Opportunities also will exist to take out-of-classroom coursework composed of internships, research, and teaching experiences. The following experiential learning courses will be available (Boldface type indicates the development of a new course.):

NRS 295, Natural Resources Apprenticeship (1-6 credits; S/U Grade)

• NRS 295 will allow students to be active participants in conducting research or outreach teaching.
• This course will be taken in the student’s sophomore, junior, and/or senior year(s) at URI.

NRS 395, Advanced Natural Resources Apprenticeship (3-6 credits; S/U Grade)

• NRS 395 students will participate in research or outreach at a higher level, giving input on the planning and implementation of programs, and serving as teachers and mentors to students in NRS 295.
• This course will be taken in the junior and/or senior year(s) of a student’s tenure at URI. It could be repeated for up to 6 credits.

NRS 397, Natural Resources Internship (1-6 credits; S/U Grade)

• NRS 397 will involve extramurally supervised work experience in forest ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, soil science, water resources, environmental education, or related areas of natural resources science.

NRS 491/492, Special Projects (1-3 credits; Letter Grade)

• This course involves special work to meet the needs of individual students in natural resources. Special projects are most often student-initiated research projects that are supervised by a faculty member from NRS.
• Three credits of special projects will serve as a prerequisite for students wishing to undertake NRS 499, Senior Thesis Research.

NRS 497, Natural Resources Cooperative Internship (6 or 12 credits; Letter Grade)

• NRS 497 will involve a more professional and challenging level of extramurally supervised work experience in forest ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, soil science, water resources, environmental education, or related areas of natural resources science.
• Students might enroll in a cooperative internship as part of their regular semester load (6 credits), or they might participate in NRS 497 on a full-time basis for 12 credits. A Field Mentor approved by the Department of Natural Resources Science will be responsible for guiding students throughout the cooperative internship.
• Cooperative internships might involve individual projects or specially formulated team projects.
• Entrance to the cooperative internships will be on a competitive basis.
• The Experiential Learning Coordinator will be responsible for screening applicants and making arrangements with a cooperating agency, organization, or company.
• A presentation or a major paper will be required as an end product for the cooperative internship experience.

NRS 498, Teaching Practicum in Natural Resources (1-3 credits; Letter Grade)

• This existing course gives qualified undergraduates the opportunity to gain teaching experience through actual involvement in planning and assisting in Natural Resources Science courses.
• The experience might also include supervised participation in a discussion group, assisting in a laboratory of field course, or tutoring.

NRS 499, Senior Thesis Research (6 credits; Letter Grade)

• NRS 499 will be designed to allow a student to do an advanced research project under the supervision of a faculty member. It will be up to an interested student to get in touch with a faculty member and to convince her or him to supervise the work.
• Such an effort is more likely to be successful if the student proposes a project that relates to the research interests of the faculty member.
• NRS 491/492 will be prerequisite to enrollment in NRS 499. This prerequisite ensures that students have had some exposure to conducting a research project prior to beginning their senior thesis.
• One reason for pursuing a thesis project is to advance the student’s intellectual boundaries. Another reason is to demonstrate the student’s research potential; this is especially useful if she or he wants to eventually pursue a Master’s degree or Ph.D.