Wildlife and Environmental Biology Major

Learning Format

On-Campus

Types

Bachelor's
Wildlife and Environmental Biology Major

What is wildlife and environmental biology at Framingham State?

Wildlife and Environmental Biology is a Bachelor of Science major in Framingham State's Biology Department, on our campus in Framingham, Massachusetts. It's a wildlife biology degree built around field work: you study animals, plants and the habitats they share, learn the mapping and data tools conservation professionals use, and finish with an original research project or internship.

Do you love to work outdoors, watch birds, identify trees, study insects or monitor plant populations? If so, Wildlife and Environmental Biology could be the right major for you! Wildlife conservation is the preservation and protection of animals, plants, and their habitats. By conserving wildlife, we're ensuring the long-term sustainability of ecosystems so that future generations can enjoy our natural world and its species. 

Through our program, you will gain knowledge of the conservation and management of wildlife and habitats through studying biology, chemistry, ecology, plant taxonomy, wildlife biology, sustainability, and more. You’ll work closely with passionate faculty to do related field work on projects such as bird banding or the biology of bees.  

You may participate in on-campus research or off-campus internships, joining previous students who have completed field internships with state and federal agencies, at zoos, and with non-profit organizations, among others. FSU offers many related clubs and activities including Wildlife Club, campus sustainability efforts, community garden, and more. 

Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared for seasonal field jobs, graduate programs, federal jobs with organizations such as US Fish & Wildlife Services and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, state jobs with organizations such as the Department of Conservation and Recreation, town jobs such as Conservation Commission Agent, Problem Animal Control Officer, and Tree Warden, or jobs with non-profits including land trusts and conservation organizations. 

Can this degree prepare you for certification as a wildlife biologist?

Yes. By graduation, you'll have completed most of the coursework required for certification as a Wildlife Biologist by The Wildlife Society, the professional organization for wildlife scientists. If certification is part of your plan, meet with your advisor early so you can choose electives that cover the remaining requirements.

What will you study in the wildlife biology major?

Every major starts with a shared science core: The Biology Experience, Foundations of Biological Science, Genetics, Processes of Organic Evolution and Professional Communication in Biology, plus two semesters of chemistry, a math course and a statistics course.

Your wildlife coursework then includes four required courses that anchor the major: Principles of Ecology, Principles of Wildlife Biology, Vascular Plant Taxonomy and Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS). You add courses in three areas:

  • Organismal systems, such as Ornithology, Plant Physiology, Wildlife Specimen Preparation Techniques, or Biology and Conservation of Crocodiles
  • Ecological systems, such as Animal Behavior, Limnology, or Wildlife Management and Conservation Topics
  • Cell and molecular systems, such as Microbiology or Molecular Biology

You also choose one applied course from a list that includes Digital Field Methods: Drones, Data, & Artificial Intelligence; Advanced GIS; Python Programming for Applications; Land Use Law and Policy; and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources.

Before you graduate, you complete a capstone experience that allows you to apply what you learned in the classroom to a career-related experience.

Bird Watcher

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Undergraduate degree in Wildlife and Environmental Biology program, students will have acquired the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to manage wildlife services, resulting in their abilities to:

  • Explain how the basic principles of the biological hierarchy (molecular, cellular, organismal, population, communal, ecological, and global) are interconnected.

  • Differentiate diverse organismal characteristics by their causal evolutionary mechanism.

  • Investigate a hypothesis relevant to their major by using the scientific process.

  • Demonstrate the ability to communicate biological information and deliver it in a form appropriate for the target audience.

  • Use a biological perspective as a foundation for civic engagement in discussion of contemporary policy, including anti-racism, public health, and climate change. 

Program Requirements

Program Requirements

The major combines a core in biology, chemistry, math and statistics with wildlife courses in ecology, plant taxonomy and GIS, electives across organismal, ecological and cell and molecular biology, and a capstone experience. See the full curriculum for every course and requirement.

 

View Program Curriculum

What can you do with a wildlife and environmental biology degree?

Wildlife and Environmental Biology majors will be prepared to pursue career opportunities across a wide range of exciting fields, including:

Student wearing headlamp holding an owl

Wildlife Rehabilitator

Provide healthcare and rehabilitation to wild animals that are sick or injured. 

Wildlife Biologist

Study wild animals and how they interact with their environments.

Ecologist

Investigate how organisms interact with each other and their environments.

Environmental Consultant

Offer advice to clients in managing environmental issues and reduce their overall carbon footprint.

Meet Your Faculty

Amanda Simons

Amanda Simons, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Biology Department
(508) 626-4681
asimons@framingham.edu
Hemenway Annex
Brandi Van Roo

Brandi Van Roo, Ph.D.

Professor, Biology Department
(508) 626-4799
bvanroo@framingham.edu
Hemenway Annex
Photo of Stephen Dinkelacker

Stephen Dinkelacker, Ph.D.

Professor, Biology Department
(508) 626-4723
sdinkelacker@framingham.edu
Hemenway Annex
Jeffrey White

Jeffrey D. White, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology Department
(508) 215-5721
jwhite10@framingham.edu
Hemenway Annex
View All

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of field experience do students get?

You work with faculty on field projects such as bird banding and the biology of bees, and you can join the Wildlife Club and campus sustainability work. Previous students have completed field internships with state and federal agencies, at zoos and with non-profit organizations.

What jobs can you get with a wildlife and environmental biology degree?

Graduates are prepared for careers such as wildlife biologist, wildlife rehabilitator, ecologist and environmental consultant. You can also pursue seasonal field jobs, graduate school, or roles with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, town conservation commissions and land trusts.

Do wildlife biology students do research?

You can. Every wildlife biology major completes a capstone that applies what you've learned in your courses to a career-related experience. For some students that's a research project, and for others it's a field internship with a state or federal agency, a zoo or a nonprofit organization.

Learn More

If the Wildlife and Environmental Biology major sounds like a good fit but you would like to learn more, contact Admissions at admissions [at] framingham.edu (admissions[at]framingham[dot]edu) or 508-626-4500. 

 Apply 

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