration, wildland fire, wildlife management, invasive plant management, rangeland economics, or environmental consulting.

What sets U of I's program apart is our world-class faculty and access to facilities that turn ecological theory into real-world practice. Study at the 10,400-acre Rinker Rock Creek Ranch in southern Idaho, where you could conduct research on grazing systems, stream restoration, wildlife habitat and wildfire resilience. The university's Rangeland Center offers hands-on internship positions during the academic year. Field trips are embedded in core courses, giving you direct access to rangeland managers and real land management challenges from the beginning.

Our Bachelor of Science in rangeland ecology and management is one of the few programs in the nation that is fully accredited by the Society for Range Management, signaling to employers that you have met rigorous national standards. Almost all graduates from this program in the past decade have gone on to careers in natural resource management or graduate study — employed by federal and state agencies, private ranches, conservation organizations, tribal governments and consulting firms.  

This program could be a good fit if you:

• Enjoy nature and want a career that takes you outside.
• Are interested in ranching, livestock, plants, land management or working directly with ranchers and land managers.
• Are passionate about the role rangelands play in food systems, wildlife conservation and water quality.
• Are strong in biology, math and environmental science and want to apply those skills in the field.
• Want to work in restoration, invasive species management, fire ecology or watershed science.
• Are considering a career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, state agencies, tribal organizations or rangeland consulting firms.
• Are looking for a STEM-designated degree with broad career options and strong job placement outcomes.