Wildlife Biology is the study of wild animals, their habitats and their conservation. The Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology degree constitutes the preprofessional training for future employment in wildlife biology and management, and provides an excellent background in general ecology. The educational requirements for certification by The Wildlife Society can be met within the framework of the undergraduate program.
While employment opportunities do exist in wildlife management for students with the baccalaureate degree, many students plan to continue their education, through the master's degree to qualify for wildlife management or research positions.
Three optional curricula are offered in the Wildlife Biology Program: terrestrial, aquatic, and honors. All three emphases follow the same schedule of courses for the freshman and most of the sophomore year, 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, and the presence of such facilities as the Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Yellow Bay Biological Station at Flathead Lake, the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, and the Roosevelt Memorial and Bandy ranches.
High School Preparation: In addition to general University admission requirements, for this or
any other degree offered in the School of Forestry, the student should elect four years of
mathematics and three years of science, including biology, chemistry and physics.
Special Degree Requirements
Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.
The student must complete the requirements for one of the emphases indicated below. A reading knowledge of a modern foreign language is suggested for students electing preparation for graduate work leading to a doctorate.
To obtain the B.S. in Wildlife Biology, the student must have a 2.5 grade point average in all courses taken at The University of Montana and a grade of C or better in all courses required for the major.
Suggested sequence subject to frequent change. Some courses are offered more than one semester.
Terrestrial and Aquatic Emphases
First Year
| Biol 103N Diversity of Life | 3 |
| Biol 104N Diversity of Life Laboratory | 2 |
| Chem 151N General Chemistry | 3 |
| Chem 152N General Chemistry | 3 |
| Chem 154N General Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| Enex 101 Composition | 3 |
| WBio 180 Careers in Natural Resources | 2 |
| Math 121 Pre-Calculus | 4 |
| Math 150 Applied Calculus | 4 |
| Electives & General Education | 7-11 |
Second Year
| Biol 250 Rocky Mountain Flora | 3 |
| Biol 221 Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Biol 223 Genetics and Evolution | 4 |
| Comm 111A Introduction to Public Speaking | 2 |
| Math 241 Statistics | 4 |
| For 220 Technical Writing | 3 |
| WBio 270 Wildlife Management Issues | 2 |
| Electives & General Education | 10-14 |
Third and Fourth Years Terrestrial Emphasis: Biol 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 340, 341, 345;For 360, 480; WBio 370, 470, 494.
Third and Fourth Years Aquatic Emphasis:Biol 308, 309, 311, 340, 341, 344, 345, 366; For 385, 480; WBio 494.
Wildlife Biology Honors Option
The honors curriculum is designed particularly for students with strong academic records who intend to do graduate work. Entrance into this option is open only to students who, at the beginning of the junior year of the wildlife biology program, have a grade-point average of 3.5 or above and who petition the faculty for entrance.
Honors students must complete either WBio 370, 470 and 494 (terrestrial emphasis) or Biol 308, 366 and WBio 494 (Aquatic emphasis). Honors students are encouraged to enroll also in WBio 497 Senior Thesis. The balance of the coursework for the junior and senior years will be developed in consultation with the honors student's faculty advisor and committee appointed by the director of the wildlife biology program.
All students in the honors option are required to meet with their faculty advisors prior to autumn semester registration of their junior and senior years to work out their course schedules.
Requirements for a Minor
To earn a minor in wildlife biology, the student must successfully complete the following coursework: Biol 103N, 104N, 201N, 250; For 330 or 360; WBio 180, 270, 370.
Courses
U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.
U 180 Careers in Natural Resources 2 cr. Same as For 180, Recm 180. Subject matter and fields of study within natural resources management. Topics include forestry, wildlife biology, range, water, recreation management, forest products production and other areas of opportunity for students seeking careers in natural resources.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-6) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 270 Wildlife Management Issues 2 cr. Same as For 270. An exploration of wildlife conservation issues and problems facing wildlife managers; suggestions for solution.
U 295 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-6) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
UG 370 Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management 3 cr. Prereq., junior standing, an ecology class, or consent of instr. Application of principles of wildlife biology to conservation and management of wild bird and mammal habitats including field applications.
