Program Information
The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation offers a breadth of graduate programs that are designed to prepare students for professional employment in conservation of natural resources in a changing world. WEC faculty teach, conduct research, and provide service and extension in the following areas: avian ecology, behavioral ecology, community ecology, conservation biology, conservation education, conservation genetics, ecosystem management, environmental interpretation, habitat restoration, global change ecology, herpetofaunal ecology, human dimensions of wildlife management, international conservation, introduced species, landscape ecology, macroecology, mammalian behavior, marine mammal ecology, plant ecology, population biology, range ecology, systems ecology, tropical conservation, urban wildlife relations, wetlands ecology, wildlife diseases, and wildlife management.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation serves graduate students conducting advanced, original studies of fundamental ecological and social sciences (e.g., ecosystem, community, landscape ecology, human dimensions), usually with applications to further society’s understanding of wildlife ecology and to improve conservation of wildlife resources.
The Master of Science (MS) thesis program in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation:
- prepares graduate students for entry-level professional positions in areas of wildlife biology and ecology, natural resource management, conservation, and
- provides a solid scientific foundation for further graduate work leading to the PhD degree.
The Master of Science, non-thesis (MS) program in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation provides advanced training for students in technical and professional aspects of wildlife management, conservation, and public education, emphasizing written and oral communication of scientific information.
- Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation with a concentration in Wildlife Forensics Science and Conservation - offered by WEC in conjunction with UF's Maples Center for Forensic Science as a non-thesis, online option. Students are prepared for real-world situations in wildlife forensics such as poaching and illegal trade and courses are taught by faculty members who have years of experience in the field working with law enforcement and wildlife organizations. See https://masters.wildlife.forensics.med.ufl.edu/programs/masters-degree/ for a full program description and application instructions.
For more information, please see our website: http://www.wec.ufl.edu.
Degrees Offered with a Major in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Doctor of Philosophy
- without a concentration
- concentration in Geographic Information Systems
- concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development
- concentration in Wetland Sciences
- Master of Science
- without a concentration
- concentration in Geographic Information Systems
- concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development
- concentration in Wetland Sciences
- concentration in Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation
Requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ALS 6500 | Multivariate Statistics for Agricultural and Life Sciences | 3 |
| ALS 6501 | Data Carpentry for Biologists | 3 |
| WIS 5496 | Research Design in Wildlife Ecology | 3 |
| WIS 5555C | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| WIS 5562 | Conservation Medicine | 3 |
| WIS 6050 | Pro Communication in Wildlife Forensic Sciences | 3 |
| WIS 6306 | Applied Wildlife Forensic Genetics | 3 |
| WIS 6405 | Biodiversity | 3 |
| WIS 6421 | Wildlife Toxicology: The Ecohealth Perspective | 3 |
| WIS 6425 | Carrion Ecology and Evolution | 3 |
| WIS 6444C | Wetland Management | 3 |
| WIS 6455 | Wildlife Population Ecology | 3 |
| WIS 6466 | Wildlife Population Modeling | 3 |
| WIS 6468C | Pattern and Process in Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| WIS 6525 | Environmental Interpretation | 3 |
| WIS 6544 | Administration in Natural Resources | 3 |
| WIS 6556 | Trade in Wild Resources | 3 |
| WIS 6557 | International Wildlife Conservation Law, Policy and Ethics | 3 |
| WIS 6558 | Introduction to U.S. Wildlife Law, Policy & Ethics | 3 |
| WIS 6559 | Forensic Science for Conservation Biology | 3 |
| WIS 6561 | Wildlife Crime Scene Processing | 3 |
| WIS 6563 | Wildlife Forensic Pathology | 3 |
| WIS 6576 | Human and Wildlife Conflict | 3 |
| WIS 6905 | Research Problems in Wildlife and Range Sciences | 1-6 |
| WIS 6910 | Supervised Research | 1-5 |
| WIS 6933 | Seminar | 1 |
