Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, Bachelor of Science College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
FEC_to_Dean_WFC_major_2_2_26_comb.pdf
The Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology major deals with the relationships between the requirements of wildlife and the needs of people. Understanding these relationships is vital for the maintenance of ecological diversity, recreational resources, and food supplies. Students completing the major possess a broad knowledge of ecology and natural history, but with the quantitative skills to use this knowledge in critical thinking and decision-making.
The Program
The major emphasizes broad training in biological sciences, with specialization in one of four areas. The major is designed primarily for students interested in becoming professionals in the diverse fields of wildlife, fish, & conservation biology, including veterinary & wildlife health sciences. The breadth of course requirements, when combined with electives, also make this an excellent preparatory major for secondary school teaching. Certification by professional societies such as The Wildlife Society, American Fisheries Society, or the Ecological Society of America, or preparation for graduate studies may also be achieved by careful planning of electives with a faculty advisor.
Lead Faculty Advisor
Daniel Karp, Ph.D.
Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology Major Advisor
Erica Cefalo
Students transferring to UC Davis from another institution or new students declaring the major of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology must consult the major advisor so that their program can be evaluated and a faculty advisor assigned. Advising is located in 1086 Academic Surge and can be reached by email at wfcbadvising@ucdavis.edu.
Career Alternatives
The major prepares students to excel in the dynamic fields of environmental and conservation biology, emphasizing vertebrate animals—both native and invasive—in their natural environments, as well as resolution of conflicts between humans and wild animals. Positions now held by graduates of this major include wildlife biology, fisheries biology, wildlife damage management, and resource biologists and managers with local, state, and federal agencies, biologists or consultants with private industries such as environmental consulting firms, commercial fishing businesses, electrical utilities, sporting clubs or businesses, and aquaculture operations, as well as veterinarians, medical physicians, and professors/researchers who teach and/or conduct research in academic institutions.
The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology Bachelor of Science is 108.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Written/Oral Expression | ||
| Completing UWP 001 or UWP 001V or UWP 001Y and CMN 001 or CMN 001V will simultaneously satisfy the College English Composition Requirement. | ||
| UWP 001 | Introduction to Academic Literacies | 4 |
| or UWP 001V | Introduction to Academic Literacies: Online | |
| or UWP 001Y | Introduction to Academic Literacies | |
| CMN 001 | Introduction to Public Speaking | 4 |
| or CMN 001V | Introduction to Public Speaking | |
| Written/Oral Expression Subtotal | 8 | |
| Preparatory Subject Matter | ||
| Biological Science | 14-15 | |
| Introductory Biology: Ecology & Evolution and Introductory Biology Lab: Ecology & Evolution | ||
or BIS 002B | Introduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology & Evolution | |
| Introductory Biology: Molecules to Cells and Introductory Biology Lab: Molecules to Cells | ||
or BIS 002A | Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth | |
| Introductory Biology: Cells Through Organisms | ||
or BIS 002C | Introduction to Biology: Biodiversity & the Tree of Life | |
| Chemistry | 12 | |
| General Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| Organic Chemistry: Brief Course | ||
| Mathematics | 8 | |
| Calculus for Biology & Medicine | ||
| Calculus for Biology & Medicine | ||
| Physics | ||
| PHY 001A | Principles of Physics | 3 |
| PHY 001B | Principles of Physics | 3 |
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| Applied Statistics in Agricultural Sciences | ||
| Applied Statistics for Biological Sciences | ||
| Applied Statistics for Wildlife Research | ||
| Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology | ||
| Choose one: | 3-4 | |
| Wildlife Ecology & Conservation | ||
| Natural History of California's Wild Vertebrates | ||
| Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal | 47-49 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | ||