UG 371 Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Laboratory 1 cr. Prereq., wildlife biology major; coreq., WBio 370. Field applications of principles of wildlife biology to conservation and management of wild bird and mammal habitats.
UG 373 Wildlife Techniques 2 cr.Prereq., any statistics course; one 300-level ecology or wildlife biology course. Lab and field oriented class in commonly-used wildlife research and management techniques.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 396 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-6)
U 398 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-15) Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Cooperative Education Office.
UG 441 Field Methods in Fishery Biology and Management 1-4 cr.Prereq., Bio 308 or 357; consent of instr. Same as Biol 415. Field instruction by practicing biologists in techniques for evaluating and managing aquatic habitats and fish populations..
UG 470 Conservation of Wildlife Populations 3 cr. Prereq., 300-level animal ecology class, WBio 370, and senior standing. The mandate for and the management of rare, over-abundant, and harvested wild bird and mammal populations.
UG 494 Senior Wildlife Seminar 1 cr. Prereq., senior standing in wildlife biology or consent of instr. Analysis and discussion led by students of current topics in wildlife biology.
UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 496 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-10) Prereq., consent of instr. Original investigations or problems not related to student's thesis.
U 497 Senior Thesis 1-3 cr. (R-6) Prereq., consent of instr.; senior standing. Preparation of major paper based on study or research of a topic selected with an advisor according to needs and objectives of student.
U 498 Cooperative Education Experience 1-6 cr. (R-6) Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Cooperative Education Office.
G 562 Wildlife Habitat, Structure and Function 3 cr. Prereq., For 330, 360; WBio 370; or consent of instr. Study of selected topics in habitat classification and analysis, and animal-habitat interactions.
G 594 Graduate Seminar in Wildlife Biology 1 cr. (R-3) Prereq., graduate standing in ildlife biology or consent of instr. Analysis of selected problems in wildlife biology and conservation.
G 595 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-10) Prereq., graduate standing and consent of instr. Original investigations or problems not related to student's thesis.
G 597 Research Variable cr. Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology or consent of instr. Graded pass/not pass only.
G 599 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R-6) Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology and consent of instr. Professional paper written in the area of the student's major interest based on either primary or secondary research. Subject matter must be approved by graduate committee. Graded pass/not pass only.
G 697 Research 1-15 cr. (R-15)
G 699 Thesis Variable cr. (R-10) Prereq., graduate standing in wildlife biology. Preparation of thesis.
Faculty
Professors
Donald J. Bedunah, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1982
Perry J. Brown, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971 (Dean)
Edwin J. Burke, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1978
David H. Jackson, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1975
C. Les Marcum, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1975
Stephen F. McCool, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1970
University of Montana, 1981
Thomas J. Nimlos, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1959 (Emeritus)
Robert D. Pfister, Ph.D., Washington State University, 1972 (Associate Director, MFCES)
Daniel H. Pletscher, Ph.D., Yale University, 1983 (Director, Wildlife Biology Department)
Donald F. Potts, Ph.D., State University of New York, 1979 (Associate Dean)
Robert R. Ream, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1963
Steven W. Running, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1979
Robert W. Steele, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1975 (Emeritus)
Ronald H. Wakimoto, Ph.D., University of California, 1978
E. Earl Willard, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971
Hans R. Zuuring, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1975
Associate Professors
James A. Burchfield, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1991
Paul L. Hansen, Ph.D., South Dakota State University, 1985 (Research)
Kelsey Milner, Ph.D., The University o Montana, 1987
Ramakrishna Nemani, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1987 (Research)
Norma Nickerson, Ph.D., University of Utah, 1989 (Research)
Kevin L. O'Hara, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1987
Lloyd Queen, Ph.D., University of Neraska, Lincoln, 1988
Stephen F. Siebert, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1990
Assistant Professors
Paul B. Alaback, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 1980
Tara Barrett, Ph.D., University of California, Berkley, 1996
William T. Borrie, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995
Thomas H. DeLuca, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1993
Carl Fiedler, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1990 (Research)
Wayne A. Freimund, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1993
Hayley Hessln, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1996
L. Scott Mills, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1993