Wildlife Ecology

OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 121

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: None.

Other GPA requirements to graduate: None.

Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: WLE 450 and WLE 455

Contact Information: Daniel J. Harrison, Chair, 210 Nutting Hall, 207 581  2862, harrison@maine.edu

The Wildlife Ecology Department offers an education with an emphasis on basic sciences and principles of wildlife ecology and resource management, with the goal for students to develop responsible citizenship and a sound training as a professional wildlife biologist, a professional fisheries biologist, or a conservation biologist. A minor in Fisheries is available to non-majors interested in a fisheries career. Students are exposed to wildlife issues in a diversity of ecological systems, in national parks, wildlife refuges, state management areas, and on private land. Maine offers diverse opportunities to study wildlife in a variety of natural environments ranging from the coast with its sea birds, marine mammals and eagles, to the more mountainous northern boreal forest occupied by moose, loons, red-backed salamanders, brook trout, and salmon.  Maine also has thousands of lakes and ponds and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams.

An active Wildlife Ecology graduate program, offering both M. S. and Ph.D. degrees, enables undergraduates to interact with graduate students conducting research in wildlife and fish ecology and conservation. Students have the opportunity to work with federal wildlife biologists through the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

The curriculum in Wildlife Ecology is designed to train the student to adapt to the changing requirements of the Wildlife profession. The curriculum provides a solid foundation in communications, the humanities, and sciences.  Students can also meet the education requirements for federal and state positions in the wildlife field.

Requirements for BS in Wildlife Ecology
124 credits including:

1. Satisfy general education requirements.
2. Complete all courses listed in the curriculum for the B.S. in Wildlife Ecology. 
3. One additional field course.
4. One additional communication course (see WLE Department for options).
5. Complete a Concentration

Also Recommended
Field Experience in the profession, either through a paid or volunteer position.