Wildlife and Conservation Biology B.S.
Careers
Graduates of this major find employment with various state or federal agencies (such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Park Service, or Forest Service, or Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management); with consulting firms; and with organizations like the Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation. Wildlife researchers work on habitat requirements of individual wildlife species and analyze the effects of such factors as pesticides, hunting, predation and land use on wildlife populations and their habitats. Wildlife managers operate refuges, regulate hunting and trapping seasons, manage public lands for the benefit of wildlife, and advise private landowners regarding wildlife management. Some wildlife biologists work for consulting firms that assess the environmental impact of proposed developments; others work in regulating land use in wetlands and coastal zones; still others teach in colleges, environmental education centers, and public schools.
Academic options and experiential learning
Students are encouraged to perform research or independent study projects with faculty in Biological Sciences and other departments in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences for academic credit, participate in internships during the academic year or the summer (e.g., via the Coastal Fellows and EPSCoR Fellows Programs, or the Graduate School of Oceanography’s REU SURFO Program), or study at other universities in national and international exchange programs arranged through URI’s Office of International Education.