The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences undertakes teaching, research, and extension functions in the land-grant tradition and offers B.S. degree programs in Environmental Science, Forestry, and Plant Biotechnology. The Department fulfills its instructional mission by also offering M.S. in Plant and Soil Science, and Ph.D. degree programs in Plant and Soil Science.

We offer excellent academic programs fostered by a supportive learning environment and low teacher-to-student ratios. In these settings, our diverse, experienced faculty provides students with individualized class instruction and mentorship. In addition to leading didactic classroom lectures, our faculty members are instrumental in providing scholarship, work-study, internship and post-graduate appointment opportunities to our students. We are avid proponents of complementing the theoretical knowledge of biological and environmental concepts, with modern-day practical application. We boast internationally recognized expertise and extensive collaborations with the USDA Forest Service, Hudson Alpha, Department of Energy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and many state and federal agencies.

Our academic programs are dynamic and prepare students for a variety of careers in health care, food and agriculture, basic and applied biosciences, and environmental sciences that lead to careers in research, industry, teaching, and public service professions. Diverse Issues in Higher Education's Top 100 Degree Producers ranked AAMU in the top 10 producers of African American graduates in Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the nation and the Ph.D. program in Plant and Soil Science as one of the leading producers of African American Ph.D.s in Agricultural Sciences. Our Forestry, Ecology, and Wildlife degree Program is the only professionally accredited forestry program at a historically black college or university.

The mission of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences is to provide our graduates with a solid academic foundation in the natural resources and environmental sciences with skills for further educational opportunities for careers in research, teaching, and public services. We expect that our students will become productive and informed citizens, who are well-prepared for positions in public and private institutions, and for graduate and professional studies in the natural resources and environmental fields.

• Teach fundamental principles and unifying concepts in the natural resources and environmental sciences.
• Provide research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to promote integrative learning.
• Train students to function as scientists, by integrating research and pedagogy; exposing the students to the scientific process.
• Teach scientific literacy, which is the ability to communicate scientific concepts effectively in both written and oral formats, as well as to think critically and logically.
• Provide a visible and easily accessible resource in the biological and agricultural sciences to the community through seminars by faculty and volunteer activities through student organizations.