Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology
Major in Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology
The Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology major focuses on the science behind the care, management, conservation, and research of wildlife. Students will first build a foundation by taking a wide base of general education classes such as biology, math, and environmental science. As they get further into the program, they will then choose an Option and begin taking advanced level coursework.
Degree Requirements
In order to graduate, students must complete a certain number of credits. These credits should include general education coursework, advanced classes required by whichever specialization, or Option, that they've chosen, and any additional elective courses still needed to reach that total.
Total Credits to Graduate: 128 credits
- General Education Requirements: 75 credits
- Option Requirements: 33-45 credits
- Free Electives: 8-20 credits
- NREM 104: 400 hours of career-related Experience
Current General Education Requirements
Current Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology Student Required Coursework by Catalog Year
Options
Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology has four emphasis areas to pick from. One is required, more than one is optional. The chosen Option will be officially declared when the student begins taking advanced coursework.
Academic Planning
Reach out to an academic advisor to get started on planning for your degree! You can view sample 4 Year Plans for each option at the link below:
Not sure which option is best for you? Select an area that sounds interesting to you:
Minor in Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology
The NREM Department also offers a minor in Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology. Each of the minors has it's own requirements, but must also meet all University requirements.
- Must take at least fifteen (15) credits.
- Six (6) of the 15 credits must be taken at Iowa State University, at the 3000-level or above.
- At least nine (9) of the 15 credits can only be applied towards the minor. They cannot be used to meet any other university, college, or major/department requirement. They can be used as free electives.
- Courses cannot be taken as pass/not pass.
Required Courses
| Course number | Credit | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| NREM 1200 | 3cr | Introduction to Renewable Resources |
| WFCE 3120 (or NREM 311) | 4cr | Ecology (Field Ecology) |
| WFCE 3650 | 4cr | Vertebrate Biology |
Additional Electives (to reach 15 credits)
| Course number | Credit | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| WFCE 3210 | 3cr | Fish Biology |
| WFCE 3330 | 2cr | Fisheries Techniques |
| WFCE 3660 | 3cr | Natural History of Iowa Vertebrates |
| WFCE 3710 (or 3720) | 3cr | Ecological Methods (Wildlife Population Methods) |
| WFCE 4010 | 1cr | Intro to Aquatic Animal Health & Medicine |
| WFCE 4150 | 3cr | Ecology of Freshwater Inverteb., Plants & Algae |
| WFCE 4180 | 3cr | Stream Ecology |
| WFCE 4250 | 3cr | Aquatic Insects |
| WFCE 4400 | 3cr | Fishery Management |
| WFCE 4420 | 3cr | Aquaculture |
| WFCE 4510 | 3cr | Wildlife Management |
| WFCE 4540 | 3cr | Principles of Wildlife Diseases |
| WFCE 4550 | 3cr | International Wildlife Issues |
| WFCE 4570 +Lab | 3cr | Herpetology |
| WFCE 4580 +Lab | 3cr | Ornithology |
| WFCE 4590 +Lab | 3cr | Mammalogy |
| WFCE 4710 | 3cr | Introduction to Conservation Biology |
| WFCE 4860 (+Lab) | 3-4cr | Aquatic Ecology |
| WFCE 5160* | 3cr | Avian Ecology |
| WFCE 5180* | 3cr | Stream Ecology |
| WFCE 5200* | 3cr | Fish Ecology |
| WFCE 5510* | 3cr | Behavioral Ecology |
| WFCE 5700* | 3cr | Landscape Ecology |
| WFCE 5890* | 3cr | Population Ecology |
| BIOL 4720 | 3cr | Community Ecology |
| NREM 2700 | 3cr | Fdn. to Natural Resource Policy and History |
| NREM 3050 | 1-3cr | Seminar (repeatable credit) |
| NREM 3150 | 3cr | Genetics for Natural Resource Managers |
| NREM 3300 | 3cr | Principles of Interpretation |
| NREM 3800 | 3cr | Field Ecology Research & Teaching |
| NREM 3850 | 3cr | Natural Resource Policy |
| NREM 4060 | 3cr | Wildlife Camp |
| NREM 4460 | 3cr | Integrating GPS & GIS for Natural Resource Mgt. |
| NREM 4600 | 3cr | Controversies in Natural Resource Management |
| NREM 4900A | 1-4cr | Independent Study in Animal Ecology |
| NREM 4960 | 1-5cr | Travel Course in Animal Ecology |
| NREM 5350* | 3cr | Restoration Ecology |
*Instructor Permission Required
Declaring a Minor
To declare one of our minors, complete the curriculum change form linked below. For help on how to fill this out, view the instructions page linked at the top of the document or contact your academic advisor.
E-mail the completed form to your advisor for signatures and processing.
Ready to join the Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation & Ecology program in NREM?
Learn next steps for the NREM admissions process or apply now to start your adventure!