At A Glance
Turn your love of nature into a career with the Lackawanna College Conservation & Natural Resource Certificate.
Start your career earning $45,760 per year and grow to $80,140.
Enter a steadily growing field with high job security.
Take this 16-week certificate and practical curriculum to learn real world skills.
Welcome to the Conservation & Natural Resource-Certificate Program
Whether you’re a hiker or camper, you’ve always been looking for ways to turn your love of the outdoors into something more than a hobby. Now with Lackawanna College’s Conservation & Natural Resource Certificate, you can turn that love into a lifelong career!
At Lackawanna, you’ll earn a certificate with hands-on experience and the skills you need to enter the conservation and natural resource field with confidence.
Your Career Starts Here
Employment for those in the conservation and natural resource field will grow 7% between now and 2030. Job security is high due to the hands-on nature of the field and lifelong workers.
The median average wage of the conservation and natural resource field is $64,110 in May 2021.
Earning this certificate opens many doors in this field. You’ll find employment in:
- National Parks
- State Parks
- Federal Government
- State Government
- Local Government
- Social Advocacy Agencies
- Forestry and Logging Agencies
- And so much more!
Jobs you can begin with a Conservation & Natural Resource Certificate include:
- Park Ranger
- Park Manager
- Forester
- Urban Forester
- Forest Ranger
- Conservation Land Manager
- Soil and Water Conservationist
- And many more!
More About the Program
At Lackawanna, you can complete the Conservation & Natural Resource Certificate program in as little as 16 weeks during the fall semester, with a practical curriculum that helps you apply your skills and knowledge in the real world.
Students will complete five undergraduate-level field biology courses. Along with coursework, students also receive hands-on field training at over a dozen ecologically unique locations in our region.
You’ll gain hands-on experience in the basic principles of conservation from courses designed to develop your knowledge of northeastern United States flora and fauna as well as the recreational use of renewable and non-renewable resources.
Students interested in becoming park rangers are strongly encouraged to take the Lackawanna College Police Academy 943-hour MPOETC ACT 120 training. This qualifies you for positions in law enforcement ranger positions and municipal police departments.
The Course Work
All Conservation & Natural Resource Certificate program courses meet once a week for three hours. Some of the areas of study include:
- Park Management & Environmental Interpretation
- Wildlife Management
- Dendrology & Wildflowers
- Field Ornithology
- Freshwater Ecosystems (Macro, Fish, Reptile, & Amphibian)
Additional Information
Lackawanna College is an accredited institution that is committed to keeping higher education accessible and affordable. We offer some of the most reasonably priced certificates in northeastern Pennsylvania. Tuition for our Conservation & Natural Resource Certificate is a flat fee for the semester. Financial aid is available for this program. Tuition is subject to change. This certificate is approved for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding for dislocated workers.