Because wildlife and fisheries science has become highly quantitative, graduates with statistical and computer skills will be most competitive. Hunting and fishing on private lands for fees are becoming profitable for landowners, creating employment opportunities for wildlife and fish managers in the private sector. As wildlife-people conflicts continue to increase in urban and suburban settings, there may be a greater demand for extension agents with expertise in problem wildlife management and fisheries management, and for specialists in animal damage control. See table below. With approval, students may enroll for one to six credits in WFS 495, a supervised field experience related to the major.
Students have a number of opportunities to participate in ongoing faculty research.
Some become work-study students assigned to a project, some volunteer, and some take WFS 496, an independent study course for credit. The course usually involves a field research project designed by the student or a project related to ongoing faculty research. Recently, students have assisted with projects related to wildlife-habitat studies, wildlife responses to forest and farmland management practices, wildlife associated with wetlands, monitoring fish and wildlife populations, and raptor ecology. An Employment Handbook is available that includes employment statistics for School of Forest Resources graduates, job search advice, an employer list, and salary information. Job vacancy listings are posted on the bulletin board on the first floor of Ferguson Building and on a Natural Resource Jobs listserv administered by the school.