General
Who is my faculty adviser?
Each WFC student is assigned a faculty adviser. Faculty advisers are great resources for things like career/graduate school advice, letters of recommendation, and signing your official WFCB study plan. If you are unsure who your faculty adviser is, contact the WFCB staff adviser at wfcbadvising@ucdavis.edu.
I am interested in applying to veterinary school. Can I major in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology?
Yes! Each year, graduates from the WFCB program apply to and enroll in DVM programs. See our Interested in Vet School? page for more information.
Can I take WFC major course requirements P/NP?
No! All preparatory, depth, and area of specialization courses must be taken for a letter grade. Contact your adviser if you have mistakenly taken a major course P/NP.
New (2015-16) WFCB Major Requirements
Which major requirements should I follow?
-If you are graduating Winter 2016 or later, you may choose to follow the new 2016 catalog requirements for the WFCB major OR you may continue with the current (2014-15) requirements.
-Anyone graduating Fall 2015 or before must follow the current (2014-15) major requirements.
-Students entering UCD in Fall 2015 will be required to complete the new (2016) major requirements.
What are the major changes?
Oral communication options
-Formerly: CMN 1
-2015-16 requirements: choose 1 from CMN 1, CMN 3, and DRA 10
-Why? CMN 1 is typically difficult to get into, and we did not want that to impact your time to graduation.
-IMPORTANT NOTE: CMN 3 and DRA 10 do not count toward the college composition requirement.
Area of Specialization Changes
-reduced from 5 to 4 required courses, except for Wildlife Health
-Wildlife Biology and Conservation Biology AOSs merged into "Wildlife and Conservation Biology"
-reorganized "choose" categories and expanded options for all
See your new AOS here to better understand your new options and how your study plan could change.
Major GPA
As many of you know, your major GPA must be at least 2.0 for you to graduate. This was formerly calculated separately by depth subject matter and area of specialization. Now, the major GPA will be calculated including BOTH depth and AOS courses.
Important things that have NOT changed:
-All prep and depth requirements remain the same
-ALL courses for the major must be taken for a letter grade, NOT P/NP
-No course can be used to simultaneously fulfill a depth and area of specialization requirement.
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Example: You will notice that WFC 110, 111, 120, and 134 are now all options within the AOSs. Recall that at least three of these are depth requirements. If you choose to use one of these in your AOS, it must be one that you are NOT using for your depth requirement, resulting in all four courses taken.
I have already taken two courses in an AOS category that now only requires one course. Can I use the other course as a substitute in a different category?
No. You have the choice of either completely following the new major requirements or completely following the current requirements. We do not have the ability to merge the two. If you feel you have a special circumstance for which this would be necessary, please contact me directly so that we can discuss it.
College Requirements
What is General Education, and how do I know if I’ve met the requirement?
All UC Davis students are required to complete General Education in addition to their major requirements. GE requirements can overlap with your major requirements. WFCB students typically do not complete Arts & Humanities courses as part of the major, and so should look to complete those separately, as part of GE. To check your progress or learn more about GE, contact the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Dean’s Office (150 Mrak Hall, (530) 752-0108, caesadvising@ucdavis.edu).
What is College Composition? Do I have to take an upper division writing course?
Students in the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences are required to meet the English Composition requirement. WFCB students can meet this requirement through the major, with UWP 1 and CMN 1. If you elect to take DRA 10 or CMN 3 in place of CMN 1, know that you will need to complete an additional course to satisfy the CAES English Composition requirement.
Course Substitutions
Can I make course substitutions to the major? If so, how?
Course substitutions to the major may be approved via a Major Modification Petition (MMP). This petition is initiated by the student, recommended by the faculty adviser, and finally approved by the master adviser. If you need assistance with your MMP, contact the WFCB staff adviser at wfcbadvising@ucdavis.edu.
The WFC major requires MAT 16A and MAT 16B. Can I use a different calculus series to fulfill this requirement?
The WFCB department will also accept MAT 17A-MAT 17B or MAT 21A-MAT 21B. You may complete the second course (B) at a lower level than the first course completed. Ex: MAT 17A-MAT 16B.
The WFC major requires CHE 8A and CHE 8B. Can I use a different chemistry series to fulfill this requirement?
The WFCB department will also accept CHE 118A-CHE 118B or CHE 118A-CHE 8B.
The WFC major requires PHY 1A and PHY 1B. Can I use a different physics series to fulfill this requirement?
The WFCB department will also accept PHY 7A-PHY 7B-PHY 7C or PHY 9A-PHY 9B-PHY 9C. All three of the 7 or 9 series courses must be completed. Contact your adviser to discuss your options if you have started with the 9 series and wish to drop to the 7 series, or if you are a transfer student who has entered with partial series credit.
The WFC major requires UWP 1. Can I use a different writing course to fulfill this requirement?
The WFCB department will also accept UWP 101, UWP 102A-L, UWP 104A-I, or passing the English Composition Exam.
Taking Courses Outside UC Davis
Can I take courses at a California community college over the summer?
Yes! GE and major courses can be completed at a California community college. BEFORE registering for your community college courses, contact your adviser or use ASSIST.org to ensure that courses you take over the summer will transfer to UC Davis.
Note: Courses taken at community colleges will not factor into your UC GPA. Repeat courses should be repeated at the institution at which they were first taken.
I am interested in studying abroad. Can I study abroad and major in Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology?
Yes, although depending on where and when you study abroad, your time to graduation could be affected. UC Davis Study Abroad recommends certain programs for WFCB students. The WFCB department cannot always guarantee major credit for courses taken abroad prior to your trip. Schedule an appointment with the WFCB staff adviser (wfcbadvising@ucdavis.edu) to see how studying abroad might work for you.
Academic Difficulty
I am having difficulty with some of the preparatory courses for this major (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, statistics). Are there resources on campus I can use to assist me with this?
Yes! The Student Acadmic Success Center, located in 2205 Dutton Hall, offers free workshops and/or tutoring in all of these subjects. Visit their Academic Assistance and Tutoring page to learn more and sign up. Regularly attending instructor and TA office hours is another tool to reaching success in these courses.
You are also strongly encouraged to meet with the WFCB staff adviser to created a balanced study plan.
Graduation
I am planning on graduating this year. What do I need to do to make sure I have met all of my graduation requirements?
1) Meet with your major adviser to ensure that you will have completed all WFCB requirements.
2) Request a Preliminary Degree Check with the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Dean’s Office (150 Mrak Hall, (530) 752-0108, caesadvising@ucdavis.edu) to ensure that you have met all college requirements.
*This should be done about a quarter or two before you plan on graduating.
How do I file for graduation?
To file for graduation, students must complete the Online Graduation Application. This must be done by the appropriate deadline.