Wildlife Conservation and Management (Bachelor of Science, B.S.)
The Wildlife Conservation and Management degree program is committed to providing students with a collaborative learning environment to develop skills and engage in Applied Learning opportunities. Students gain hands-on experience through both lab and field exercises. The Wildlife Conservation program offers applied learning experiences through coursework and internships where students develop skills in areas such as: mapping GPS, wildlife capture and restraint, Wildland fire behavior and ecology, and plant, mammal, bird and herpetological field identification. Internships and independent research opportunities give students the competitive edge for career opportunities and graduate and professional schools. The Wildlife Conservation and Management major provides students with the background needed to start careers in various state, federal and nongovernmental agencies related to conservation and management. The Wildlife Conservation and Management degree program meets the academic requirements for professional certification as a Certified Wildlife Biologist by The Wildlife Society.
Students who choose this bachelor degree program will have no more than 6 years from admission or subsequent declaration to meet the requirements listed below. If certification, accreditation or statutory requirements change and additional requirements become effective during this time, the new requirements take precedence.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies | 42 | |
| Students must complete General Studies courses | ||
| Major Requirements | 81-82 | |
| BIO 105 | Principles of Organismal Biology | 4 |
| BIO 106 | Principles of Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIO 205 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 209 | Introduction to Wildlife Conservation | 3 |
| BIO 225 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 307 | Plant Morphology | 4 |
| Select two of the following: 1 | 8 | |
| Ornithology | ||
or BIO 385 | Herpetology | |
or BIO 418 | Mammalogy | |
| BIO 349 | Plant Systematics and Applications | 4 |
| BIO 360 | Development of Federal Wildlife Law | 3 |
| BIO 409 | Principles of Terrestrial Wildlife Management | 3 |
| BIO 415 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 |
| or BIO 455 | Entomology | |
| BIO 425 | Biology Internship | 2 |
| BIO 440 | Plant Physiology | 4 |
| BIO 461 | Renewable Resources Policy and Administration | 3 |
| CHE 111 | General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHE 120 | General Chemistry II with Qualitative Analysis | 5 |
| MAT 111 | Introductory Statistics | 3-4 |
| or MAT 111E | Introductory Statistics | |
| MAT 116 | College Algebra | 3 |
| PHY 110 | College Physics I | 4 |
| or ESC 111 | Physical Geology | |
| or ESC 120 | Meteorology | |
| or GEO 160 | Physical Geography | |
| Select one of the following Communication courses | 3 | |
| Introduction to Mass Media | ||
| Presentational Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Proposal and Grant Writing | ||
| Reporting for the Media | ||
| Web Content and Design | ||
| Social Media Branding | ||
| Select four credit hours from the following: | 4 | |
| Human Ecology | ||
| Animal Physiology | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Introduction to Paleontology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Vertebrate Biology | ||
| Medical Parasitology | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Independent Research/Project | ||
| Aquatic Ecology | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Independent Research/Project | ||
Or other department approved elective | ||
- 1
Courses taken to fulfill this requirement may not be used in the elective area.
Program Graduation Requirements
- Earn an overall GPA of at least 2.0 and a major GPA of at least 2.0.
University Graduation Requirements
- Earn a minimum of 120 credit hours (100 level and higher, maximum of 6 CED credit hours applicable).
- Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper-division courses. Lower-division transfer courses accepted as meeting upper-division departmental course requirements cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
- Earn 30 of the last 45 credit hours at MWSU in institutional coursework (exclusive of credit by examination).
- Participate in required departmental and campus wide assessments.
- Fulfill the Missouri Constitution requirement.
- Successfully pass the Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement exam.