Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation

Students completing the Master’s degree at the university or elsewhere may be accepted into our doctoral program but are formally admitted to candidacy only after the completion of a successful written and oral preliminary comprehensive examination based on concepts in general biology, ecology, fisheries and wildlife science and management, and such other areas as may be stipulated by the student’s Guidance Committee. Selection of courses is done by the student and the Guidance Committee and usually extends into areas beyond biology, leading the student towards competency in independent research in either fisheries or wildlife conservation. A reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages sufficient to understand journal material may be required of doctoral students in certain areas of specialization. The degree normally requires at least three years of study beyond the Master’s degree.

Master of Science Degree Program in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation

Applicants normally come from undergraduate biological backgrounds or from applied areas such as fisheries or wildlife. Students with backgrounds in areas tangential to the field of resource conservation may apply with the understanding that deficiencies could extend their time in the program; normally, two to three years are required for the completion of the Master’s degree. Candidates normally write theses worth 10 hours of credit and are given a final oral examination upon its completion. Students completing a thesis must take in addition a minimum of 20 graduate credits, at least 6 of which must be earned in 600-800 series courses. There is no language requirement for the Master’s degree.

Alternatively, some students may choose to complete a professional Master’s degree with a concentration in one of several particular areas of study previously outlined by the faculty. These non-thesis options require 30 academic credits (of which more than 12 must be 600- to 800-level courses) and a 6-credit practicum with a professional agency or organization. Two years are required for the completion of most options.

Professional Degree Concentrations are Wetlands Conservation, Watershed Science and Management, Spatial Data Analysis and Remote Sensing, Human Dimensions, and Conservation Education and Outreach.

General Information

Staff and facilities are available for supporting research in wildlife ecology, wildlife habitat management, landscape ecology and management, and conservation biology; and estuarine, anadromous, marine and freshwater fisheries research as well as in the broader areas of natural resource management. Graduate training is required for professional entrance into state, federal, and private employment in resource management and into teaching positions stressing applied ecological principles in both secondary and college-level programs. Applicants are encouraged to correspond with the Graduate Program Director in the department for answers to specific questions, but all application materials should be sent directly to the Graduate School; scores from the Graduate Record Examination must accompany all applications. Research support at both the master’s and doctoral level is frequently available either from grants to individual faculty members or through support provided by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Research Division or other agencies. Undergraduates receiving wildlife or fisheries degrees from the University of Massachusetts are strongly urged to apply to other universities in order to vary their professional training.