Aquatic Wildlife Biology

This is an archived copy of the 2017-2018 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.umt.edu/.

Chad Bishop, Wildlife Biology 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.

Two concentrations are offered in the Wildlife Biology Program: terrestrial and aquatic. They both 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.

High School Preparation: In addition to general University admission requirements, the student should elect four years of mathematics and three years of science, including biology, chemistry and physics.

Wildlife Biology Honors Track

The honors curriculum is designed particularly for students with strong academic records who intend to do graduate work. Entrance into this emphasis 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 WILD 370, WILD 470 and WILD 494 (terrestrial option) or BIOO 340, BIOE 428 and WILD 494WILD 499

All students in the honors emphasis are required to meet with their faculty advisor prior to autumn semester registration of their junior and senior years to work out their course schedules.

Bachelor of Science - Wildlife Biology; Aquatic Concentration

W.A Franke College of Forestry & Conservation

Degree Specific Credits: 84

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.5

Catalog Year: 2017-2018

Note: Experiential Learning is required - Students have several options to fulfill this requirement - list is available from the Wildlife Advisor in Forestry 103C

General Education Requirements

Information regarding these requirements can be found in the General Education Section of the catalog. 

Summary

Major Required Courses20-21
Outside Major Required Courses24-26
Major Required Courses46
Writing Requirement12-18
Mathematics Requirement4
Symbolic Systems8
Expressive Arts3
Natural Sciences Requirement12
Total Hours129-138

Major Required Courses

Rule: Must take all courses

Note: Can take WRIT 325 (Honors) in place of NRSM 200

One out of the four is required: BIOE 406/BIOE 409, BIOM 427/BIOM 428, BIOO 462WILD 485

Select one of the following:3-4
BIOE 406
& BIOE 409
Behavior & Evolution
and Behavior & Evolution Discussion
BIOM 427
& BIOM 428
General Parasitology
and General Parasitology Lab
BIOO 462
Entomology
WILD 485
Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology
BIOB 160NPrinciples of Living Systems3
BIOB 161NPrncpls of Living Systems Lab1
BIOB 260Cellular and Molecular Biology4
BIOB 272Genetics and Evolution4
NRSM 200Nat.Resource Professional Wrtg3
or WRIT 325 Science Writing
WILD 180Careers in Wildlife Biology2
Total Hours20-21

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Outside Major Required Courses

Rule: Must take all courses

BIOE 406
& BIOE 409
Behavior & Evolution
and Behavior & Evolution Discussion
4
BIOM 427
& BIOM 428
General Parasitology
and General Parasitology Lab
4
BIOO 462Entomology4
WILD 485Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology3
CHMY 121NIntroduction to General Chemistry3
CHMY 123Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry3
CHMY 124Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Lab2
COMX 111AIntro to Public Speaking3
M 162Applied Calculus4
NRSM 200Nat.Resource Professional Wrtg3
STAT 216Introduction to Statistics3-4
or WILD 240 Intro to Biostatistics
WRIT 101College Writing I3
Total Hours39-40

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Major Required Courses

Rule: Must take all courses

BIOE 370General Ecology3
BIOE 371Gen Ecology Lab (equiv to 271)2
BIOE 428Freshwater Ecology5
BIOM 427General Parasitology2
BIOM 428General Parasitology Lab2
BIOO 320General Botany5
BIOO 340Biology and Mgmnt of Fishes4
BIOO 462Entomology4
NRSM 385Watershed Hydrology3
WILD 346Wildlife Physiological Ecology3
WILD 408Advanced Fisheries3
WILD 410Wildlife Policy & Biopolitics3
or NRSM 422 Nat Res Policy/Administration
WILD 480The Upshot--Appld Wildlife Mgt3
WILD 485Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology3
WILD 494Senior Wildlife Seminar1
Total Hours46

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Writing Requirement

Rule: Must complete the following subcategories

12-18 Total Credits Required

Lower Division Writing

Rule: Complete all of the following courses

WRIT 101College Writing I3
Select one of the following:3
NRSM 200
Nat.Resource Professional Wrtg
WRIT 325
Science Writing (honors)
WRIT 201
College Writing II
Total Hours6

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Upper Division Writing

BIOE 371Gen Ecology Lab (equiv to 271)2
Select two of the following:4-10
BIOE 428
Freshwater Ecology
BIOO 320
General Botany
BIOO 470
Ornithology
BIOO 475
Mammalogy
WILD 408
Advanced Fisheries
WILD 470
Conserv of Wildlife Populatns
WILD 499
Thesis
Total Hours6-12

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Mathematics Requirement

Rule: must take the following course

M 162Applied Calculus4
Total Hours4

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Exception to the Modern/Classical Languages Requirement

Rule: The Wildlife Biology major has been granted an exception to the Modern/Classical Language Requirement. Must take one of the following courses to will satisfy this requirement. 

Must take one of the following:3-4
M 162
Applied Calculus
STAT 216
Introduction to Statistics
WILD 240
Intro to Biostatistics
Total Hours3-4

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Expressive Arts

Rule: Must take the following course

COMX 111AIntro to Public Speaking3
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Natural Sciences Requirement

Rule: Must take all courses

BIOB 160NPrinciples of Living Systems3
BIOB 161NPrncpls of Living Systems Lab1
CHMY 121NIntroduction to General Chemistry3
CHMY 123Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry3
CHMY 124Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Lab2
Total Hours12

Minimum Required Grade: C-