What coursework is needed to get into a masters program in wildlife biology?

[indecisiveemu]

Was wondering if anyone could recommend what basic coursework one should have before applying to a masters program in wildlife bio. I have a bachelors already but it is in a different field so I was hoping I could take classes at a nearby college to start building up my science background. But I'm wondering exactly how much I will need and specifically which courses, as I'm not sure where to start or how long I can expect this to take. One school I'm particularly interested in is Humboldt, so I looked up the prereqs for their graduate classes, but based on how many there are, with extensive prereqs in very specific upper division wildlife courses, not just general bio/chem, it looks like I would need to complete another entire bachelors degree before applying. Is this true? I was under the impression that applying with an undergraduate degree from another field was fairly common, but it doesn't look very possible at Humboldt? I've tried e-mailing and calling the department to ask but have had no response yet.

[shadowclaw]

I don't know about Humboldt, but generally speaking, a degree in some sort of biological or environmental major (General Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, etc) is fine, but you should have some field experience related to the kind of project you want to pursue. For example, if you want to work with birds, some volunteer work at a banding station would be good. If you're interested in wildlife diseases, volunteering at a wildlife rehab center would work. If you lack any field experience, it's going to be difficult to convince a prospective advisor to work with you, and doubly so if you don't have a degree in a related field. 

Wildlife biology can be a bit cutthroat due to low funding in the field and the abundance of students trying to get into graduate programs. If you are really interested in changing fields, you don't necessarily need another degree (although a few courses in wildlifw bio would help), but you should try to get field experience. There are lots of opportunities out there! As for specific courses, I'd aim for a general ecology course and a general wildlife biology course to start. Any courses specific to the organism you want to study would be great, too.

Edited October 5, 2015 by shadowclaw

[indecisiveemu]

I don't know about Humboldt, but generally speaking, a degree in some sort of biological or environmental major (General Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, etc) is fine, but you should have some field experience related to the kind of project you want to pursue. For example, if you want to work with birds, some volunteer work at a banding station would be good. If you're interested in wildlife diseases, volunteering at a wildlife rehab center would work. If you lack any field experience, it's going to be difficult to convince a prospective advisor to work with you, and doubly so if you don't have a degree in a related field. 

Wildlife biology can be a bit cutthroat due to low funding in the field and the abundance of students trying to get into graduate programs. If you are really interested in changing fields, you don't necessarily need another degree (although a few courses in wildlifw bio would help), but you should try to get field experience. There are lots of opportunities out there! As for specific courses, I'd aim for a general ecology course and a general wildlife biology course to start. Any courses specific to the organism you want to study would be great, too.

Thank you for replying. I should've clarified though, I have a BA in psychology, so I don't have the science background that someone with a BS in biology would. Would it still be possible for me to take a couple basic biology and chemistry classes at a community college to make up for this, or do I really need a bachelor's in a science? I know it's not the ideal degree to have, but it wasn't really part of the plan at the time. The only thing I might have going for me is that I'm interested in studying animal behavior, which ties in with psychology.

Edited October 5, 2015 by indecisiveemu

[otherss]

It also depends on what school you plan on attending. A lot of programs don't have any hard requirements but they do want some sort of a science background. I believe it is possible that you can take the classes at a community college. You may also be admitted into the program but under probation or conditional admission (meaning you would have to take those classes in your first semester). Its a question that you need to ask your interested school.

A good general background seems to be 2 courses in general biology, 2 courses in general chemistry, Calculus, Statistics, an Ecology course, and another environmental or science course. If you want more wildlife focused classes, here is an online undergraduate wildlife program run through Oregon State University.

Going off of what shadowclaw said, by having field work or work related to wildlife it may help help you convince the admissions committee to let you in under conditional admission or even waive them entirely.

[indecisiveemu]

Thank you, that's very helpful information.

[shadowclaw]

Thank you for replying. I should've clarified though, I have a BA in psychology, so I don't have the science background that someone with a BS in biology would. Would it still be possible for me to take a couple basic biology and chemistry classes at a community college to make up for this, or do I really need a bachelor's in a science? I know it's not the ideal degree to have, but it wasn't really part of the plan at the time. The only thing I might have going for me is that I'm interested in studying animal behavior, which ties in with psychology.

I didn't realize you had zero coursework in biology! I'm going to make an assumption that you've probably had at least one statistics course and calculus. Like otherss said, two semesters of biology and chemistry will be necessary, plus my recommended ecology and wildlife biology course. The more upper level courses, the better, but at least having the basic science courses and an ecology course will help you meet admission standards. 

If you pushed yourself, you could do all of this in a year. You could fairly easily take 2 semesters of general bio over the summer, then take ecology and other environmental and wildlife courses in the fall and spring (along with chemistry). However, it would be hard to find upper level courses at a community college, but you could always take one or two someplace else while doing the rest of the work at a community college. As long as the other school accepts your ecology course as meeting the prerequisite, you should be able to take a wide variety of upper level courses in the spring.

Just be mindful that biology and chemistry can be difficult for some people, and trying to take a bunch of science classes at once can be stressful. And do get field experience! 

[indecisiveemu]

Okay, thanks! That sounds doable, and a year seems like a good goal. That's what I was hoping to hear. As for the field experience, does it have to be specifically research experience or is any animal experience helpful? Currently, I have a couple years experience working with reindeer in a zoo-type setting and I just started volunteering both with an equine vet and at Duke's lemur center. I'm hoping if I stick with the lemur center it might lead to more opportunities helping out with research or a paid position.

[otherss]

It just all depends on what type of biologist you want to be. If you want to work on animal behavior, animal husbandry positions (what it seems like you have been doing) might be better and there is a chance to gain research experience there, if its a goal of where you work. If you want to be more field-based and still work with animal behavior, try looking for something where you can see animal human interactions or animal animal interactions. Try to get a position that does something similar to what you think you want to do.