<p>My Freshman D is doing great at her flagship public university, but is a little bored with her Bio/Cell_Bio classes. She's thinking about adding a second major in Wildlife Management and has asked my advice. I'm clueless. What can one do with a wildlife management major?</p>
<p>I am sure she'll find something to do with it. No reason not to add it and study the stuff she finds interesting...</p>
<p>NewHope, your question caught my eye, as my 10th grader is pondering eventually trying to combine wildlife management, bio and English with the idea (as yet very, very preliminary) of writing for publications such as the Conservation Dept. monthly glossy magazine our state publishes. Or, perhaps, working in some capacity for a major zoo that does a lot of conservation work (most do, now). I'm sure there are other careers that could make use of the field, but she is just beginning her search. I agree with nngmm, if your daughter is bored and wants to take on the courses, what is the downside?</p>
<p>My roommate was a duel major in Bio and Wildlife Management. She has been employed by the US Forest Service for 20 yrs now. She is a Wildlife Biologist specializing in a specific endangered species. Her spouse also has a similar degree and started out as a field biologist but now works out of an office and is in a management position. He is also with the US Forest Service.</p>
<p>I notice you're in CT. All I can think of is that the UW system has one campus, UW-Stevens Point, that offers this major and seems to be the place for instate students interested in it. You might want to check out this school to see what jobs et al they discuss, the information will translate to the east coast.</p>
<p>in the west this major can lead to a job in the fish and game services of the various states or for example at a fish hatchery to name a few</p>
<p>One other thought....combine her degree with one that focuses on the environmental aspect of things, including wildlife. </p>
<p>The "green" degrees are hot now and there have been news reports (NBC for one) that discussed the job prospects as being quite bright for students that have environmental, green, or sustainability studies in their backgrounds. </p>
<p>S had considered wildlife mgmt at one time but was concerned about job prospects. He'd worked with some National Park rangers when he was doing his Eagle project and saw first hand the good and not so good of those jobs.</p>
<p>He doesn't have the aptitude for strong science courses like your D, so is focusing on environmental policy and sustainability issues.</p>
<p>I agree with mom60... however, there's one caveat:</p>
<p>last fall when I was at Mount St. Helens National Park, I struck up a conversation with one of the staff members who gives talks, and asked him how he managed to end up there. I've heard that it's a very, very competitive field (a friend of mine's son is hoping to go this route). So he told me his story that involved some moving around. But then he told me when the soldiers begin to return from the Middle East, they will have seniority over his job, and he could lose it. So your D might want to talk to people in the business and see how hiring and laying off practices are conducted as it relates to returning veterans.</p>
<p>My S's major is Natural Resourses- Policy and Administration (somewhat similiar to Wildlife management).<br>
Possible jobs...State Wildlife Commission, State/National parks, Environmental agencies, Forestry service, etc. He is currently taking a class that involves plotting the urban forests of the city his college is in.</p>
<p>teriwtt- You are right about job security. My friend spent the first 10 or so years of her career with a job that was not considered permanent. She was lucky that each year her position was renewed but it did make for some tense moments. She has also been fortunate that she has not had to moved. She is stilled working in the same part of Ca that she started in out of Cal Poly SLO many years ago. Both she and her spouse now have permanent positions.</p>
<p>I'm in the environmental consulting business, and we have folks on staff with majors in all varieties of wildlife and natural resources management. Bio combo w/ wildlife management is just fine.</p>
<p>When I was working for the National Park Service (years ago), veterans got bonus points added to their application, so it was possible for qualifed vets to have a higher score than someone with more experience. Therefore, the vet would be offered the job first. This applied only to positions as they are being filled. </p>
<p>I expect that the staff member you talked to was a seasonal ranger who has to apply for a position every year, even if it is the same position he had last year. So, if he is applying for the same job next year, and a vet is also applying, he might indeed lose that job opportunity.</p>
<p>Someone already in a permanent position would not 'lose' their job to a veteran.</p>
<p>By the way, the best job (most fun, not best salary), I ever had was working as a Park Ranger. I liked being a seasonal, as I was outside a lot, and got three months off every year. </p>
<p>When I got my NPS job with permanent status, it was still fun, but it was mostly in the office, instead of out in the field.</p>
<p>Papa Chicken, can you say what kinds of consulting assignments someone with Biology plus Wildlife BS might have? Is an MS (or PhD) more desireable?</p>
<p>Looking for a male spouse? I got a wild one that needs taming.</p>
<p>NewHope33-- didn't see your question until today (thread response feature in CC seems to have been hung-up....I'm getting a rasher of aged post email notifications this morning from weeks & weeks ago!)</p>
<p>Any case.....a person with a Bio & Wildlife BS could work on virtually any project in our "natural resourses" portfolio...ranging from NEPA driven environmental impact studies, wetlands assessments, endangered species projects, stream restorations...you name it. The majors get you in the door (here), and project assignments start with a role where ones academic background will help the project, but usually individuals grow with their projects into other environmental expertise areas beyond their academic courses. What I am trying to say is that there is plenty a biologist with wildlife major could & would do in a firm like mine strickly sticking to their majors, and there is plenty of room to grow into other areas once within a consulting environment. We look for people who (1) have a good grasp of the scientific method in general (we like research, honors, and thesis work), (2) can add some expertise from their past experiences (including academics), (3) show some leadership potential, and (4) can communicate. Thats a pretty basic list (and virtually any natural sciences background could have merit), but its harder to find the combination that one might imagine, especially the leadership & communications parts, which portend for us the potential ability for someone to grow to becoming a consultant.</p>
<p>On the grad school thing....the bio field is definitely one where I'd recommend individuals eventually pursue grad work. We hire more masters level than PhDs, but we are happy with both. And we hire folks who do graduate specialization in science or engineering fields, and some of our employees go the generalist route and pick up a an environmental engineering or environmental science/policy/planning masters degree....or an MBA. Just depends on the interests of the individual, but virtually any combo works with us....assuming excellence in those 4 things mentioned above.</p>
<p>On the dream job front, I met a park ranger several years ago who was assigned to the Everglades during the winter, and an island off the coast of Maine during the summer!</p>
<p>I have a niece majoring in Wildlife Management at the SUNY-Env.Sci/Forestry program located in Syracuse, NY. I believe she intends to work overseas, in Africa or Asia perhaps. She sees it as her ticket to see the world. I have no idea if she is realistic or not; have too many nieces to keep up with them all, but I wish her the best. Last time I saw her, she was talking a lot about gorillas; very interesting, actually.</p>
<p>Various states and municipalities hire high-priced environmental/ecology/conservation consultants. Typically a job applicant in this field will need a M.S. at minimum.</p>
<p>S called last week to say he was going a on a class field trip... to the zoo.....with his Wildlife Management class. His Natural Resource Mgmt. classes only have about twelve people in them even though his university is the largest in our state.</p>