Program Overview

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Option

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Option is available within the Natural Resources major at Oregon State University, with locations in Corvallis, Ecampus, and OSU-Cascades. This option prepares students for a career in natural resource and wildlife conservation, emphasizing the understanding of the relationship between animal species and their habitat requirements, and the ability to apply this knowledge to ecosystem management for conserving fish and wildlife.

Program Description

The program focuses on ecological processes, including human impacts that influence ecosystem change, natural succession, and the future sustainability of natural resources. Students will learn to characterize natural resources, quantify them, and envision desired future conditions to achieve natural resource-related objectives. They will also learn to describe how the use, management, and allocation of natural resources are affected by laws, policies, economic factors, and characteristics of private and public resource owners and users.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Describe ecological processes, including human impacts that influence ecosystem change, natural succession, and the future sustainability of natural resources.
• Characterize natural resources and quantify at least one of these resources.
• Envision desired future conditions in an area to achieve a set of natural resource-related objectives, prescribe management actions needed to achieve those objectives, and evaluate the success of these actions.
• Describe how the use, management, and allocation of natural resources are affected by laws, policies, economic factors, and characteristics of private and public resource owners and users.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with audiences of diverse backgrounds.
• Work effectively with, and within, interdisciplinary and diverse groups to resolve management problems and achieve management objectives.

Requirements

A Specialty Option in the Natural Resources major requires a minimum of 37 credits, including at least 20 upper-division credits and a minimum GPA of 2.25.

Course List

The following courses are required for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Option:

• Measurements: Select one course from BI 375, FW 255, NR 325, or RNG 441.
• Foundations of Conservation:
  • FES 342 or FOR 111
  • FES 440 or FOR 346 or FOR 436
  • FES 452/FW 452 or FW 370
  • FW 251
• Fish and Wildlife Biology: Select three courses from FW 302, FW 311, FW 315, FW 317, FW 320, FW 321, FW 331, FW 473, FW 481, Z 423, or Z 473.
• Habitat Management: Select two courses from FES 445/FW 445, FW 326, FW 426, FW 434/OC 434, FW 435, FW 456, FW 479, RNG 341, RNG 455, SOIL 366, SOIL 388, or SOIL 466.
• Natural Resource Policy: Select one course from FES 486, FW 350, FW 415, or FW 439.
• Electives: Select one course from BI 347, BOT 220, BOT 321, BOT 324, BOT 341, BOT 461, ENSC 321, FW 323, FW 366, FW 371, FW 419, FW 421, FW 427, FW 439, FW 451, FW 454, FW 462, FW 467, FW 469, FW 474, FW 475, FW 476, FW 497, FW 498, NR 325, OC 333, OC 340, RNG 457, Z 349, Z 350, Z 365, or Z 477.

Total Credits

The total credits required for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Option range from 37 to 46 credits. Up to 6 credits of appropriate internships, projects, or study abroad may be used to fulfill credit requirements in this option as approved by petition.