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Nursing and computer science are in-demand careers for college students but South Dakota academic leaders said there's an under-the-radar major, which often has plenty of opportunities for young adults: rangeland management.

When areas like the vast open grasslands across the Upper Plains face ecological threats, scientists work with different partners to advance practices to improve land resiliency. Curriculum experts said there is a lot more science and technology being applied to practices in the modern day, like virtual fences for smarter livestock grazing.

Sandy Smart, interim director of South Dakota State University Extension, said they are one of only 14 schools accredited by the Society for Range Management.

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"It's kind of a nice degree because you don't have a lot of competition and you can find work," Smart observed. "But I think it's one of those things that, if you don't really know about it yet, it's kind of hard to find."

In creating awareness, Smart acknowledged it is difficult to compete with degree programs like forestry and wildlife conservation but students providing feedback said rangeland management is worthwhile because what they learn connects with those other fields of study, putting them in high demand.

Smart added graduates go on to work at federal agencies, nonprofits steering innovation, consulting firms or even get into farming themselves. He noted federal cuts over the past year have shifted some of this work to nongovernment roles.

Smart stressed new technologies can help push rangeland management degrees further into the spotlight. At the same time, he said younger generations who know more about the negative effects of technology may be searching for a career outside the digital realm.

"Getting out in nature, I think that's something that's missing," Smart emphasized. "I think you gotta put the phone down and just go outside."

Six South Dakota State University students recently represented the state at the Society for Range Management's annual meeting, which brings together scientists, land managers and other associated professionals from around the world.

Industry tracking showed nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. with a degree in rangeland ecology are employed, with an average salary of more than $93,000.