Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology (BS): Fisheries Science Concentration
Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology (FWCB) major prepares students to manage and conserve populations of fish and wildlife in their natural habitats. This STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) major gives students the skills they need to observe, research, monitor and assess the impact of environmental change, human behavior and public policy on wild populations of animals. Using a combination of lab work, technology and field study, students develop conservation strategies that ensure the long-term health of fish and wildlife populations.听
After sophomore year, students spend six weeks in summer field courses. During 鈥渟ummer camp鈥� experience, students learn hands-on fish and wildlife management techniques in locations across the state. From plant and animal identification and bird mist netting to camera-trapping and radio telemetry, students gain experiences that prepare them for careers after graduation. FWCB students have the option to substitute the summer field course with approved internships or study abroad courses.
The Fisheries concentration meets the qualifications for certification by the American Fisheries Society. The fisheries concentration includes required courses in chemistry, aquatic ecology, and biology of fish that are not required in the other FWCB concentrations.
Contact
Dr. Nicole Mihnovets
anmihnov@ncsu.edu
FWCB Undergraduate Coordinator
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
Box 8008
North Carolina State 福利逼站
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8008
Plan Requirements
| First Year | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| 贰狈痴听100 | Student Success in Environmental First Year | 1 |
| 贰狈痴听101 | Exploring the Environment | 2 |
| 惭础听131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | 3 |
| 叠滨翱听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 |
| 叠滨翱听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| 颁贬听101 &补尘辫;听颁贬听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| Acad Writing Research 1 | 4 | |
| 贵奥听221 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 25 |
| Second Year | ||
| FOR听172 | Forest System Mapping and Mensuration I | 2 |
| PY听131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
| COM听110 or COM听112 | Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| CH听201 &补尘辫;听CH听202 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| AEC听360 or PB听360 | Ecology or Ecology | 4 |
| Select one of the following Organic Chemistry combinations: | 4 | |
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Economics Elective | 3 | |
| Communication Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 27 |
| Summer | ||
| Experiential Learning | 6 | |
| 听 | Hours | 6 |
| Third Year | ||
| FW听353 | Wildlife Management | 3 |
| FW听373 | Vertebrate Natural History | 3 |
| FW听411 | Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries | 3 |
| AEC听420 | Introduction to Fisheries Science | 3 |
| Select one of the following Genetics courses: | 3-4 | |
| Genetics for Wildlife Management | ||
| Genetics in Human Affairs | ||
| Principles of Genetics | ||
| ST听311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| ENG听333 | Communication for Science and Research | 3 |
| GIS听280 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| ENT听201 | Insects and People | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 27 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| FW听415 | Professional Development in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology | 1 |
| AEC听441 | Biology of Fishes | 3 |
| Quantitative Elective | 3 | |
| Policy Elective | 3 | |
| Aquatic Elective | 3 | |
| Physical Science Elective | 3 | |
| Biology Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 2 | |
| 听 | Hours | 24 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 109 |
- 1
A grade of C- or better is required.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEP Courses | ||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Global Knowledge (Verify Requirements) | ||
| GEP Foundations of American Democracy (verify requirement) | ||
| World Language Proficiency (Verify Requirements) | ||
| Total Hours | 11 | |
Acad Writing Research
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Acad Writing Research | ||
| ENG听101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| FLE听101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| Transfer Sequence | ||
| ENG听202 | Disciplinary Perspectives in Writing | 3 |
| ENG听1GEP | 3 | |
Communication Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COM听201 | Introduction to Persuasion Theory | 3 |
| COM听211 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 3 |
| COM听226 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 |
| COM听289 | Science Communication and Public Engagement | 3 |
| COM听301 | Presentational Speaking | 3 |
| EMS听350 | Teaching Environmental Education | 3 |
| ENG听214 | Introduction to Editing | 3 |
| ENG听216 | Technologies for Texts | 3 |
| ENG听316 | Introduction to News and Article Writing | 3 |
| PRT听485 | Environmental Education in Practice | 3 |
Economics Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARE听201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| ARE听201A | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| EC听201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| EC听205 | Fundamentals of Economics | 3 |
| NR听219 | Natural Resource Markets | 3 |
Experiential Learning
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Summer Camp 2 | ||
| FW听311 | Piedmont Wildlife Ecology and Management | 3 |
| FW听312 | Fisheries Techniques and Management | 1 |
| FW听313 | Mountain Wildlife Ecology and Management | 1 |
| FW听314 | Coastal Ecology and Management | 1 |
Internship 2 | ||
| FW听492 | External Learning Experience | 3-6 |
Study Abroad 2 | ||
| FW听405 | Tropical Wildlife Ecology | 3 |
| FW听445 | Human Dimensions of Conservation Biology in the Bahamas | 3 |
- 2
Six credits of experiential learning can be accomplished by completing one of the following four options:
1) Summer Camp field courses (FW 311, FW 312, FW 313, FW 314)
2) Two FWCB approved internships (FW 492)
3) Two study abroad experiences (FW 405, FW 445, or other FWCB-approved wildlife study abroad)
4) One FWCB-approved internship and one study abroad experience.
