Wildlife Resources

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho is a nationally respected program that will give you a comprehensive understanding of wildlife biology and ecology concepts. Your courses will cover topics ranging from conservation biology and conservation genetics to large mammal ecology and wildlife management practices and processes.

With an advanced degree, you’ll have the skills needed to build a career with state and federal agencies, consulting firms, or natural resources nonprofit organizations. We offer both a Master of Science (M.S.) thesis option and a non-thesis option in wildlife resources.

The M.S. in wildlife resources degree will prepare you to make an immediate impact in tackling current issues surrounding wildlife management, protection and habitat. Through traditional course work, labs and field trips, you will study a variety of topics that, as a professional in the field, you will face every day. For example, you’ll learn the theories associated with wildlife population and habitat management, from a biological basis. You will also study qualitative analysis practices, as well as conservation genetics, including the development and application of population models in wildlife management.

Broad areas of study include:

• Wildlife management
• Ecological fundamentals
• Wildlife habitat and population ecology
• Conservation genetics

The wildlife resources program at the University of Idaho has more than 230 undergraduate and 80 graduate students, with 15 full-time faculty members. Our program is nationally recognized for its teaching and research credentials, giving you excellent opportunities to contribute to the groundbreaking research taking place in the areas of fish and wildlife resource management.

Prepare for Success

To be successful in this program and as a professional in the workforce, you should have a strong desire to ensure wildlife species are safe, secure and sustainable for generations to come. You also need a strong educational foundation in biology, science, ecology and math, with the ability to communicate complex ideas and concepts to others. While some of your work will be done inside the lab, at the office or in community meeting rooms, you should also love the idea of working outside.

Your First Year

Entrance into the College of Graduate Studies program is highly competitive. Admission normally requires completion of undergraduate course work in the area of natural and social sciences. If you don’t have an undergraduate degree in one of these areas, you may be required to make up deficiencies as determined by their advisory committees.

Depending on your area of focus, here is a sample list of first year classes for wildlife resources graduate students:

• Advanced Topics in Conservation Biology (WLF 515)
• Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management (WLF 520)
• Wildlife Nutrition (WLF 531)
• Conservation Genetics (WLF 540)
• Advanced Population Biology (WLF 541)

What You Can Do

With a master's in wildlife resources, you may become a :

• Wildlife biologist
• Wildlife conservationist
• Land management consultant
• Research lead
• Conservation officer

Opportunities

Career opportunities in the areas of natural resource management continue to grow at a tremendous pace. Examples of employers are:

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Idaho Department of Fish and Game
• The Nature Conservancy
• Trout Unlimited
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• U.S. Forest Service
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Bureau of Land Management
• American Fisheries Society
• State Departments of Fish and Game
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Consulting and project management firms

Current Research

Fish and wildlife resources faculty are extremely committed to personal and collective research efforts happening on campus. The overall goal of these research activities is to make bold discoveries, collect new knowledge and learn techniques for improving how we conserve and manage our wildlife resources.

To give you an idea of how your education can be applied in the real world, check out our profile on Scott Fereday, a recent wildlife graduate who wants to combine his passion for wildlife with his passion for flying. >>more

Activities

There are several ways you can get involved on campus. One way is to join the Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society. It is a great way to expand your horizons, learn about important research happening, network and find out about job opportunities.

Hands-On Experience

Graduate students are incredibly active in the area of research. Here are some titles of research projects our wildlife resource students are working on:

• The influence nest location has on reproductive success and nest predation in the breeding ecology of Lewis' Woodpecker
• Mule deer movements and winter habitat use in north-central Washington
• Understanding the spatial and temporal population dynamics of elk in Idaho using the metapopulation concept
• The effects of livestock grazing on shrubsteppe birds
• Survival, movements, habitat use and productivity of translocated mountain quail

Facilities

The Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit conducts research that addresses complex environmental issues across virtually every North American ecological community.

Check out our complete list of College of Natural Resources Research and Facilities.

Online & Outreach

 The University of Idaho, in collaboration with the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica, has established an interdisciplinary, multi-institution graduate research and education program. The program emphasizes conservation biology and sustainability of agricultural and forest systems. The program also works closely with the U.S. Geological Survey's Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, which is housed in the department, and the Aquaculture Research Institute.

Faculty Involvement

Cort Anderson
Research Assistant Professor
Professional interests: Molecular Evolution, Molecular Systematics, Invasive Species Issues
» Cort Anderson - profile

Kenneth Cain
Associate Professor, Associate Director of the Aquaculture Research Institute
Specialty Areas of Interest: Fish Immunology, Aquaculture Vaccine Development, Host-pathogen Interactions, Development of new Disease Diagnostic Tools, Antigen Characterization/Identification
» View Ken Cain's profile

Brian Dennis
Professor
Research interests: Statistical Ecology , Biometrics, Mathematical Modeling, Theoretical Ecology, Conservation Biology, Population Dynamics
» Brian Dennis - profile