Department of Forestry and Natural Resources All Aboard Purdue Orientation

Welcome to Forestry and Natural Resources at purdue!

This page contains information for incoming students in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. We are excited you will be joining us this fall and we look forward to helping you pursue your next giant leap as a Purdue Boilermaker!

Contact Us

FNR Student Services
joinfnr@purdue.edu 
715 Mitch Daniels Blvd., PFEN G003
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-3591

 

Connect With Us

Meet Your Advising Team

Molly Weber

Molly Weber

Academic Advisor
Kevin Smith

Kevin Leigh Smith

Senior Academic Advisor
This summer, you will meet with your academic advisor to request courses for this fall. Your advisor will be your point of contact in FNR throughout your time at Purdue.

Now that you have completed Purdue 101, an FNR advisor will soon send an email to your Purdue email address that asks you to schedule an advising appointment. Please follow the link in the email to schedule your appointment in the BoilerConnect system. You will be scheduled for a virtual (Zoom) appointment by default, but you can request an in-person appointment when you schedule.

Remember: Check your Purdue email regularly. It is the official method Purdue (and your advisor) will communicate with you.

More Information

In Purdue 101, you completed a student information form, or SIF.

Before you meet with your advisor, be sure to write down any credit you think you may have earned from AP tests or from college credit courses. For AP tests, please include the test name and your test score (for example: Calculus AB, 4). For college credit courses, please include the name of the institution, its location, and the course number (for example: Ivy Tech, Indiana, MATH 201).

If you have questions about transfer credit, please see Purdue Admissions Transfer Credit Guidelines.

FNR offers three majors: Aquatic Sciences, Forestry, and Wildlife.

Aquatic Sciences has two concentrations: Fisheries and Freshwater and Marine Biology.

Forestry has four concentrations: Forest Management, Forest Science, Sustainable Biomaterials, and Urban Forestry.

Wildlife does not have any concentrations.

FNR also offers seven minors. Talk with your advisor if you are interested in any minor.

Explore FNR majors and minors — links on this page will show you course requirements

Students in all our majors attend the summer practicum to complete part of their degree requirements. Students usually attend practicum in the summer between their second and third years. It is a concentrated, hands-on experience that takes place in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

This video previews what you can expect.

More details about practicum (including financial aid information and FAQs)

You have access to many student and professional organizations from the department, the College of Agriculture, and Purdue University.

Each one of our majors has a student chapter of national professional organization: American Fisheries Society (AFS), Society of American Foresters (SAF), and The Wildlife Society (TWS).

If there’s something you like to do, there’s a good chance Purdue has a student organization for it.

Explore FNR student/professional organizations

Explore Purdue College of Agriculture Student Clubs & Organizations

Explore Purdue University Organizations on BoilerLink

Where Can a Purdue FNR Degree Take Me?

Our world-class expertise in forestry, wildlife, fisheries & aquatic sciences, natural resources social science, and interdisciplinary ecology is helping solve some of the most important natural resource problems around the globe.

Career Opportunities

Discover Student Life in FNR

Addy Ellis using a seine on Lake Michigan; Ellis standing in a river in waders before checking on freshwater mussels; freshwater mussels in hand.
FNR Field Report: Addy Ellis

Addy Ellis, a sophomore aquatic sciences and political science double major, spent the summer as...

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Gloria's view looking for elk in the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park; two of the many prairie dogs at the park; Gloria welding for the first time.
FNR Field Report: Gloria Aichinger

Sophomore wildlife major Gloria Aichinger spent her summer as a seasonal laborer at Theodore...

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A spotted eagle ray; Morgan Hamilton snorkeling during a biodiversity survey in Turks and Caicos; Hamilton with a group of students from her study abroad cohort.
FNR Field Report: Morgan Hamilton

Senior aquatic sciences major Morgan Hamilton took her skills and interests on the road for a...

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Kline Wetland after five inches of rain; Katie Schouten walking through the Kline Wetland with her employer taking notes on what plant species were present.
FNR Field Report: Katie Schouten

Sophomore forestry major Katie Schouten spent the summer as an intern with the Lake Maxinkuckee...

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Andrew Reyes works on target training with female giraffes Asha (left) and Jasiri (right); Andrew presents his research findings to Brookfield Zoo Chicago animal care leadership.
FNR Field Report: Andrew Reyes

Senior wildlife major Andrew Reyes spent his summer as an animal care intern at Brookfield Zoo...

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Two Purdue students compete in the Jack and Jack double buck competition at Midwest Conclave 2026
FNR Students Experience Midwest Forestry Conclave

The Purdue student chapter of the Society of American Foresters participated in the 69th Midwest...

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