Fisheries & Wildlife

Recognized as one of the premier programs in the country, the Fisheries and Wildlife major provides undergraduates with the foundational skills and knowledge to understand and execute scientifically rigorous management of fish and wildlife populations. Our graduates are prepared for employment or graduate studies in fisheries and wildlife biology management.

This degree program is certified by the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. Certification means that our graduates are trained to provide professional advice regarding fisheries and wildlife management, and it increases the competitiveness of our graduates when seeking employment.

Students may choose from among three areas of emphasis:

  • Aquatic Sciences
  • Pre-Vet Wildlife Sciences
  • Wildlife Sciences

Curriculum

Coursework for this degree recognizes that wildlife management is fundamentally a biological discipline requiring an understanding of organisms and their environments. As a result, we view the foundational disciplines of the Fisheries and Wildlife major as:

  • Organismal biology
  • Population biology and ecology
  • Ecosystems and habitat management

Because fisheries and wildlife management involves humans interacting with our natural resources, we also require that our students have an understanding of economic and natural resources policies and laws. We also feel it’s essential for our students to receive training in spatial and population modeling, verbal and written communication, and decisionmaking in order to become successful fisheries and wildlife biologists.

Aquatic Sciences Area of Emphasis

The aquatic sciences area of emphasis meets the Professional Certification requirements recommended by the American Fisheries Society.  The curriculum is field oriented and offers opportunities to participate in faculty research projects and agency internships. Courses such as fisheries management, limnology, ichthyology, ecology, aquaculture, water quality, and fish physiology provide students with the information needed to appreciate, understand, and manage aquatic systems.

Course Sequences

Related Minors and Certificate Programs

Students pursuing the aquatic sciences area of emphasis in the fisheries and wildlife major may be able to complete one or more of the following programs alongside the fisheries and wildlife major, as circumstances allow. Warnell offers other certificate options as well.

  • Water Resources certificate - no additional coursework is needed to earn the water resources certificate, but students must complete an associated seminar series and must take Senior Project (FANR 4500S) instead of Senior Thesis (FANR 4990). Students taking Senior Thesis may complete the certificate with careful elective selection.
  • Biology minor - if ECOL 3500 taken for ecology, then one additional course from the following is required: BCMB 3100, BCMB 4020, CBIO 3400, CBIO 3600, or GENE 3200. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses applying towards this minor.
  • Ecology minor - if ECOL 3500 taken for ecology, then a student must take ECOL 4000, 4010, or 4310 as a major elective, as well as one major elective from the following list, to earn the ecology minor: ECOL 3220, 3520, 4050, 4070, FISH 4300, 4360, 4550, WILD 4040, 4060, or 4575. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses applying towards this minor.

Pre-Vet Wildlife Sciences Area of Emphasis

Students who select the Pre-Vet option will fulfill all course requirements for entrance into UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine. Students on this track often take courses in animal behavior, wildlife physiology and nutrition, and wildlife disease, in addition to many of the organismal biology courses (herpetology, mammalogy, ornithology, etc.) taken by all wildlife students.

Course Sequences

Related Minors and Certificate Programs

Students pursuing the pre-vet wildlife sciences area of emphasis in the fisheries and wildlife major may be able to complete one or more of the following programs alongside the fisheries and wildlife major, as circumstances allow. Warnell offers other certificate options as well.

  • Biology minor - if ECOL 3500 taken for ecology, then all coursework for this minor will be met. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses applying towards this minor.
  • Ecology minor - if ECOL 3500 taken for ecology, then a student must choose ECOL 4000 or 4240 as a major elective, as well as one major elective from the following, to complete the minor: ECOL 3220, WILD 4040, 4060, or 4575. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses applying towards this minor.

Wildlife Sciences Area of Emphasis

Students choosing the wildlife sciences area of emphasis will fulfill the educational requirements to become Certified Wildlife Biologists, as stipulated by The Wildlife Society.  Wildlife Biologists determine the biological and ecological conditions required for maintenance of healthy populations of game and non-game species, tend these species, and manage their environments to meet wildlife conservation objectives.

Course Sequences

Double Dawgs Programs

Related Minors and Certificate Programs

Students pursuing the wildlife sciences area of emphasis in the fisheries and wildlife major may be able to complete one or more of the following programs alongside the fisheries and wildlife major, as circumstances allow. Warnell offers other certificate options as well.

  • Water Resources certificate - students taking Senior Project (FANR 4500S) instead of Senior Thesis (FANR 4990) should take FISH 4200 or FISH 4650L as one of their electives to finish the coursework requirements. Students taking Senior Thesis (FANR 4990) may take WASR 4400 as a major elective and either FISH 4200 or FISH 4650L as a major elective to finish the coursework requirements. For all students completing the certificate, an associated seminar series is required.
  • Biology minor - if ECOL 3500 taken for ecology, then one additional course from the following is required: BCMB 3100, BCMB 4020, CBIO 3400, CBIO 3600, or GENE 3200. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses applying towards the minor.
  • Ecology minor - if ECOL 3500 taken for ecology, then a student must take WILD 4040 or 4060 for an organismal elective, as well as choosing one of the following as a major elective: ECOL 4000, 4010, 4240, or 4310. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses applying towards this minor.