Department website: https://www.atu.edu/degrees/bachelors/fisheries-wildlife-sciences.php

The fisheries and wildlife science program is a professional program designed to prepare qualified field and research biologists, as well as to provide a sound foundation for those students who intend to pursue graduate studies in wildlife biology, fisheries biology or field ecology. Through selection of elective courses, graduates are required to meet certification requirements of The Wildlife Society or the American Fisheries Society.

Field biologists are employed by various state and federal agencies concerned with natural resources management including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, National Park Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Employment opportunities in the private sector are also available. Timber, mining, and utility companies hire field biologists for advice and management of industrial lands. Environmental consulting firms, commercial fish and game farms, and nature centers require qualified researchers, technicians, and educators.

Majors in fisheries and wildlife science must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours as specified in the following curriculum outline and no more than 12 hours of “D’s” may be applied toward the degree. Note, this set of courses will also satisfy requirements for a minor in biology, but students should see their advisor to complete the associated degree audit form for the minor. Candidates for graduation are expected to complete a comprehensive series of practical and technical exams to assess mastery of program objectives.

Plan of Study Grid

Freshman
Fall		Hours
BIOL 1114	Principles of Biology	4
ENGL 1013	Composition I	3
FW 1001	Orientation to Fisheries and Wildlife Science	1
MATH 1113	College Algebra	3
SS 1XXX	Social Science Courses 1	3
	Hours	14
Spring
BIOL 2124	Principles of Zoology	4
Select one of the following:		4
CHEM 1113 & CHEM 1111	A Survey of Chemistry and Survey of Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 2124 & CHEM 2120	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab
ECON 2003	Principles of Macroeconomics	3
ENGL 1023	Composition II	3
	Hours	14
Sophomore
Fall
BIOL 2134	Principles of Botany	4
CHEM 2204	Organic Physiological Chemistry	4
FW 2013	Natural Resources Communications	3
Select one of the following:		4-3
Statistics 2
FW 3084	Ichthyology 3
	Hours	15-14
Spring
CM 1XXX	Communication 1	3
FW/GEOG 2833	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems	3
FW 3114	Principles of Ecology	4
Statistics 2		3
USHG 1XXX	U.S. History and Government 1	3
	Hours	16
Junior
Fall
Select one of the following:		4
BIOL 4044	Dendrology
Elective 4
Select one of the following:		3
Statistics 2
Math 5
Electives 4		6
	Hours	13
Spring
Select one of the following:		4
BIOL 3004	Plant Taxonomy 3
Elective 4
FAH 1XXX	Fine Arts and Humanities Courses 1	3
FW 3053	Fisheries and Wildlife Administration	3
FW 4003	Principles of Wildlife Management	3
Select one of the following:		4
FW 4024	Limnology 3
Elective 4
	Hours	17
Senior
Fall
FW 4043	Fisheries Techniques 3.6	3
FW 4103	Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife Management 6	3
Electives 4, 6		9
	Hours	15
Spring
FAH 1XXX	Fine Arts and Humanities Courses 1	3
FW 4001	Senior Seminar in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology 6	1
FW 4083	Principles of Fisheries Management 6	3
Electives 4, 6		9
	Hours	16
	Total Hours	120-119

¹

See appropriate alternatives or substitutions in "General Education Requirements". One of the social sciences must be ECON 2003 Principles of Macroeconomics.

²

Statistics must be taken either fall or spring term.

³

 Choose FW 3084 Ichthyology and FW 4024 Limnology.  

⁴

Must include at least two courses from the biology group (BIOL 3174 Physiological Ecology, BIOL 3034 Genetics, BIOL 4064 Evolutionary Biology, BIOL 3064 Parasitology, BIOL 3104 Introduction to Entomology or AGPM 3104 Introduction to Entomology, BIOL 3184 Animal Behavior, BIOL 3004 Plant Taxonomy, BIOL 3033 Bioinformatics, BIOL 4043 Conservation Genetics, BIOL 4044 Dendrology, BIOL 4094 Coastal Ecology) one course from the physical science group elective (any physics course, AGSS 2014 Soils, GEOL 1014 Physical Geology), and three 3000-4000 level fisheries and wildlife elective courses. Sufficient additional electives to produce 120 total credit hours are required for graduation.

⁵

Must include one of the following courses: FW 3173 Biostatistics, STAT 2304 Programming Languages for Data Science, STAT 3113 Regression Analysis, STAT 4153 Experimental Design and Analysis or Calculus.

⁶

This program partners the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Fisheries and Wildlife and the Master of Science (MS) Fisheries and Wildlife. Students in this accelerated program can substitute up to 12 hours graduate level credit hours fisheries and wildlife courses from the following: Four (4) FW 5000 or 6000-level courses can be used to replace undergraduate fisheries and wildlife required or elective requirements.

Students who complete the program will demonstrate:

• Students will be proficient at oral and written communication. Students will be able to integrate information from several sources to produce a cogent report or presentation.
• Students will have a solid foundation in basic biological principles, general ecological principles, and a working knowledge of forest ecology and management, wetlands ecology, or limnology.
• Students will have a working knowledge of basic fisheries and wildlife management principles including: understanding how habitat manipulations are used to manage fish and wildlife; recognizing important state and federal laws that regulated natural resources; and understanding how the human dimension influences fisheries and wildlife professions.
• Students will have good Fisheries and Wildlife quantitative and analytical skills including: proficiency in identification and knowledge of taxonomy and life history characteristics of regional mammals, birds, or fish; working knowledge of methods to age, sex, capture, and mark fish and wildlife; and demonstrating a basic ability to use GPS equipment, aerial photographs, and maps for fish and wildlife management purposes.
• Students will have good field skills including: proficiency in word processing, production of graphs for reports, use of spreadsheets, preparing presentations; understanding of basic statistical concepts; and a working knowledge of population dynamics principles.
• Students will exhibit professionalism including understanding the ethics of scientific research and abiding by the standards of professional conduct established by the American Fisheries Society or The Wildlife Society.