Wildlife Biology

Winsor Lowe, Wildlife Biology Interim Director

The Wildlife Biology Program combines the best features of a liberal arts curriculum with scientific preparation in wildlife conservation. The Program provides students with an extensive knowledge in ecology, population biology, conservation biology, and critical thinking and quantitative skills. Our students receive a strong academic and scientific background with an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning.The educational requirements for certification by The Wildlife Society can be met within the framework of the undergraduate program. 

While some employment opportunities exist in wildlife conservation for students with the baccalaureate degree, we encourage students to continue their education through the master's degree to qualify for most state, federal, and private positions.

Three optional curricula are offered in the Wildlife Biology Program: terrestrial, aquatic, and honors. All three options follow the same schedule of courses for the freshman and most of the sophomore year and then pursue different curricula for the last two years. Each leads to a B.S. in Wildlife Biology. The University is well-suited for instruction in wildlife biology because of the excellent opportunities for field instruction and research at Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Flathead Lake Biological Station, and the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and Bandy ranches. The Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, the Division of Biological Sciences, and the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit facilitate research.

Undergraduate Degrees Available

Subject Type Option Track
Wildlife Biology Bachelor of Science Aquatic
Wildlife Biology Bachelor of Science Terrestrial
Wildlife Biology Minor

Faculty

Professor

  • Joel Berger, John J. Craighead Chair
  • Ragan Callaway, Professor
  • Erick Greene, Professor
  • Paul Krausman, Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation
  • John Maron, Professor
  • Dave Naugle, Professor Large Scale Wildlife Ecology

Associate Professor

  • Creagh Breuner, Professor
  • Lisa Eby, Associate Professor of Aquatic Vertebrate Ecology
  • Mark Hebblewhite, Associate Professor of Ungulate Habitat Ecology
  • Winsor Lowe, Associate Professor; Program Director, Wildlife Biology Program

Assistant Professor

  • Victoria Dreitz, Assistant Professor, Wildlife Biology Program; Director, Avian Science Center
  • Jeffrey Good, Assistant Professor
  • Angela Luis, Assistant Professor of Population & Disease Ecology
  • Paul M. Lukacs, Associate Professor of Quantitative Wildlife Ecology

Adjunct

  • Thomas E Martin, DBS Associated Faculty
  • Mike Mitchell, Unit Leader, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; Research Professor

Affiliates

  • Michael Schwartz, Adjunct Reseach Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology

Emeritus

  • Kerry Foresman, Professor Emeritus
  • Richard Hutto, Professor Emeritus
  • Daniel Pletscher, Professor of Wildlife Biology, Emeritus