The department also co-administers a major in natural resource conservation with the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences.
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Specializations

Preprofessional

This specialization satisfies the coursework requirements for admission to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Students pursuing admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine must take six credits of General Education Composition, nine credits of Humanities and six credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Students in this specialization train in the biological, social, physical and management sciences, and excel at both the scientific and human dimensions of managing wildlife and natural resources. With appropriate choice of electives and course options, graduates satisfy requirements for certification as an associate wildlife biologist with The Wildlife Society.

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Students in this specialization train in the biological, social, physical and management sciences, and excel at both the scientific and human dimensions of managing wildlife and natural resources. With appropriate choice of electives and course options (below), graduates satisfy requirements for certification as an associate wildlife biologist with The Wildlife Society.

Students select a focus area comprised of four courses (minimum of 12 credits) in one of the following areas: ecology, management, human dimensions, quantitative sciences, cooperative education, urban and regional planning, or The Wildlife Society Certification.

All students must file a plan of study for focus area courses with Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) Student Services before completing 60 credits in the major or before the end of the first term of enrollment for transfer students. The plan must be approved by both the student's faculty advisor and the undergraduate coordinator. Any changes to the plan must be approved by the undergraduate coordinator.

Lists of approved courses are available in the WEC Student Services Office, 102 Newins-Ziegler Hall.
Map

Coursework for the Major

All majors must complete 28 credits of WEC Core Courses, a minimum of 28 credits of WEC Common Course Requirements, and 12 credits of electives in a self-selected focus area. In addition, students must complete 22 credits of foundational lower division critical tracking coursework for the major.

Minimum grades of C within two attempts, including withdrawals are required in all WEC Core Courses. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in lower division critical tracking courses. A cumulative 2.0 GPA is required to award the Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.

Required Lower Division Critical Tracking Coursework | 23 Credits

To continue in the major, students must attain a cumulative GPA in these graded courses of no less than a 2.5.  Students must complete critical tracking courses by the end of Semester 4.

WEC Core Course Requirements | 26 Credits

Minimum grades of C within two attempts, including withdrawals are required in all WEC Core Courses.

WEC Common Course Requirements | Minimum 28 Credits

WEC Electives in Self-Selected Focus Area | 12 Credits

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for entry to each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

• Complete 1 of 6 critical-tracking courses, excluding labs: BSC 2010/BSC 2010L, BSC 2011/BSC 2011L, CHM 2045/CHM 2045L, AEB 2014 or AEB 3103 or ECO 2023, MAC 2311, STA 2023
• 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 2

• Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
• 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

• Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
• 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

• Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, including labs
• 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

• Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
• 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 6

• Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

• Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

• Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

Students must earn a minimum grade of C within two attempts in all required core courses. Students must maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA on all lower division critical-tracking courses. A 2.0 cumulative GPA is also required to successfully complete the degree.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Additional electives may be needed to complete the 120 credits required for graduation. Students can select any courses as electives.

State core courses can be selected to meet the university's requirements for writing, international and diversity focused courses.

The primary focus of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation major is to develop students' knowledge of the conceptual and applied aspects of scientific, social, and ethical thought in wildlife ecology and conservation. Emphasis is placed on the biology, ecology, natural history, and behavior of Florida wildlife species and the management of wildlife, their habitats, and their population dynamics for the greatest aesthetic, ecological, economic, and recreational values. Students will learn to think critically about major problems in the conservation of biological diversity and to apply biological principles to the preservation of this diversity.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Pass the wildlife ecology and conservation competency exam, given as part of WIS 4203C or WIS 4554 .
• Achieve minimum grades of C in AEC 3030C and AEC 3033C. These courses are graded using rubrics developed by a faculty team.
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Acquire knowledge of scientific, social, and ethical arenas of wildlife ecology and conservation; acquire skills for critical reasoning in conservation management; acquire knowledge of Florida wildlife species and their biology, ecology, natural history, and behavior; describe principles and applications of wildlife management practices, population dynamics, and habitat management; and apply biological principles to solve problems in wildlife conservation and preserve biological diversity.

Critical Thinking

2. Apply ecological, mathematical, and statistical concepts to interpret, understand and communicate wildlife ecology and conservation data.

Communication

3. Create, interpret and analyze written text, oral messages, and multimedia presentations used in agricultural and life sciences.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Assessment Types

• Exams
• Final course grades