Choosing the right college can be hard and most of the population in the United States knows that. Another hard thing about being a college student is choosing the right major. How do you know which major is the right fit? Is it going to lead to the career that will be the most fulfilling for you, or are you going to end up doing something completely unrelated.

If you’re thinking about enrolling in a wildlife management degree program, read on for all of the information you need!

Degree Availability

Starting with availability, this major is fairly available to many students. The largest cluster of universities are mostly out west and in Texas. This makes sense due to the large population of animals and national parks out in that area.

This particular curriculum is designed similarly to Environmental Science, Wildlife Biology and Ecology. Knowing these similarities will allow you to search for a wider variety of schools, even a local school may offer one of these.

Schooling

Popular online schools that offer this degree include:

• American Public University
• Oregon State University

Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium

Courses that would be required to graduate include many Biology topics including General Biology, Plant Taxonomy and Mammalogy. You would also have to take courses specific to the major such as:

• Fish & Wildlife Policy, Law & Publication
• Range and Wildlife Ecology
• Range-land Plants
• Large Mammal Ecology and Management
• Relevant Professions 
• Endangered species 

When delving into a specific study, you might be wondering what are the popular topics of research today. These topics include: various land impact studies concerning deer, elk, pronghorn, bison or other hoofed mammals; ecology of large mammals; habitat administration of waterfowl; and bird population studies in relation to land use changes.

Job Outlook

The ability to get a job in the wildlife management field can be satisfied with an Associate’s credential, but you can expand the possibilities by getting a Bachelor’s Degree or even a Master’s Degree.

Careers in this field include:

• Forest Ranger – Routinely manage, survey, and protect national parks
• Forest Conservationist – Keep tabs on national forests by running various tests to detect pests and disease
• Forest Technician – Help protect national forest resources through hands-on conservation
• Environmental Conservation Officer – Keep the forests and parks safe & secure from vandals
• Wildlife Biologist –Study & research wild animals within their natural habitat
• Fishing or Fisheries Manager
• Natural Resource Technician - Collect, document and analyze water, soil, plant or other organic samples

A career in wildlife management can be very rewarding if you love the outdoors and have a passion to help others. Make sure to practice good mosquito control techniques, though, because being out in the wilderness is sure to be a treat when you run into the mosquito nests. 

Name	Address	Type
Arkansas State University-Main Campus	2105 E. Aggie Road, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401	4-year, Public
Oregon State University	1500 S.W. Jefferson, Corvallis, Oregon 97331	4-year, Public
Texas A & M University, Galveston	805 Rudder Tower, College Station, Texas 77843-1244	4-year, Public
Utah State University	Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322-1400	4-year, Public