WFS Curriculum Requirements

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science requires completion of 120-122 credits. Students enrolled in the B.S. program in Wildlife and Fisheries Science choose one of two options:

1. Wildlife option – 120 credits,
2. Fisheries option – 122 credits.

This specialization is designed to prepare students to enter professional employment or graduate studies.

Courses Required for BOTH Options:

(Individual course credits are given in parentheses)

Penn State General Education Requirement Designations:

• GWS – Writing/Speaking
• GH – Humanities
• GA – Arts
• GQ – Quantification
• GS – Social and Behavioral Sciences
• IL – International Cultures
• GHW – Health and Wellness
• GN – Natural Sciences
• US – United States Cultures

Communications

• ENGL 15 GWS – Rhetoric and Composition (3) *
• ENGL 202C GWS – Effective Writing: Technical Writing (3) *
• CAS 100 GWS – Effective Speech (3) *
• Communications Selection: AEE 440 – Communications Methods and Media (3), ENGL 416 – Science Writing (3), or ENGL 418 – Advanced Technical Writing and Editing (3). [Note: Also acceptable are AEE 330W – Communication in Ag and Natural Resources Careers, BIOL 403 – Biological Writing and Communication for Research, CAS 213 – Persuasive Speaking, CAS 250 – Small Group Communication, RPTM 325 – Principles of Environmental Interpretation]

Quantification

• MATH 110 or 140 GQ – Techniques of Calculus I (4) * [MATH 140B – Calculus and Biology I – is preferred, though not specifically required]
• MATH 111 or 141 GQ – Techniques of Calculus II (2-4)
• STAT 240 – Introduction to Biometry (3), or STAT 301 GQ– Statistical Analysis I (3) [Note: Also acceptable are STAT 200 GQ – Elementary Statistics, and STAT 250 GQ – Introduction to Biostatistics.] *
• FOR 350 – Forest Ecosystem Monitoring and Data Analysis (3) or STAT 460 – Intermediate Applied Statistics (3) [Also acceptable is WFS 340, Statistics for Conservation of Wild Populations (3)]

Natural Sciences and Other Prescribed Courses

• WFS 209N – Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation (3) *
• WFS 300 – The Vertebrates (2) *©
• WFS 301 – Vertebrate Lab (2) *
• WFS 310 – Wildlife and Fisheries Measurements (3) *
• WFS 446 – Wildlife and Fisheries Population Dynamics (3)
• BIOL 110 GN – Biology: Basic Concepts and Biodiversity (4)
• BIOL 220W GN – Biology: Populations and Communities (4) *
• BIOL 133 – Genetics and Evolution of the Human Species, or BIOL 222 – Genetics, or BIOL 230W GN – Biology: Molecules and Cells, or ANSC 322 – Principles of Animal Breeding (3-4) [Also acceptable is FOR/WFS 431 Conservation Genetics (3)]
• BIOL 240W GN – Biology: Function and Development of Organisms (4)
• CHEM 110 GN – Chemical Principles (3)
• CHEM 111 GN – Experimental Chemistry (1)
• CHEM 202 – Organic Chemistry (3)
• PHYS 250 GN – Introductory Physics I (4) **
• SOILS 101 – Introduction to Soils (3)

*Indicates a course requiring at least a C grade.

**PHYS 250 requires “MATH 22 and MATH 26; or MATH 40; or MATH 41” as prerequisites. Students who have placed into MATH 140 have met the “MATH 22 and MATH 26” prerequisite. Students who have placed into or completed the prerequisites for MATH 110, need to take MATH 26 Trigonometry) before taking PHYS 250.

• Effective Fall 2015, WFS 300 is no longer WFS students must select either FOR 255 or a 400-level WFS course (for two or more credits) that is not otherwise required, except for WFS 494, WFS 495, and WFS 496. A ‘C’ or better grade is required.

Arts[GA]

• Selection from the University-approved Arts list; must not be Inter-Domain (3)

Humanities[GH]

• Selection from the University-approved Humanities list; must not be Inter-Domain (3)

Social and Behavioral Sciences[GS]

• ECON 104 GS – Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis (3)

Health and Wellness [GHW]

• Selection(s) from the University-approved Health Sciences and Physical Education list; must not be Inter-Domain (3)

Integrative Studies (6)

• Courses with the Inter-Domain attribute fulfill this requirement

Exploration (3)

• May include GN, GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain, World Language (12^th unit and beyond)

Electives (3-9)

• Selection(s) of choice, excluding remedial courses

United States Cultures and International Cultures (6)

• Select 3 credits of University-approved United States Cultures (US) and 3 credits of University-approved International Cultures (IL). This requirement can be satisfied in combination with other requirements.

