Biological Sciences—Wildlife and Conservation Biology Major (B.S.)

Major code BS2522

College of Arts and Sciences
Biological Sciences Department
Irvine Hall 107
Athens, OH 45701
www.ohio.edu/cas/biology

Karen Mammone, contact person
mammone@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The Wildlife and Conservation Biology track is designed for students who are interested in careers in the fields of wildlife ecology and management, wildlife restoration, biodiversity conservation across State and Federal civil service, environmental non-profits, environmental consulting, zoos and aquaria, and other wildlife-related opportunities. The program provides theoretical and hands-on field and lab training for students on the path to graduate school in ecology, behavior, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, or wildlife ecology. Wildlife and Conservation Biology students have the option to pursue the Environmental Studies Certificate or the Geographic Information (GIS) Certificate.

Admission Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

In the past, Biological Sciences had a very strong admission requirement of a PL1-level math placement. With the implementation of the test-optional admission pathway, this requirement is no longer in place. However, achievement of PL1-level math placement can be a good indicator of strong preparation in math. After admission to Ohio University, students may transfer into a Biological Sciences major if they have earned a grade of “C” or better in both BIOS 1700 and BIOS 1705 and have a minimum accumulative GPA of 2.5 at Ohio University.

Change of Program Policy

Current Ohio University students who would like to declare one of the Biology majors must have a minimum Math ACT subscore of 20; equivalent Math SAT subscore (490 on tests taken prior to March 2016 or 520 on tests taken March 2016 or later); a minimum Ohio University math placement score of PL1; or a grade of “C” or better in equivalent courses to both BIOS 1700 and BIOS 1705 with a minimum accumulative Ohio University GPA of 2.5.

External Transfer Admission

Transfer students who would like to declare one of the Biology majors must have a minimum Math ACT subscore of 20; equivalent Math SAT subscore (490 on tests taken prior to March 2016 or 520 on tests taken March 2016 or later); a minimum Ohio University math placement score of PL1; or a grade of “C” or better in the equivalent courses to both BIOS 1700 and BIOS 1705 with a minimum accumulative GPA of 2.5 from their previous institution.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

The program curriculum aligns to the requirements for Wildlife Biologist national certification (https://wildlife.org/learn/professional-development-certification/certification-programs/). For positions that students will be qualified to apply upon graduation check the following websites: https://www.usajobs.gov, https://www.conservationjobboard.com/, or https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/. Many of our graduates work in the Federal system (U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, E.P.A.), State wildlife and natural resources management agencies, zoos, aquaria and animal rehab centers, environmental consulting, or are pursuing graduate studies at Ohio University or elsewhere.

Requirements

University-wide Graduation Requirements

Ohio University requires completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours for conferral of a bachelor’s degree. However, the Biological Sciences - Wildlife and Conservation Biology major requires a minimum of 125 semester hours. For more information on the minimum hours requirement and other University-wide requirements, please review the Graduation Requirements – Universitywide page.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirement

View the College and Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirements .

Biological Sciences Hours Requirement

Complete a total of 41 semester hours of BIOS coursework, including all of the requirements below. Note: 1000- and 2000-level courses not specifically required by the major will not count toward the BIOS hours requirement, but they may be used to fulfill University graduation requirements.