Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation BiologyUndergraduate Study - General Information
What we study
Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology (WFCB) is an ecologically oriented major that addresses the interactions of humans with wildlife and fish in both natural and disturbed environments. Students are trained in the basic sciences, mathematics, and the taxonomy, biology, and conservation of wildlife and fish here in California and in many other parts of the world. The heavy emphasis on basic sciences provides our students with the intellectual flexibility to handle the varied and often unexpected problems faced by wildlife and fisheries biologists. The foremost task of such biologists today and in the future is to maintain and restore biological diversity of ecosystems and populations of all wildlife for future generations.
In the major, students may specialize in one of nine areas of special interest. These are behavioral ecology, conservation biology, ecotoxicology and disease ecology, fisheries biology, physiological ecology, wildlife damage management, wildlife biology, population dynamics, and an individualized study. Although all specializations have a common core of basic and advanced biology courses, each provides preparation unique to that area of emphasis. Students learn methods for doing field or laboratory studies, analyzing data, and preparing reports. Practical experience in conducting an independent research project in wildlife or fish biology is available through a variety of required or optional courses. The WFCB department has a 15 member faculty, active in teaching and research, with an exceptionally broad spectrum of interests, training, and experience.
High School Preparation
Recommended as part of, or in addition to, the UC Admission requirements
(http://admissions.ucdavis.edu/):
- Biology
- Chemistry and/or Physics
- English composition
- Math through trigonometry
Transfer Preparation Because the required background in the basic sciences typically takes two years to complete, the WFCB major emphasizes these courses as preparation for both transfer students and those enrolled at UC Davis as freshmen and sophomores:
- Biology
- Chemistry- General and Organic
- Calculus
- English composition
- Physics
- Speech or Communications
Students who wish to find out what classes taken at a California community or state college transfer over for UC Davis credit should go to www.assist.org.
- Click on the “Start Assist” link.
- Select an institution and academic year.
- Click “Continue.”
- Select the second institution and again, click “Continue.”
- Now you are ready to look for the campus agreements for articulation for your completed courses.
Questions?
Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology
1088 Academic Surge
(530) 754-9796
Undergraduate Admissions
University of California
178 Mrak Hall, One Shields Ave.
Davis, California 95616
(530) 752-2971
http://admissions.ucdavis.edu