Click 听and 听for more information about FWCB's experiential learning opportunities. Click 听to view additional opportunities offered through NCSU's Pack Abroad portal.听
Quantitative Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MA听231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B | 3 |
| MA听241 | Calculus II | 4 |
| NR听300 | Natural Resource Measurements | 4 |
| ST听312 | Introduction to Statistics II | 3 |
| MA听107 | Precalculus I (Only for cases when math placement exam results determine that pre-calculus is necessary before enrolling in 惭础听131.) | 3 |
Policy Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARE听309 | Environmental Law & Economic Policy | 3 |
| NR听460 | Renewable Natural Resource Management and Policy | 3 |
| PS听320 | U.S. Environmental Law and Politics | 3 |
| PS听336 | Global Environmental Politics | 3 |
Aquatic Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEC听380 | Water Resources: Global Issues in Ecology, Policy, Management, and Advocacy | 3 |
| AEC听419 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 |
| MEA听200 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| MEA听220 | Marine Biology | 3 |
Physical Science Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CH听201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science | 3 |
| CH听202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CH听223 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| ES听200 | Climate Change and Sustainability | 3 |
| ES听300 | Energy and Environment | 3 |
| MEA听100 | Earth System Science: Exploring the Connections | 4 |
| MEA听130 | Introduction to Weather and Climate | 3 |
| MEA听200 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| MEA听210 | Oceanography Lab | 1 |
| MEA听220 | Marine Biology | 3 |
| MEA听250 | Introduction to Coastal Environments | 3 |
| MEA听323 | Geochemistry of Natural Waters | 3 |
| PY听212 | College Physics II | 4 |
Biology Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEC听409 | Ecology and Conservation of Freshwater Invertebrates | 4 |
| ENT听425 | General Entomology | 3 |
| ZO听250 | Animal Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| ZO听402 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 |
| ZO听410 | Introduction to Animal Behavior | 3 |
Technical Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FW听402 | Genetics for Wildlife Management | 3 |
| FW听404 | Wildlife Habitat Management | 3 |
| FW听413 | Herpetology | 4 |
| FW听453 | Principles of Wildlife Science | 4 |
| AEC听245 | Practicing Conservation Ecology | 3 |
| AEC听370 | Parasite and Disease Ecology | 3 |
| AEC听371 | Parasite and Disease Ecology Lab | 1 |
| AEC听380 | Water Resources: Global Issues in Ecology, Policy, Management, and Advocacy | 3 |
| AEC听384 | Tropical Ecology in a Changing World | 3 |
| AEC听390 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| AEC听400 | Applied Ecology | 3 |
| AEC听409 | Ecology and Conservation of Freshwater Invertebrates | 4 |
| AEC听419 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 |
| AEC听441 | Biology of Fishes | 3 |
| AEC听460 | Field Ecology and Methods | 4 |
| AEC听470 | Urban Ecology | 3 |
| ANS听230 | Animal Nutrition | 3 |
| CS听230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 |
| CS听415 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| DSC听201 | Introduction to R/Python for Data Science | 1 |
| DSC听202 | Introduction to Data Visualization | 1 |
| DSC听205 | Data Communication | 1 |
| ENT听207 | Insects and Human Disease | 3 |
| ENT听212 | Basic Entomology | 1 |
| ENT听401 | Honey Bee Biology and Management | 3 |
| ENT听402 | Forest Entomology | 3 |
| ENT听425 | General Entomology | 3 |
| ES听113 | Earth from Space | 3 |
| ES听150 | Water and the Environment | 3 |
| ES听200 | Climate Change and Sustainability | 3 |
| ES听300 | Energy and Environment | 3 |
| FOR听248 | Forest History, Technology and Society | 3 |
| FOR听252 | Introduction to Forest Science | 3 |
| FOR听304 | Theory of Silviculture | 4 |
| FOR听318 | Forest Pathology | 3 |
| FOR听330 | North Carolina Forests | 3 |
| FOR听353 | GIS and Remote Sensing for Environmental Analysis and Assessment | 3 |
| FOR听401 | Dendrology | 4 |
| FOR听402 | Forest Entomology | 3 |
| FOR听414 | World Forestry | 3 |
| FOR听420 | Watershed and Wetlands Hydrology | 4 |
| FOR听472 | Forest Soils | 4 |
| MEA听200 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| MEA听210 | Oceanography Lab | 1 |
| MEA听220 | Marine Biology | 3 |
| MEA听250 | Introduction to Coastal Environments | 3 |
| MEA听251 | Introduction to Coastal Environments Laboratory | 1 |
