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Major · Natural Resources & Conservation

A catchall code covering specialized resource management tracks

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other (CIP 03.0299) is a residual code. Universities use it for management-and-policy tracks that don’t fit the named CIPs in the 03.02 family. About 306 graduates a year emerge from 19 colleges, with bachelor’s completers earning a median of roughly $57,221.

Schools offering
19
Annual completions
306
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$56k

About this major

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other is the NCES residual code (CIP 03.0299) for management-and-policy programs that don’t fit one of the named 03.02 CIPs. The official definition is short — any instructional program in environmental or natural resources management and policy not listed elsewhere in the family. Programs filed here typically combine environmental policy and regulation with applied management, GIS, and stakeholder work, and common emphases include environmental policy with a GIS skill stack, sustainable-resource management, climate-adaptation planning, watershed management, and regulatory affairs. Coursework is closer to public administration and environmental law than to laboratory science, with field labs and case studies present but secondary.

This major fits students drawn to how public agencies, NGOs, and private landowners decide what to do with forests, watersheds, and habitat — and to the regulatory and planning work behind those decisions. Comfort with writing, public meetings, and ambiguous tradeoffs matters as much as comfort with field data. Students who already gravitate toward GIS, NEPA documents, and land-use planning maps tend to find the work absorbing.

The scale of the CIP is small and concentrated. Approximately 306 students complete the degree across 19 colleges, and a single program — California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — accounts for 136 bachelor’s graduates, or roughly 45 percent of the total. Adding Ohio State (44 bachelor’s) and Penn State World Campus (22 bachelor’s) brings three institutions to about 66 percent of the field. Bachelor’s completers earn a median of roughly $57,221 in five-year tracked wages while associate’s completers earn $46,855, with common destinations including federal land agencies, state environmental departments, environmental consultancies, and conservation nonprofits.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary $101k +4.0% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$56k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$47k

Bachelor's

$57k

Who this major is for

This major fits students who care about environmental management on the policy and planning side rather than in a lab or research role, and who already lean toward GIS, NEPA work, or land-use planning. A pull toward government service — USFS, NPS, BLM, EPA, or state DNR work — is a strong signal, given that the bachelor’s median of $57,221 reflects agency and consulting pay rather than corporate wages. Comfort with dense regulatory writing, public hearings, and weighing competing claims from agencies, tribes, industry, and environmental groups also helps. The catchall nature of 03.0299 means a strong fit requires you to vet the specific program’s curriculum closely.

Reconsider the major if you want a hands-on lab or field-research career; Environmental Science (CIP 03.0104) or Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management (CIP 03.0601) are closer fits. Pause if your earnings target sits well above the $57,221 bachelor’s median, since agency and nonprofit pay scales rarely close that gap quickly. Think again if you want a broadly recognized credential — Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General (CIP 03.0201, 742 graduates) is the standard version of this lane and the safer default. Factor in geography, since most agency hiring concentrates in the western US and DC, and a Master of Environmental Management is a frequent next step for senior planner roles.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 0 136 136
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 44 44
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA 0 22 22
St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL 0 17 17
Glenville State University Glenville, WV 0 17 17
Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GA 12 0 12
Everglades University Boca Raton, FL 0 11 11
California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA 0 10 10
Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, GA 9 0 9
Hocking College Nelsonville, OH 8 0 8
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General

742 completions/yr

Human Resources Management and Services, Other

289 completions/yr

Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services

145 completions/yr

Environmental/Natural Resource Economics

114 completions/yr

Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Other

112 completions/yr

Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management

105 completions/yr

Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism

91 completions/yr

Natural Resources and Conservation, Other

76 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

Why is this CIP labeled “Other” and what does that mean for me?
The “Other” suffix and the .99 ending are NCES’s residual category for the Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy family. Universities map a program here when its emphasis doesn’t cleanly fit Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General (03.0201), Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management (03.0205), Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism (03.0207), or the other named CIPs. The practical implication is that two programs filed under 03.0299 can have substantially different curricula. Read the catalog of any specific 03.0299 program before you commit, since the CIP itself tells you little.
What do these majors typically study day-to-day?
Coursework varies by program because 03.0299 is a catchall, but the common thread is environmental policy, regulation, and applied management rather than lab science. Typical tracks bundled here include environmental policy with a GIS skill stack, sustainable-resource management, climate-adaptation planning, watershed and land-use management, and regulatory or compliance affairs. Expect a mix of natural-resource economics, environmental law, NEPA process work, public administration, and stakeholder communication. Field labs and case studies show up, but seminar and writing work tends to dominate over wet-lab time.
How does 03.0299 differ from 03.0201 (the General version)?
03.0201 (Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General) is the standard, broad management-and-policy degree and graduates about 742 students a year — roughly 2.4 times the 306 graduates filed under 03.0299. The General code captures the conventional curriculum; 03.0299 captures programs the institution chose to file as a specialized variant. For most students, the General CIP is the safer starting point because the curriculum, hiring patterns, and graduate-school recognition are well understood. Pick 03.0299 only when a specific program’s focus matches a career goal that the General track doesn’t serve.
What jobs do graduates land with a bachelor’s?
Common destinations include federal land-and-environment agencies (USFS, NPS, BLM, USFWS, EPA), state DNR or DEQ staff roles, environmental consulting at firms like AECOM, Tetra Tech, Stantec, ICF, and ERM, and conservation nonprofits such as The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, regional land trusts, and Audubon. Cooperative Extension positions and corporate sustainability or ESG teams at large companies are also realistic at the bachelor’s level. The data packet shows bachelor’s completers earning a median of about $57,221 in five-year tracked wages, with associate’s completers at $46,855 — pay is honest middle-class. Postsecondary teaching in the field requires a doctorate and posts a $100,830 median wage.
Do I need a graduate degree?
Not for entry, but a real share of graduates pursue a Master of Environmental Management at programs like Yale, Duke, Michigan SEAS, or Indiana O’Neill, an MS in Natural Resources or Environmental Management, or an MPP. Senior planner, policy analyst, and program-manager roles are commonly gated by a graduate credential. Postsecondary teaching in the field requires a doctorate and posts a $100,830 median wage in the data packet. A common path is two to four years of agency or consulting work, then graduate study to move into mid-career roles.
How can I improve my odds at the bachelor’s level?
Stack a GIS minor or an Esri certification onto the major — it is the single most cited skill that moves a resume from the reject pile to the interview pile for planner, analyst, and consulting roles. Add agency experience through the federal Pathways internship program, a Student Conservation Association placement, or a state DNR seasonal job before graduating. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (136 bachelor’s) and Ohio State (44 bachelor’s) account for roughly 59 percent of all 306 completions, and graduates from those programs benefit from established hiring networks. Private-sector consulting at firms like AECOM, Stantec, and Tetra Tech often pays more than agency entry roles.