Undergraduate Program

Bachelor of Science in Wildlife EcologyStudent holding a bear cub

Students in our undergraduate program take a core series of wildlife ecology and management courses along with courses in the basic sciences, natural resource management, mathematics, and liberal arts to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology. Our curriculum is designed to provide students the option of meeting course requirements for certification as a wildlife biologist or fisheries biologist by The Wildlife Society (TWS) or the American Fisheries Society (AFS). We place a high priority on field activities in our curriculum and use the variety of ecosystems in Maine for teaching and demonstration. While most students in our program aspire to be wildlife or fisheries biologists, ecologists, conservation biologists, or natural resource managers, students also can pursue other individual interests by choosing elective courses in concentration areas such as environmental education, forestry, and international conservation. Undergraduates also can undertake wildlife research under the advisement of a faculty member by participating in the University of Maine’s Honors Program or through independent study programs in our department. Also, the faculty strongly believes that field or professional experience enhances career development, and the Department actively assists students in obtaining internships or other employment opportunities. The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology has an active wildlife research program, which exposes students to the cutting edge of wildlife ecology and management and provides many opportunities for undergraduate student employment or experience with wildlife research.