Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
The wildlife and fisheries resources curriculum prepares students for professional positions as wildlife and fish biologists, natural resources conservation officers, wildlife and fisheries managers and planners, wildlife or fisheries communication specialists, wildlife and fisheries toxicologists, and environmental consultants. The program is unique in the region as our graduates are fully trained in both the wildlife and fisheries fields. The curriculum provides a solid basic background in biology, ecology, and natural resource management. Students fulfilling this program will select a concentration in wildlife or fisheries (or both) to meet the requirements for professional certification as either a wildlife biologist (certified through The Wildlife Society) or fisheries biologist (certified through The American Fisheries Society). A careful selection of restricted electives enables students to specialize in related natural resource areas and to have the opportunity for widening employment in other environmental fields. Other options can be tailored to your objectives. Students will be able to consult with their advisor in the selection of courses from a group of restricted electives to develop their area of emphasis.
Our major has two summer requirements:
- Summer Camp (3 credits)
- Summer Internship (3 credits taken the following fall semester)
Students are expected to take Summer Camp after their first year in the program. Summer Camp lasts for one week and occurs right after the spring semester ends. Students also have the option to do an Education Abroad experience focused on international conservation over spring break for their summer camp requirement. Students can do their internship for credit during any summer.
Special Opportunities
Students will have special opportunities to enhance their education in the WVU Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program. The Program has student chapters of The American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. Student participation in these organizations leads to opportunities for further field experience with state and federal agency biologists, graduate students, and faculty. A USGS Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit is also housed within our program. This unit provides three additional faculty members conducting extensive research programs all around the country. In addition, the WVDNR provides a liaison biologist to the Unit that is a direct link from students to the state's natural resources agency. Undergraduates benefit from the personnel at the Unit in several ways: the Unit and liaison provide federal and state contacts for employment opportunities; the Unit research programs may provide summer employment on fish and wildlife projects; and faculty in the Unit also teach in our program.
All of our faculty are involved with graduate training. This active research program provides invaluable classroom experiences as faculty remain up-to-date with all the latest studies and methods in the field. Students also benefit through volunteer experiences and summer employment opportunities for students working on research projects.
In the Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program, you will be mentored by caring faculty members who understand what it will take to be successful in this field. All students are required to take a Professional Experience course (internship) as part of the curriculum, but we encourage students to get as much additional experience working with professionals throughout their time in the program. The curriculum also includes a capstone class that allows students to showcase their learning through management plans and research projects.
Career opportunities in wildlife and fisheries are expanding. Even so, we encourage our students to consider going for advanced degrees when they finish here. Such qualified seniors find that assistantships are readily available due to the solid course background, training, and experience they received while here at WVU.
Admissions for 2025-2026
- First-Time Freshman are admitted directly into wildlife and fisheries resources major.
- Students transferring from another major within WVU are directly admitted to the wildlife and fisheries resources major if they are in good academic standing (2.00 overall GPA).
- Students transferring from another institution are directly admitted to the wildlife and fisheries resources major if they are in good academic standing (2.00 overall GPA).
Major Code: 1708
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 10 | |
| Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program Requirements | 44 | |
| Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Major Requirements | 67 | |
| Total Hours | 121 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1 and 6 | 9 | |
| ANRD 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| Total Hours | 10 | |
Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum of C- in 100- and 200-level courses must be obtained in all Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program Requirements. | ||
| Select one of the following sets: | 8 | |
| General Biology 1 and General Biology 1 Laboratory | ||
| General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory | ||
OR | ||
| Principles of Biology and Principles of Biology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Physiology and Introductory Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Physical Science Requirement | 12 | |
| Select 12 credits from the following: | ||
| Survey of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 1 and Survey of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Soil Science and Principles of Soil Science Laboratory | ||
| Planet Earth and Planet Earth Laboratory | ||
| Physical Oceanography | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (GEF 3) | 3 |
| STAT 211 | Elementary Statistical Inference (GEF 8) | 3 |
| MDS 270 | Effective Public Speaking (GEF 4) | 3 |
| FNRS 205 & 205L | Dendrology and Dendrology Laboratory | 3 |
| FNRS 421 | Renewable Resources Policy and Governance | 3 |
| Quantitative Requirement | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Applied Calculus | ||
| Intermediate Statistical Methods | ||
| Introduction to Quantitative Ecology | ||
| RESM 440 & 440L | Foundations of Applied Geographic Information Systems and Foundations of Applied Geographic Information Systems Laboratory | 3 |
| Policy & Administration Requirement | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Agricultural and Natural Resources Law | ||
| Environmental Impact Assessment | ||
| Human Dimensions Natural Resource Management | ||
| Land Use Planning Law | ||
| Environmental Regulation | ||
| Total Hours | 44 | |
Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum of C- must be obtained in all 100- and 200 level courses fulfilling Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Major Requirements. | ||
| WMAN 100 | The Tradition of Hunting | 3 |
| WMAN 150 | Principles of Conservation Ecology | 3 |
| WMAN 175 & 175L | Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries and Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries Laboratory (GEF 8) | 3 |
| WMAN 205 | Wildlife Summer Field Camp | 3 |
| or WMAN 206 | Fisheries Summer Field Camp | |
| or WMAN 207 | International Conservation | |
| WMAN 224 & 224L | Vertebrate Natural History and Vertebrate Natural History Laboratory | 3 |
| WMAN 300 & 300L | Wildlife and Fisheries Techniques and Wildlife and Fisheries Techniques Laboratory | 4 |
| WMAN 313 & 313L | Wildlife Ecosystem Ecology and Wildlife Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory | 4 |
| WMAN 330 | Conservation Genetics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Mammalogy | ||
| Ornithology and Ornithology Laboratory | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| WMAN 445 & 445L | Introduction to Fisheries Management and Introduction to Fisheries Management Laboratory | 3 |
| WMAN 450 & 450L | Advanced Wildlife and Fisheries Management and Advanced Wildlife and Fisheries Management Laboratory (Capstone) | 4 |
| WMAN 491 | Professional Field Experience | 3 |
| Area of Emphasis | 16-18 | |
Fisheries Sciences (16-18 Total Hours) | ||
Wildlife Sciences (16-17 Total Hours) | ||
| Restricted Electives or a 2nd AOE * | 12 | |
Any 100-400 level course in Biology (BIOL), Forestry (FNRS), Geology (GEOL), Resource Management (RESM), Recreation Parks & Tourism (RPTR), or Wildlife and Fisheries (WMAN) agreed upon between the student and the advisor. | ||
| Total Hours | 67 | |
- *
A minimum of three credits must be at the upper-division (300- or 400-level).
