• Get hands-on experience with wildlife and conservation in the University's labs and research centers.
  • The Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Program
  • The Wild Ungulate and Small Mammal Research Facility
  • The Large Carnivore Conservation Lab
  • The Endangered Species Laboratory
  • The Conservation Genetics and Environmental DNA Laboratory
  • Geographic Information Systems labs
• Work closely with professors who are nationally recognized experts in:
  • Large carnivore management and conservation
  • Behavioral ecology, reproduction, and nutrition of wildlife
  • Habitat restoration and conservation of endangered species
  • Forest, grassland, and wetland habitat management
  • Landscape and conservation genetics
• Benefit from an integrated curriculum that allows you to learn about wildlife from all angles
• An optional pre-veterinary track prepares you for study in professional veterinary medicine programs—including the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine D.V.M. program.

As a wildlife ecology and conservation sciences major, you will take core courses in:

• Wildlife ecology
• Field and laboratory methods in wildlife ecology
• Conservation biology
• Wildlife nutrition
• Wildlife habitats
• Wildlife genetics
• Environmental and natural resources sociology and policy
• Plants and ecosystems
• Biology of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish

If you choose the directed studies option, you will work with your faculty advisor to select 5-7 advanced electives and build expertise in virtually any aspect of wildlife ecology or other environmental topics that interest you.

If you choose the pre-veterinary option, you will take 16 credits of prerequisites for the WSU School of Veterinary Medicine D.V.M. program.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

A major in wildlife ecology gives you the strong science foundation you need and opens unique opportunities for you.

• Faculty mentored research opportunities at facilities like the Wild Ungulate Facility, Wildlife Habitat Nutrition Lab, Bear Research Program, and Large Carnivore Conservation Lab.
• A close departmental relationship with the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Faculty advisors in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences will help you build the skills you need to be successful in the competitive admission process — whether at WSU or elsewhere.

Featured courses

The pre-veterinary track includes the prerequisites for the WSU School of Veterinary Medicine D.V.M. program.

Wildlife ecology courses like these (and many more) can help prepare you for veterinary study:

Wildlife Management
Natural Resource Ecology
Conservation Biology
Restoration Ecology
Wildlife Nutrition
Advanced Wildlife Management
Population Ecology and Conservation
Biology and Management of Fishes
Ornithology
Mammalogy
Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles

Because pre-veterinary requirements include additional science courses, you should begin the wildlife ecology pre-veterinary option as soon as possible (preferably in your freshman year).

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

For all students at WSU

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, you'll need to do these two things:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need.

More about scholarships

Explore all your financial aid options

For students in wildlife ecology and conservation sciences

Students in majors offered by the School of the Environment can be considered for scholarships from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources,  and the School of the Environment.

All students must apply through the WSU General Scholarship Appliction. The School of the Environment will use this universal application to evaluate recipients for scholarship awards. The deadline for applying is January 31 of each year. 

A listing of scholarships specific to the School of the Environment may be found on the School of the Environment website:   http://environment.wsu.edu. These scholarships range in qualification criteria,  so when answering questions or checking off categories, be specific.

Students who become wildlife ecology and conservation science majors often enjoy:

• Science, especially biology/life science
• Hands-on learning
• Working with animals and working outdoors
• Applying analytical techniques to solving practical problems
• Making a difference in the real world

High school preparation should emphasize biological/physical sciences, mathematics, communication, reading/reasoning and computer literacy.

Transfer students

If you plan to transfer from another college, we recommend some of these prerequisites before transferring:

• Mathematics through pre-calculus
• One year of general chemistry
• One semester of microeconomics
• One year of general biology
• One year of English/communication

This will give you a good start on the curriculum and reduce the time it takes to graduate.  Please check the WSU Transfer Equivalency site or contact us to verify courses.

Here are just a few of the jobs and career opportunities open to graduates in wildlife ecology and conservation sciences:

• Wildlife biologist, manager, or researcher
• Fishery biologist, manager, or researcher
• Conservation biologist/Endangered species specialist
• Wildlife refuge manager
• Wildlife officer/game warden
• Veterinarian
• Zookeeper
• Natural resources manager
• Environmental consultant
• Environmental educator

To minor in Wildlife Ecology, students must earn a minimum of 19 credit hours of courses approved by the department.

Required course (8 credits):

• SOE 310 Methods in Wildlife Ecology
• SOE 435 Wildlife Ecology

Restricted electivies (at least 11 credit hours)

• SOE 431 Wildlife Nutrition
• SOE 441 Population Ecology
• SOE 446 (M) Widlife Habitat Ecology
• SOE 450 (M) Conservation Biology

No more than one of the following:

• BIOL 423 Ornithology
• BIOL 428 Mammalogy
• BIOL 432 Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles