Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management - BS, Wildlife Management Track
Texas rangeland, woodland, wetland, and aquatic ecosystems provide the citizens of Texas with a multitude of benefits. These benefits include income, water, recreation, wildlife habitat, and scenic beauty. The population of Texas grew over 15% from 2010 to 2020 to approximately 29 million. This population increase has impacted several key regions in the state, e.g., suburban areas and the Hill Country. However, this rapid population growth and environmental change threaten resilience and sustainability of these vital ecosystems. Educating ecosystem managers skilled in making decisions that promote sustainability and resilience is a primary goal of the faculty and staff of the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management (RWFM). The RWFM curriculum provides graduates with the necessary skills and integrates knowledge from several science disciplines. The synergy that arises from the integration of biological, physical, and social sciences in RWFM gives rise to novel real-‐world solutions suitable for uncertainty and unprecedented change. The RWFM curriculum is not entrenched in any one discipline or any single ecosystem. It equips students with the breadth and depth of knowledge that is reflective of the diversity in the ecosystems in which we live and the issues we face.
Wildlife Management Track
Every year, more land transitions to wildlife management as its primary use. Wildlife conflict issues impact more of the world each day. The program track in Wildlife Management provides students the necessary background and experience to seek careers in the growing field of wildlife management, and to prepare them to lead in the wildlife profession through transformative teaching, diverse educational experiences, professional preparation with leading wildlife biologists, and hands-on skills learning. This program will prepare students to competitively engage in this profession upon graduation, or to pursue graduate education. Students will gain critical understanding of the basic sciences (e.g. chemistry, mathematics, biology) that will allow them to fully understand the management techniques and methods they will study in their advanced coursework. The Wildlife Management track student will have a strong foundation in the basics of wildlife management: population dynamics, anatomy and physiology, habitat management principles, and wildlife techniques. A summer field practicum will provide intense, hands-on experience to solidify these principles. Students will pursue advanced coursework in focal management areas, such as large mammal management, upland bird management, waterfowl/wetland management, or wildlife damage management, that can translate into lifelong careers. Upon graduation, students will qualify for The Wildlife Society’s Associate Wildlife Biologist® certification to provide competitive credentials in today’s job market. The graduate of the Wildlife Management track will be prepared to step into the modern wildlife management workforce with the requisite skills to be a leading member of the wildlife profession in technical skill, professional communication, and scientific acumen.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
BIOL 111 | Introductory Biology I | 4 |
ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
ESSM 201 | Exploring Ecosystem Science and Management | 1 |
MATH 150 | Functions, Trigonometry and Linear Systems | 4 |
RWFM 202 | Concepts in Applied Plant Biology | 3 |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
BIOL 112 | Introductory Biology II | 4 |
ENGL 210 or COMM 203 | Technical and Professional Writing or Public Speaking | 3 |
MATH 147 | Calculus I for Biological Sciences | 4 |
RENR 205 | Fundamentals of Ecology | 3 |
RENR 215 | Fundamentals of Ecology--Laboratory | 1 |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
POLS 206 | American National Government 1 | 3 |
STAT 302 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Forest Trees of North America | ||
Wildland Plants of North America | ||
Agrostology | ||
American history 1 | 3 | |
Creative arts 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
AGEC 105 | Introduction to Agricultural Economics | 3 |
CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
POLS 207 | State and Local Government | 3 |
American history 1 | 3 | |
Language, philosophy and culture 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
CHEM 222 | Elements of Organic and Biological Chemistry | 3 |
RWFM 321 | Communicating Natural Resources | 3 |
RWFM 350 | Wildlife Population Dynamics | 3 |
WFSC 302 | Natural History of the Vertebrates | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Herpetology | ||
General Mammalogy | ||
General Ornithology | ||
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
ESSM 351/RENR 405 | Geographic Information Systems for Resource Management | 3 |
RWFM 305 | Principles and Practices of Wildlife and Fisheries Management | 3 |
WFSC 303 | Fish and Wildlife Laws and Administration | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Herpetology | ||
General Mammalogy | ||
General Ornithology | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Upland Bird Management | ||
Large Mammal Management | ||
Waterfowl and Wetland Management | ||
Wildlife Damage Management | ||
Carnivore Management | ||
Wildlife Diseases | ||
Urban Wildlife and Fisheries | ||
Wildlife Restoration | ||
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Summer | ||
RENR 345 | Park Ecology and Management | 3 |
Semester Credit Hours | 3 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
RENR 375 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
SCSC 301 | Soil Science | 4 |
WFSC 406 | Wildlife Habitat Management | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Upland Bird Management | ||
Large Mammal Management | ||
Waterfowl and Wetland Management | ||
Wildlife Damage Management | ||
Carnivore Management | ||
Wildlife Diseases | ||
Urban Wildlife and Fisheries | ||
Wildlife Restoration | ||
Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
Spring | ||
AGEC 325 | Principles of Farm and Ranch Management | 3 |
ESSM 314 | Principles of Rangeland Management Around the World | 3 |
ESSM 481 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
WFSC 408 | Techniques of Wildlife Management | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Rangeland and Wildlife Animal Nutrition | ||
Wildlife Anatomy and Physiology | ||
Natural History of the Invertebrates | ||
Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 |
1 | Graduation requirements include a requirement for 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. Select in consultation with an academic advisor. |