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| ANRD 191 | 1 | WMAN 150 (GEF 7) | 3 | WMAN 205 or 206 | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | Select one of the following (GEF 8): | 4 | ||
| WMAN 100 (GEF 5) | 3 | ||||
| WMAN 175 & 175L (GEF 8) | 3 | ||||
| Select one of the following (GEF 2): | 4 | MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | ||
| GEF 6 | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 13 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| Physical Science | 4 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
| FNRS 205 & 205L | 3 | RESM 440 & 440L | 3 | ||
| STAT 211 (GEF 8) | 3 | WMAN 313 & 313L | 4 | ||
| WMAN 224 & 224L | 3 | Physical Science | 4 | ||
| MDS 270 (GEF 4) | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 14 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| WMAN 300 & 300L | 4 | Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
| WMAN 330 | 3 | ||||
| Quantitative Course | 3 | ||||
| Policy Course | 3 | ||||
| Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | Physical Science | 4 | ||
| Area of Emphasis | 4 | ||||
| Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 14 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| WMAN 445 & 445L | 3 | WMAN 450 & 450L | 4 | ||
| FNRS 421 | 3 | Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| WMAN 491 | 3 | Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | Area of Emphasis or Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 121 | |||||
Areas of Emphasis
- Fisheries Sciences
- Wildlife Sciences
Fisheries Sciences Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A grade of C- or better must be obtained in all 100- and 200-level courses for the area of emphasis. | ||
| WMAN 446 & 446L | Freshwater Ecology and Freshwater Ecology Laboratory | 4 |
| Physical Science Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Survey of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 1 and Survey of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Survey of General Organic Biological Chemistry 2 and Survey of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry: Brief Course and Organic Chemistry: Brief Course Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry 1 and Organic Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| Planet Earth and Planet Earth Laboratory | ||
| Physical Oceanography | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Soil Science and Principles of Soil Science Laboratory | ||
| Soil Fertility | ||
| Soil Survey and Land Use and Soil Survey and Land Use Laboratory | ||
| Soil Genesis and Classification and Soil Genesis and Classification Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Soil Management | ||
| Reclamation of Disturbed Soils | ||
| Fisheries Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Ichthyology and Ichthyology Laboratory | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Restricted Electives | 6 | |
Any 300- or 400-level courses in Biology (BIOL), Forestry (FNRS), Geology (GEOL), Resource Management (RESM), Recreation Parks & Tourism (RPTR) or Wildlife & Fisheries (WMAN) | ||
| Total Hours | 16-18 | |
Wildlife Sciences Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A grade of C- or better must be obtained in all 100- and 200-level courses for the area of emphasis. | ||
| WMAN 311 | Silvicultural Applications for Wildlife | 4 |
| Botany Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Plant Physiology and Plant Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Flora of West Virginia Laboratory | ||
| Plant Ecology and Plant Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Plant Geography | ||
| Plant Systematics and Plant Systematics Laboratory | ||
| Edible and Medicinal Plants of Appalachian Folk Medicine | ||
| Vegetation of West Virginia and Vegetation of West Virginia Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Plant Science and Principles of Plant Science Laboratory | ||
| Wildlife Biology Requirement | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Ornithology and Ornithology Laboratory | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Humanities Requirement: | 6 | |
Select six credits of ECON, ENGL, HIST, PSYC, or SOCA * | ||
| Total Hours | 16-17 | |
- *
Three credits must be at the 300- or 400-level. Excludes ENGL 101 and ENGL 102.
Major Learning Outcomes
Wildlife and Fisheries Resources
Upon the successful completion of a Wildlife and Fisheries Resources degree, students will be able to:
- Explain the historical importance of wildlife and fisheries policy and management.
- Describe the taxonomy and natural history of regional flora and fauna.
- Apply effective management principles, methods, and techniques.
- Demonstrate proficiency in scientific methodology, including the application of appropriate laboratory, computer, and quantitative skills.
- Communicate effectively with peer scientists and professionals in both written and oral forms.
- Synthesize knowledge and skills from across the curriculum in evaluating the efficacy in approaches to solve research and management questions.