Fisheries and Wildlife Management
The Fisheries and Wildlife Management program is designed to train students in both theoretical and applied aspects of fisheries and wildlife management.
Program Overview
This program is designed to train students in both theoretical and applied aspects of fisheries and wildlife management. This major is appropriate for those interested in natural resources management careers in state, federal or tribal agencies, non-profit organizations, industry or academia.
Students in this major must specialize in one of three tracks:
- Fisheries
- Wildlife
- Enforcement
Completion of either the fisheries or wildlife tracks will result in meeting the academic requirements for professional certification in either fisheries (American Fisheries Society) or wildlife (The Wildlife Society). Students in the enforcement track will be assigned a secondary advisor in the Criminal Justice department.
Where a Major in Fisheries and Wildlife Management Can Take You
With a fisheries and wildlife management major, your career options are wide open. Some common paths for NMU alumni include:
- Aquaculturist
- Conservation/Enforcement Officer
- Ecologist
- Fish Biologist
- Fisheries Scientist
- Gamekeeper
- Natural Resources Manager
- Park Naturalist
- Park Ranger
- Wildlife Manager
Career possibilities available to you depend on the competencies and skills you acquire through both academic work and extracurricular experiences, so take advantage of every opportunity to learn from your NMU experience!
Program Curriculum
There are a total of 120 credits required for students enrolled in this major. Students will complete 84 major-specific credits, along with 30-40 general education credits. The program curriculum includes:
- Required courses (32-37 credits)
- Physical science cluster (8 credits)
- Communication cluster (4 credits)
- Human dimensions cluster (8 credits)
- A specialty track (32 credits)
Wildlife Track Curriculum (32 Credits)
Students in this program track are required to take the following core courses in addition to the other program requirements:
In addition to the above wildlife track core, students must also complete courses from three additional clusters: wildlife biology, zoology and botany. The courses for this curriculum track total 32 credits.
Fisheries Track Curriculum (32 Credits)
Students in this program track are required to take the following core courses in addition to the other program requirements:
- BI 310 Ecology Theory and Methods
- BI 411 Limnology
- BI 412 Biostatistics
- BI 443 Aquaculture
- BI 460 Ichthyology
- BI 465 Aquatic Insect Ecology or BI 467 Fish Ecology
In addition to the above fisheries track core, students must also complete eight credits from a cluster of biology courses.
Enforcement Track Curriculum (32 Credits)
Students in this program track are required to take the following core courses in addition to the other program requirements:
- CJ 110 Introduction to Criminal Justice [PERS]
- CJ 273 Environmental Conservation Criminology
- CJ 383 Environmental Conservation Law
- CJ 454 Wildlife Crime
In addition to the above enforcement track core, students must also complete courses from three additional clusters: criminal justice, policy and regulation, and zoology.
Learn More
To learn more about pursuing your education at NMU, you can request additional information, schedule a visit, or apply online.
