Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Thesis)

The Master of Science (MS) thesis program in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation: (a) prepares graduate students for entry-level professional positions in areas of wildlife biology and ecology, natural resource management, conservation, and (b) provides a solid scientific foundation for further graduate work leading to the PhD degree.The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation offers a breadth of graduate programs that are designed to prepare students for professional employment in conservation of natural resources in a changing world. WEC faculty teach, conduct research, and provide service and extension in the following areas: avian ecology, behavioral ecology, community ecology, conservation biology, conservation education, conservation genetics, ecosystem management, environmental interpretation, habitat restoration, herpetofaunal ecology, human dimensions of wildlife management, international conservation, introduced species, landscape ecology, mammalian behavior, marine mammal ecology, plant ecology, population biology, range ecology, systems ecology, tropical conservation, urban wildlife relations, wetlands ecology, wildlife diseases, and wildlife management.

A recognized baccalaureate, graduate or professional degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution. To be eligible for applying to the WEC graduate program, prospective students must have:A recognized baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, university, or higher education institution (see UF Graduate School admissions for details)A minimum undergraduate (upper division, last 60 credit hours) or graduate GPA of 3.0.Faculty advisors in WEC who wish to admit applicants with a GPA lower than the UF Graduate School’s minimum requirement of 3.0 will be required to petition the UF Graduate School.Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) does not require applicants to have obtained specific undergraduate degrees (e.g., Biology or Wildlife) nor specific coursework to apply because our programs and faculty research span a variety of disciplines. However, STEM BS degrees generally provide the best preparation for research degrees. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required.The Graduate School no longer requires GRE scores, and WEC faculty have adopted a holistic review process to select their graduate students. GRE scores are not considered for admissions decisions, awards of merit, or allocations of resources to graduate students