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Professional Experience and Summer Programs

The Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources supports and strongly encourages students to gain hands-on experience in a variety of settings. We believe that our students are better prepared for gaining employment, further education and career growth when they have opportunities to experience learning in and out of the classroom.  Therefore, all of our students are required to complete either a professional experience or summer camp, depending on the curriculum the student chooses. Students studying in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Technology and Management and Natural Resources degree programs complete a required professional experience whereas students in the Forest Management and Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology degree programs complete a required summer camp component. In addition, students often pursue opportunities above and beyond the program requirements.

Professional Experience Program

Each semester, students participate in numerous professional experiences.  These opportunities take part in settings such as state and federal government agencies, research on campus, private companies and non-profit organizations.  Through these experiences, students gain skills in networking, determine specific areas of interest, put classroom knowledge into practice and increase their understanding of the area in which they are studying.

Undergraduate students complete a professional experience during their junior or senior year.  Prior to the experience, students in Environmental Technology and Management, and Natural Resources degree programs complete a professional development course focused on resume and cover letter writing, networking with professionals and guest speakers.  Read about recent internship experiences here.

Summer Field Intensive Camp

The summer field intensive program of the Forest Management and Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Curricula at North Carolina State University is a full-time residential program of summer courses that lasts 9 weeks for forestry students and 6 weeks for fisheries/wildlife/conservation students. Students register for NC State summer school but live, learn, and work in an off-campus forest environment. The objectives of the summer camp program are to:

  • Provide instruction in ecosystem concepts, structure and function of plant and animal communities, management practices, and practical field skills.
  • Expand practical knowledge in a variety of subjects related to the curriculum to enhance their ability to understand and apply subjects covered in the advanced professional courses.
  • Enhance abilities as professionals to work in teams and to assume positions of leadership.
  • Introduce students to a variety of realistic work environments and practices to enable them to better evaluate forestry or fisheries/wildlife management as a career.

Forest Management (FOM) Summer Field Intensive Camp

Undergraduate students complete a 9-week summer field intensive camp, where they complete courses in forest measurements, plant community ecology, silviculture, fire management and wildlife management. Students spend 7 of 9 weeks at Hill Demonstration Forest, one week in Croatan National Forest on the coast and one week in Pisgah National Forest in the mountains. Hill Demonstration Forest is one of NCSU’s college-owned forests, and it is located in Bahama, North Carolina, which has 2,400 acres for students to explore through experiential learning.

Check out our Facebook Video from Summer Camp.

Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology (FWCB) Summer Field Intensive Camp

Undergraduate students complete a 6-week summer field intensive camp. Four weeks of the camp are taught at Hill Forest in Bahama, NC, one week is taught at the coast near Morehead City and one week is taught in the mountains at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This experience is a full-time summer school residential program and offers a period of intense study and practical application of the program studies.

Summer Field Intensive Camp 2023 Information

Summer Camp Dates are:

  • May 7 through July 14
  • FOM students will have camp from May 7 – July 14, 2023
  • FWCB students will have camp from May 7 – June 16, 2023

You will need to attend a mandatory meeting on February 21 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm,  see the handbook for course details and equipment needed.

Contact

Dawn Schmitz, Executive Assistant
919.515-2893
Email

Mary Hicks, Business Officer
919.515.3735
Email