Can A Ged Get You Into The Forest Service

Park rangers, whether at the state or federal level, are responsible for protecting designated land and federal lands and sites, such as:

Parks
Historic sites
Cultural sites
Beaches
Lakes
Nature reserves
National monuments
Recreational areas

Depending on their position, the park in which they piece of work, and the current needs of the park or the people who visit there, park rangers may do everything from patrolling the park in a police force enforcement capacity, to presenting guided tours and educational programs.

Although park ranger job requirements vary depending on the agency they work for and the capacity in which they are hired, the majority of individuals who want to become park rangers must meet the following requirements:

Minimum Requirements

Although requirements vary from agency to agency, general requirements are often similar.

For example, in Pennsylvania, individuals applying for park ranger jobs must be a Pennsylvania resident; they must be at least 18 years erstwhile; and they must possess a valid driver's license. Applicants in Pennsylvania pursuing park ranger jobs must besides complete the civil service examination process before they accomplish eligibility to become a park ranger through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Human Resource.

Applicants for park ranger jobs in Maine, on the other hand, must exist at to the lowest degree 21 years one-time; they must have a Maine commuter's license; and they must be able to laissez passer a physical fitness exam. Individuals who possess an associate'southward caste (or at least 60 credits) from an accredited college or university, nonetheless, may qualify at only 18 years old.

Didactics Requirements

Many states, equally well as the National Park Service, crave applicants to possess some form of postal service-secondary education, particularly if they have no prior feel. For some states, this may include an acquaintance'due south degree from an accredited college or academy.

The National Park Service, requires a bachelor's caste or higher without suitable experience to substitute. Those with at least one year of experience at the GS-four level only need two years of postal service-secondary study to meet the teaching requirements.

Even states that practice not require post-secondary instruction or a formal college degree often view degrees and college coursework as highly desirable.

Further, applicants for park ranger jobs may exist required to possess a caste or coursework related to the profession. For example, applicants for park ranger jobs in Colorado must possess a bachelor'southward degree or college from an accredited higher or university, which must include a major in i of the post-obit:

Zoology/Wildlife management
Outdoor recreation/ Parks management
Natural resource management
Forestry
Environmental/Environmental science
Biology/Wildlife biology

Similarly, applicants for park ranger jobs with the NPS who authorize through education must not merely possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or academy, merely they must besides possess at least 24 semester credit hours in related areas of study. NPS rangers qualifying through a combination of education and experience must have a year of specialized experience and two years of college study consisting of at to the lowest degree 12 semester credit hours of relevant coursework.

Experience Requirements

Experience requirements for park ranger jobs vary from state to country, although many states recognize an associate'south or bachelor's caste from an accredited college or university in lieu of related feel. Alaska for case, requires applicants to possess either a bachelor'southward caste from an accredited college or university or at least two years of professional experience in a natural resources management position.

Besides, Oklahoma requires park ranger applicants at Salary Band Thou (the entry-level band for park rangers) to possess either two years of related park/recreation/constabulary enforcement experience or at to the lowest degree 60 semester credit hours of teaching from an accredited college or university, which must include at least 12 hours of study in one or more of the following areas:

Outdoor recreation
Park management
Criminal justice
Environmental science

Some states, such every bit Wisconsin, recognize feel through interning, volunteering or working in locations such as nature centers, national parks and forests, state parks and forests, and outdoor education centers.

Pre-Employment and Training Requirements

All states, as well as the National Park Service, have strict pre-employment processes in place, all of which are designed to ensure job candidates are highly qualified. Most state parks departments, as well as the NPS, have thorough groundwork investigation requirements, also as requirements for a medical examination, a psychological evaluation, and a polygraph test.

Further, new park ranger recruits must ever complete a course of preparation that is consistent with the telescopic of their job.

For example, in Utah, all new park ranger recruits are trained as police force enforcement officers and must therefore complete preparation through the Utah POST Academy. University training includes study in wildland firefighting, patrol, arrest and restraint techniques, and hunting and line-fishing regulations, amid others.

In Delaware, all new park ranger hires must complete Delaware's Police Basic Training Course through an approved university. These basic grooming programs include study in firearms, community relations, incident management, customs relations, and physical grooming, among others.