| MEA听409 | Watershed Forensics | 3 |
| MEA听449 | Principles of Biological Oceanography | 3 |
| NR听203 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
| NR听300 | Natural Resource Measurements | 4 |
| NR听350 | International Sustainable Resource Use | 4 |
| NR听400 | Natural Resource Management | 4 |
| NR听420 | Watershed and Wetlands Hydrology | 4 |
| NR听421 | Wetland Science and Management | 3 |
| NR听484 | Environmental Impact Assessment | 4 |
| PB听200 | Plant Life | 4 |
| PB听220 | Local Flora | 3 |
| PB听250 | Plant Biology | 4 |
| SSC听185 | Land and Life | 3 |
| SSC听200 | Soil Science | 3 |
| ZO听233 | Human-Animal Interactions | 3 |
| ZO听250 | Animal Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| ZO听317 | Primate Ecology and Evolution | 3 |
| ZO听350 | Animal Phylogeny and Diversity | 4 |
| ZO听402 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 |
| MEA听252 | Biology of Marine Mammals ! | 3 |
| MEA听350 | Marine Conservation Biology ! | 3 |
| AEC听424 | Marine Fisheries Ecology ! | 3 |
- !
Course offered only during Semester at CMAST, a 'study away' program at NC State's Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, in Morehead City. for more information about this program.听
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
Critical Path Courses听鈥� Identify using the code (CP) which courses are considered critical path courses which represent specific major requirements that are predictive of student success in a given program/plan.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 贰狈痴听100 &补尘辫;听贰狈痴听101 | Student Success in Environmental First Year and Exploring the Environment | 3 |
| 惭础听131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | 3 |
| 叠滨翱听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 |
| 贵奥听221 | Conservation of Natural Resources (CP) | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science | 3 |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| 叠滨翱听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| ENG听101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FOR听172 | Forest System Mapping and Mensuration I | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Communication Elective | 3 | |
| Economics Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 12 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| AEC听360 or PB听360 | Ecology (CP) or Ecology | 4 |
| CH听201 &补尘辫;听CH听202 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| COM听110 or COM听112 | Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| PY听131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Summer | ||
| Experiential Learning | 6 | |
| 听 | Hours | 6 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| ENG听333 | Communication for Science and Research (CP) | 3 |
| FW听353 | Wildlife Management (CP) | 3 |
| ST听311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Genetics for Wildlife Management | ||
| Genetics in Human Affairs | ||
| Principles of Genetics | ||
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FW听373 | Vertebrate Natural History (CP) | 3 |
| FW听411 | Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries | 3 |
| AEC听420 | Introduction to Fisheries Science (CP) | 3 |
| ENT听201 | Insects and People (GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives) | 3 |
| GIS听280 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Quantitative Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2-3 | |
| Policy Elective | 3 | |
| Aquatic Elective (CP) | 3 | |
| FW听415 | Professional Development in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology | 1 |
| 听 | Hours | 12 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| AEC听441 | Biology of Fishes (CP) | 3 |
| Biology Elective | 3 | |
| Physical Science Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective (CP) | 3 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 120 |
- 1
A grade of C- or better is required.
Career Opportunities
Graduates are prepared for graduate school and entry-level professional positions in state and federal government agencies, non-profit organizations and private industry. Upon graduation, students are qualified to seek certification from The Wildlife Society or the American Fisheries Society.
Career Titles
- Conservation Scientist
- Environmental Scientist
- Environmental Scientist and Protection Technician
- Fisheries Manager
- Forest and Conservation Technician
- Forester
Learn More About Careers
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