The professional field of wildlife science covers the basic ecology of free-living animals and their relations to humans, including their management and conservation. Wildlife science is, therefore, a multidisciplinary field which draws from the natural, quantitative, and social sciences. Wildlife studies at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences is active in all phases of the discipline with current research projects on the basic ecology of species and a wide range of issues dealing with management and conservation of species and ecosystems, including problems in forest management, wildlife toxicology, range management, and marine mammalogy. Students and faculty focus on vertebrates and is strongly field-oriented. Courses and seminars feature current approaches to wildlife research and management, ecological theory, and quantitative methods.

Graduates concentrating in wildlife science obtain employment in varied settings. Historically, most graduates have been hired by municipal, state and federal agencies. Recently, as the demand for expertise in wildlife science has intensified, graduates also have found opportunities with consulting firms, private conservation organizations, and research laboratories.

Previous Research

• Wildlife communities on new forestry demonstration sites in western Oregon and Washington
• Home range movements and habitat use of western gray squirrels
• Evaluating bird response to the Plum Creek Habitat Conservation Plan
• Winter habitat use and foraging behavior of lynx in north central Washington
• Amphibian use of stormwater retention ponds in King County
• Effects of natural disturbance and barred owl competition on spotted owls in Olympic National Park
• The role of summer range on mule deer populations in north-central Washington

Wildlife Science Curriculum Structure

*Ph.D. level course
**for MS, taken twice; for Ph.D., taken three times

Related Faculty