What is Range Management?
When many people think of rangeland, their first thoughts may be of the old
song, Home on the Range. However, rangeland occupies about 47 percent of the earth's land
area. Rangelands are complex biological systems of non-cultivated grasslands and
shrublands that produce forage for grazing or browsing by domestic and wild animals. Range
management is the art, science, and planning of rangeland uses to obtain optimum sustained
returns based on land ownership objectives and on society's needs and desires. These
objectives are best met by management through sound ecological principles. It is the goal
of this Department to develop range professionals skilled in the art and science of range
management, and in the ecological understanding of renewable natural resource management.
Bachelor of Science in Range Management
The Bachelor of Science in Range Management at Texas Tech University is a
degree program accredited by the Society for Range Management that provides graduates with
a working knowledge of range biology, range planning, range measurements, and range
ecosystems management. The B.S. in Range Management is designed to prepare students for a
majority of the issues encountered as professional range managers. The philosophy of the
Department is to give students experience in applied range management programs that will
prepare them for challenging careers in the field of natural resource management with
ranching operations, government agencies, consulting firms, and conservation
organizations. Following completion of this degree program, one will be qualified as a
ranch manager, consultant, or rangeland management specialist with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service. Additionally, many of our graduates further their education by
pursuing Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Faculty Involvement
Faculty members in the Department are recognized
authorities in the areas of fire ecology, geographic information systems, grazing
management, range ecology, range improvements, synecology, and watershed management.
Diverse range research programs provide many opportunities for students to become involved
in the scientific process and gain valuable training and experience. One example of
student involvement has been prescribed burning, an important tool in range management.
Each year the Department burns many acres of rangeland with the assistance of student
volunteers. Experience with prescribed burning has proven to be a valuable skill for many
of our graduates.
The Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management at Texas Tech University is
committed to undergraduate education and successful employment of our students following
graduation.