| WIS 6934 | Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation | 1-4 |
| WIS 6940 | Supervised Teaching | 1-5 |
| WIS 6946 | Wildlife Forensics Internship | 1-6 |
| WIS 6971 | Research for Master's Thesis | 1-15 |
| WIS 7979 | Advanced Research | 1-12 |
| WIS 7980 | Research for Doctoral Dissertation | 1-15 |
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Departmental Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ALS 6500 | Multivariate Statistics for Agricultural and Life Sciences | 3 |
| ALS 6501 | Data Carpentry for Biologists | 3 |
| WIS 5496 | Research Design in Wildlife Ecology | 3 |
| WIS 5555C | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| WIS 5562 | Conservation Medicine | 3 |
| WIS 6050 | Pro Communication in Wildlife Forensic Sciences | 3 |
| WIS 6306 | Applied Wildlife Forensic Genetics | 3 |
| WIS 6405 | Biodiversity | 3 |
| WIS 6421 | Wildlife Toxicology: The Ecohealth Perspective | 3 |
| WIS 6425 | Carrion Ecology and Evolution | 3 |
| WIS 6444C | Wetland Management | 3 |
| WIS 6455 | Wildlife Population Ecology | 3 |
| WIS 6466 | Wildlife Population Modeling | 3 |
| WIS 6468C | Pattern and Process in Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| WIS 6525 | Environmental Interpretation | 3 |
| WIS 6544 | Administration in Natural Resources | 3 |
| WIS 6556 | Trade in Wild Resources | 3 |
| WIS 6557 | International Wildlife Conservation Law, Policy and Ethics | 3 |
| WIS 6558 | Introduction to U.S. Wildlife Law, Policy & Ethics | 3 |
| WIS 6559 | Forensic Science for Conservation Biology | 3 |
| WIS 6561 | Wildlife Crime Scene Processing | 3 |
| WIS 6563 | Wildlife Forensic Pathology | 3 |
| WIS 6576 | Human and Wildlife Conflict | 3 |
| WIS 6905 | Research Problems in Wildlife and Range Sciences | 1-6 |
| WIS 6910 | Supervised Research | 1-5 |
| WIS 6933 | Seminar | 1 |
| WIS 6934 | Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation | 1-4 |
| WIS 6940 | Supervised Teaching | 1-5 |
| WIS 6946 | Wildlife Forensics Internship | 1-6 |
| WIS 6971 | Research for Master's Thesis | 1-15 |
| WIS 7979 | Advanced Research | 1-12 |
| WIS 7980 | Research for Doctoral Dissertation | 1-15 |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ALS 5156 | Agricultural Ecology Principles and Applications | 3 |
| ALS 5905 | Individual Study | 1-4 |
| ALS 5932 | Special Topics | 1-4 |
| ALS 6046 | Grant Writing | 2 |
| ALS 6166 | Exotic Species and Biosecurity Issues | 3 |
| ALS 6921 | Colloquium on Plant Pests of Regulatory Significance | 1 |
| ALS 6925 | Integrated Plant Medicine | 4 |
| ALS 6931 | Plant Medicine Program Seminar | 1 |
| ALS 6935 | Topics in Biological Invasions | 3 |
| ALS 6942 | Principles of Plant Pest Risk Assessment and Management | 3 |
| ALS 6943 | Internship in Plant Pest Risk Assessment and Management | 1-10 |
| ANS 6936 | Graduate Seminar in Animal Molecular and Cell Biology | 1-2 |
| BCH 5045 | Graduate Survey of Biochemistry | 4 |
| STA 6093 | Introduction to Applied Statistics for Agricultural and Life Sciences | 3 |
| STA 6329 | Matrix Algebra and Statistical Computing | 3 |
Wildlife ecology & conservation (PHD)
SLO 1 Concepts and Theories of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Describe and explain concepts and theories of wildlife ecology and conservation science, and the appropriate methods and techniques in a specialization.
SLO 2 Independent/Original Research
Plan, conduct and analyze independent/original research.
SLO 3 Apply Research to Address Problems
Apply quantitative, spatial or qualitative research approaches to address wildlife ecology and conservation problems.
SLO 4 Effective Communication
Communicate proficiently and productively in oral and written form.
SLO 5 Professional Behavior
Display ethical behaviors and professional conduct to contribute as responsible professionals in the field of wildlife ecology and conservation
wildlife ecology & Conservation (MS)
SLO 1 Concepts and Theories of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science
Describe and explain concepts and theories of wildlife ecology and conservation science, and the appropriate methods and techniques in a specialization.
SLO 2 Independent/Original Research
Plan, conduct and analyze independent/original research.
SLO 3 Apply Research to Address Problems
Apply quantitative, spatial or qualitative research approaches to address wildlife ecology and conservation problems.
SLO 4 Effective Communication
Communicate proficiently and productively in oral and written form.
SLO 5 Professional Behavior
Display ethical behaviors and professional conduct to contribute as responsible professionals in the field of wildlife ecology and conservation.