Wildlife
and Conservation Biology
MURRAY KENTUCKY 42071-3361 -- PHONE: (270) 809-2786 -- FAX: (270) 809-2788
The
Department of Biological Sciences offers a program leading to a B.S. degree
in Wildlife and Conservation Biology. The department has an active chapter of
The Wildlife Society that participates in a variety of service projects, field
trips, and other professional activities, such as the annual Wildlife Biology
Conclave held at a different university each year. Students finishing a Wildlife
and Conservation Biology program may begin employment with state or federal
agencies upon graduation or continue their education in graduate programs.
The Wildlife and Conservation Biology Area offers three closely related course options in Wildlife Biology, Conservation Biology and Zoological Conservation. The Wildlife Biology option represents the classic fields of study of vertebrate wildlife in their free-ranging environments and completion of the program will meet all requirements for certification from The Wildlife Society. Conservation Biology emphasizes national and international conservation issues, nongame species, endangered species, and the maintenance of biodiversity. It includes interdisciplinary preparation in economics, international relations, and political systems. Zoological Conservation is for those interested primarily in working in a zoo setting. While not restricting a graduate to management of wildlife in captivity, it emphasizes animal physiology, health, and behavior useful in a controlled environment.
University Study Courses - 48 hours (21 hours from required Biology and co-required courses). Required Area Core Courses - 40 hours: Freshman Orientation, Cellular Basis, Biological Inquiry, Zoology, Botany, Principles of Ecology, Genetics, Systematic Botany or Field Botany, Senior Seminar, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Statistics. Complete one of four Area Options -34-39 hours: Wildlife Option: Dendrology, Comparative Anatomy, Wildlife Techniques, Principles of Wildlife Management, Wildlife Policy and Administration, Electives (8 hours) from Herpetology, Ornithology or Mammalogy Computer Science, Technical Writing, and Land Use Planning. Conservation Biology Option: Bio Ethics, Conservation Biology, Principles of Wildlife Management, Electives (8 hours) from Herpetology, Ornithology Mammalogy, or Ichthyology, Micro and Macro Economics, Issues in Global Economy, and Remote Sensing or Geographic Information Systems. Zoological Conservation Option: Microbiology or Parasitology, Animal Physiology, Animal Behavior, Conservation Biology, Electives (8 hours) from Herpetology, Ornithology Mammalogy, or Ichthyology, Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Lab Principles, Veterinary Hematology and Microbiology, Small Animal Disease, and Animal Nursing and Radiography. Electives - 0-8 hours. Total Curriculum Requirement - 128 hours.
Murray State University is located about 20 miles from the Land Between the Lakes (LBL), a multiple-use management area located between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, two of the largest reservoir systems in the United States. LBL consists of 170,000 acres of mesophytic hardwoods and grasslands and has been designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. Recognized as one of the most biologically diverse sites in Kentucky, LBL is home to numerous species of plants, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. LBL has populations of wild turkey, white-tailed and fallow deer, elk, bison, bald eagles, and great blue herons. The university also helps maintain Murphy's Pond, a remnant cypress swamp and Kentucky Nature Preserve, and conducts research at Reelfoot Lake. Four national wildlife refuges and numerous state wildlife management areas are in the immediate vicinity. The department maintains regional collections of mollusks, fishes, reptiles, mammals, fossils and plants. The department also operates the Hancock Biological Station (HBS) on Kentucky Lake. The station includes 75 acres of woodlands and a modern main building with 13,000 square feet of teaching and research space and a greeenhouse/mesocosm facility. HBS, the Mid-America Remote sensing Center (MARC) and the Chemical Services Laboratory (CSL) are dedicated to studying the biology and chemistry of reservoir systems.
Visit
the Wildlife &
Fisheries Society web pages and learn more about the 2001 Southeastern
Wildlife Conclave Quiz Bowl Champions. Click on: http://www.mursuky.edu/qacd/cos/bio/wildlife.htm
For more information contact: Dr. Tom Timmons, Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, 2112 Biology Building, Murray, KY 42071-3361, (270) 809-2786
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Date Modified December, 2007