First-Year Seminar (0-3)

• A student's campus of enrollment and enrollment status determine whether a First-Year Seminar is

Writing-Intensive Course (3)

• Must select 3 credits of writing-intensive (W) course work in your major or college of Writing-intensive requirement is satisfied by completion of WFS 463W in the Fisheries option or WFS 447W in the Wildlife option.

Note: General Education course lists are available online.

Also required for BOTH options:

Natural Resource Policy, Planning, Law, Administration (PPLA), and Human Dimensions:

Six (6) semester hours in 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; as will courses that document contributions to the understanding of social, political, and ethical decisions for wildlife or

natural resource 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., photogrammetry, Land-Sat mapping, 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.

Choose 6 credits from the following list:

* denotes course has prerequisites not included in the WFS program

Additional Courses Required for the Fisheries Option

• WFS 410 – General Fishery Science (3)
• WFS 452 – Ichthyology (2)
• WFS 453 – Ichthyology Lab (2)
• WFS 463W – Fishery Management (3)
• Fisheries and Aquatic Selection** (choose 3 credits from the following list):
  • ENT 425 – Freshwater Entomology (3); FOR 470 – Watershed Management (3); WFS 422 – Ecology of Fishes; or WFS/ERM 435 – Limnology (3); [Also acceptable is WFS 425 – Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology (3)]

• Physical Science Selection (choose 3 credits from the following list):
  • GEOSC 303 – Introduction to Environmental Geology (3); GEOSC 340* – Geomorphology (3); GEOSC 412* – Water Resources Geochemistry (3); GEOSC 440 – Marine Geology (3); GEOSC 452* – Introduction to Hydrogeology (3); GEOG 160 – Mapping our Changing World (3); or GEOG 363* – Geographic Information Systems (3) [Also acceptable are FOR 255 – GPS and GIS Applications for Natural Resources Professionals (3); GEOG 260 – Geographic Information in a Changing World: Introduction to GIScience (3)]

• Physiology Selection** (choose 3-4 credits from the following list):
  • BIOL 141 & 142 – Human Physiology and Lab; BIOL 446 – Physiology Ecology (3); ANSC 201 – Animal Science (4) [Also acceptable are BIOL 161 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3); WFS 422 – Ecology of Fishes (3); WFS/ERM 435 – Limnology (3); WFS 462 – Amphibians and Reptiles; WFS 425 – Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology (3). Note that BIOL 142 (1) is no longer required.]

• Wildlife Selection** (choose 3 credits from the following list):
  • WFS 407 – Ornithology (3); WFS 408 – Mammalogy (3); WFS 447W – Wildlife Management (3); WFS 460 – Wildlife Behavior (3); WFS 462 – Amphibians and Reptiles (3)

*denotes course has prerequisites not included in the WFS program
** may not select same course to fulfill more than one requirement

Additional Courses Required for the Wildlife Option

• FOR 203 – Field Dendrology (3)
• WFS 407 – Ornithology (3)
• WFS 408 – Mammalogy (3)
• WFS 447W – Wildlife Management (3)
• WFS 406 or 409 – Ornithology Lab (2) or Mammalogy Lab (2)
• Fisheries Selection (choose 2-3 credits from the following list):
  • WFS 410 – General Fishery Science (3); WFS 422 – Ecology of Fishes (3); WFS 452 – Ichthyology (2); WFS 453 – Ichthyology Lab (2); WFS 463W – Fishery Management (3)

• Botany Selection (choose 3 credits from the following list):
  • BIOL 127 – Introduction to Plant Biology (3) Students who have passed BIOL 240W may not schedule this course; BIOL 414 – Taxonomy of Seed Plants (3); BIOL 441 – Plant Physiology (3); FOR 308 – Forest Ecology (3); HORT 101 – Horticultural Science (3); HORT 138 – Ornamental Plants – shrubs (3); HORT 445 – Plant Ecology (3) [Also acceptable are FOR 303 – Herbaceous Forest Plant Identification and Ecology (3); FOR 403 – Invasive Forest Plants: Identification, Ecology and Management (3)]