The Wildlife Society

The Wildlife Society (TWS) is an international organization committed to addressing national and international issues that affect the current and future status of wildlife in North America and throughout the world. Founded in 1937, the organization’s mission is "To inspire, empower, and enable wildlife professionals to sustain wildlife populations and habitats through science-based management and conservation."

TWS supports the development and advancement of wildlife professionals throughout their careers. Certification constitutes recognition by TWS that, to its best knowledge, a member meets the minimum educational, experience, and ethical standards adopted by the society for professional wildlife biologists.

TWS is the only organization to provide the peer-reviewed wildlife biologist certification process that bestows the title of Associate Wildlife Biologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist.

Associate Wildlife Biologist® - An individual who has completed rigorous academic standards and is judged able to represent the profession as an ethical practitioner will be designated as an Associate Wildlife Biologist®. The AWB® certification is granted for 10 years and cannot be renewed. An AWB® certified individual can upgrade to Certified Wildlife Biologist® during the 10-year time period once the necessary experience requirements are obtained.

Certified Wildlife Biologist® - An individual with the educational background and demonstrated expertise in the art and science of applying the principles of ecology to the conservation and management of wildlife and its habitats and is judged able to represent the profession as an ethical practitioner, will be designated as a Certified Wildlife Biologist®. The CWB® certification is valid for 5 years and may be renewed.

For the most current certification information and application forms, visit the TWS website. Membership in TWS is required to apply for certification.

Educational Requirements for Certification

Applicants must have completed a course of study in a college or university leading to a Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Arts, or equivalent, or higher degree, and should have the following, or equivalent, course work listed below. All courses must be taken for credit and passed (i.e., C- or better, "Pass" in the case of pass/fail, or "Satisfactory" in the case of unsatisfactory/satisfactory). Each application for certification is individually reviewed. TWS membership is required for valid certification.

For the most current certification information and application forms, visit the TWS website.

Penn State courses understood to meet these requirements are listed; however, it is important to note that courses are not pre-approved and the acceptability of specific courses to TWS may change.

Wildlife Management and Biology (minimum 12 semester hours): Courses emphasizing the principles and practices of wildlife management and an understanding of the biology of wildlife species and their habitat relationships as the basis for management. Course descriptions are required. At least one course (≥3 credits) must demonstrate training in understanding and manipulating wildlife habitat relationships and population dynamics in the context of objectives and influences established by human concerns and activities. Conservation biology courses are accepted if they contain a specific focus on wildlife management and decision-making. One course (≥3 credits) must focus solely on the science of mammalogy, ornithology, or herpetology (this course must be taken at a college/university and cannot be substituted by experience). Courses that combine herpetology, mammalogy and/or ornithology will meet this requirement. Up to 3 credit hours of invertebrate biology courses can be counted as long as there is a specific focus on natural resource management. Ichthyology, marine biology (except courses focusing on marine mammals, birds, or reptiles), microbiology, or related courses will not count in this category, but will qualify in the Zoology category.

Ecology (minimum 3 semester hours): Courses in general plant or animal ecology (excludes human ecology). Course descriptions are required. Examples of other acceptable courses include Ecosystem Ecology, Community Ecology, Environmental Ecology, Organismal Ecology, Population Ecology, and Natural Resource Ecology.

Zoology (minimum 9 semester hours): Courses in taxonomy, biology, behavior, physiology, anatomy, and natural history of vertebrates and Course descriptions are required. Courses in genetics, nutrition, physiology, disease, and other biology or general zoology courses are accepted. Credits in general genetics and general biology should be split evenly between Zoology and Botany categories. Ichthyology or fisheries biology courses are accepted.

[©Credits for BIOL 222, a general genetics course, are to be split evenly between Zoology and Botany categories.]

Botany (minimum 9 semester hours): Courses in general botany, plant anatomy, plant genetics, plant morphology, plant physiology, or plant taxonomy and other botany courses. Course descriptions are required. Dendrology and silvics are accepted. Partial course credit may be allowed for silviculture if content related to dendrology and or/silvics is included. At least one course (≥2 semester hours) or the equivalent must be primarily concerned with plant taxonomy or Credits in general genetics and general biology should be split evenly between the Zoology and Botany categories.

Physical Sciences (minimum 9 semester hours): Includes courses in chemistry, physics, geology, or soils, with at least two disciplines represented. Course descriptions are NOT required.

Basic Statistics (minimum 3 semester hours): Course(s) in basic Course descriptions are required.

Quantitative Sciences (minimum 6 semester hours): Courses in calculus, biometry, college algebra, advanced algebra, trigonometry, systems analysis, mathematical modeling, sampling, computer science, or other quantitative Course descriptions are required. Elementary algebra, remedial algebra, and introductory personal computing courses do not count in this category. Geographical Information Systems courses may count if they incorporate analytical components through data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Humanities and Social Sciences (minimum 9 semester hours): Courses such as economics, sociology, psychology, political science, government, history, literature, or foreign Course descriptions are NOT required.

Communications (minimum 12 semester hours): Courses designed to improve communication skills such as English composition, technical writing, journalism, public speaking, or use of mass media. Course descriptions are required. Courses in literature interpretation, foreign languages, and classes requiring a term paper, class projects, and semesters in non-communication courses generally will not count toward this category. However, non-communication courses designated by the college or university as communication-intensive (e.g., writing-intensive courses) will be accepted in this category. The applicant must provide official university documentation describing how the course meets the communication-intensive requirement. Applicants may receive partial credit for non-communication, such as senior thesis and other capstone courses, and natural resource-related seminars.

Policy, Administration, and Law (minimum 6 semester hours): Courses that demonstrate significant content or focus on natural resource policy and/or administration, wildlife or environmental law, or natural resource/land use planning will apply in addition to courses that document contributions to the understanding of social, political, and ethical decisions for wildlife and natural resources management. Course descriptions are required. Up to three (3) semester hours in classes dealing with human dimension issues may count in this category, depending on course content. Conservation Biology courses that effectively integrate legal and policy aspects of conservation planning will count toward this category. Courses that are tools supporting professional practice, e.g., Landsat, GIS techniques, or more general courses such as environmental science, resource management, law enforcement, criminology, political science, and introductory survey courses in conservation will not apply.