Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources

The wildlife and fisheries resources curriculum prepares students for professional positions as wildlife and fish biologists, natural resources conservation officers, wildlife and fisheries managers and planners, wildlife or fisheries communication specialists, wildlife and fisheries toxicologists, and environmental consultants. The program is unique in the region as our graduates are fully trained in both the wildlife and fisheries fields. The curriculum provides a solid basic background in biology, ecology, and natural resource management. Students fulfilling this program will select a concentration in wildlife or fisheries (or both) to meet the requirements for professional certification as either a wildlife biologist (certified through The Wildlife Society) or fisheries biologist (certified through The American Fisheries Society). A careful selection of restricted electives enables students to specialize in related natural resource areas and to have the opportunity for widening employment in other environmental fields. Other options can be tailored to your objectives. Students will be able to consult with their advisor in the selection of courses from a group of restricted electives to develop their area of emphasis. Major Learning Goals Upon the successful completion of a Wildlife and Fisheries Resources degree students will be able to: Comprehend the historical importance of wildlife and fisheries management, and the role contemporary agencies play in wildlife and fisheries management in the United States. Demonstrate expertise on the life-history characteristics of game and non-game wildlife and fishes. Identify and classify using common and Latin names West Virginia trees, plants, reptiles, mammals and fishes by sight and birds and amphibians by sight and sound. Explain and employ commonly used wildlife and fisheries management principles, methods, and techniques. Define, explain, and apply knowledge regarding biological and chemical processes, population ecology and population dynamics, community and ecosystem ecology, aquatic ecology (lakes, streams, and rivers), terrestrial ecology (forests and grasslands) and wetland ecology in relation to wildlife and fisheries management and research applications. Demonstrate laboratory, computer and quantitative skills relevant to wildlife and fisheries science. Critically evaluate peer-reviewed literature and apply research findings to the conservation and management of wildlife and fisheries resources. Conduct a research project or compose a management plan focused on wildlife or fisheries that includes project design, collecting, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting results as a research paper or management plan in appropriate scientific style, and presenting the project to their peers. Careers Wildlife Biologist Aquaculture Specialist Fisheries Technician Wildlife Manager Wildlife Damage Technician Environmental Consultant Environmental Education Specialist Natural Resources Police Officer