| Students graduating with this major are required to attain at least a C average (2.000) in all courses taken at the university in depth and area of specialization subject matter. | ||
| ESP 100 | General Ecology | 4 |
| or EVE 101 | Introduction to Ecology | |
| NPB 102 | Animal Behavior | 3-4 |
| or WFC 141 | Behavioral Ecology | |
| Evolution & Ecology | ||
| EVE 100 | Introduction to Evolution | 4 |
| Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology | ||
| Choose WFC 100 or WFC 101 & WFC 101L or WFC 102 & WFC 102L: | 4-7 | |
| Field Methods in Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology | ||
OR | ||
| Field Research in Wildlife Ecology and Field Research in Wildlife Ecology: Laboratory | ||
OR | ||
| Field Studies in Fish Biology and Field Studies in Fish Biology: Laboratory | ||
| WFC 122 | Population Dynamics & Estimation | 4 |
| or WFC 124 | Sampling Animal Populations | |
| WFC 130 | Physiological Ecology of Wildlife | 4 |
| Conservation Biology | ||
| WFC 154 | Conservation Biology | 4 |
| Choose three lecture courses and two laboratory (L) courses: | 14-15 | |
| Biology & Conservation of Wild Mammals | ||
| Laboratory in Biology & Conservation of Wild Mammals | ||
| Biology & Conservation of Wild Birds | ||
| Laboratory in Biology & Conservation of Wild Birds | ||
| Biology & Conservation of Fishes | ||
| Laboratory in Biology & Conservation of Fishes | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Herpetology Laboratory | ||
| Depth Subject Matter Subtotal | 41-46 | |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Choose one of the four Areas of Specialization: | 12-23 | |
| No course may be used to simultaneously satisfy the Depth Subject Matter and the Area of Specialization. | ||
| No course may be used to simultaneously satisfy two Area of Specialization requirements. | ||
| Areas of Specialization | ||
| Restricted Electives Subtotal | 12-23 | |
| Total Units | 108-126 | |
Areas of Specialization
(1) Wildlife & Conservation Biology
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| WFC 151 | Wildlife Ecology | 4 |
| or WFC 168 | Climate Change Ecology | |
| Choose one: | 3-5 | |
| Plant Ecology | ||
| Population Biology of Invasive Plants & Weeds | ||
| Introductory Mycology | ||
| Systematics of Vascular Plants | ||
| Trees & Forests | ||
| California Plant Communities and California Plant Communities Field Study | ||
| Biology & Management of Aquatic Plants | ||
| Choose two: | 6-9 | |
| Biology & Conservation of Wild Mammals | ||
| Biology & Conservation of Wild Birds | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Biology & Conservation of Fishes | ||
| Population Dynamics & Estimation | ||
| Sampling Animal Populations | ||
| Tropical Ecology & Conservation | ||
| Conservation in Working Landscapes | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Ecology of Waterfowl & Game Birds | ||
| Applied Fisheries Conservation | ||
| Wildlife Ecology | ||
| Ecology of Human-Wildlife Conflicts | ||
| Wildlife Space Use & Habitat Conservation | ||
| Climate Change Ecology | ||
| Note: Students interested in certification as a Wildlife Biologist from The Wildlife Society should consider additional courses in plant sciences and statistics. | ||
| Total Units | 13-18 | |
(2) Fish Biology
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Biology | ||
| WFC 120 | Biology & Conservation of Fishes | 3 |
| WFC 120L | Laboratory in Biology & Conservation of Fishes | 2 |
| Choose one: | 3-5 | |
| Biology of Invertebrates and Biology of Invertebrates Laboratory | ||
or EVE 114 | Experimental Invertebrate Biology | |
| Choose three courses including at least one course from each of the following two groups: | 9-13 | |
| (a) Aquatic Systems | ||
| Fish Production | ||
| Introduction to Water Science | ||
| Oceanography (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 116 | Oceanography | |
| Biological Oceanography (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 150C | Biological Oceanography | |
| Limnology | ||
| Limnology Laboratory | ||
| Coastal Oceanography | ||
ESP 155 | (Discontinued for winter 2026) ** | |
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Ecohydrology | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| (b) Water Policy/Law | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Water Policy & Politics | ||
| Water Law | ||
| Total Units | 17-23 | |
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
(3) Wildlife Health
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Note that this Areas of Specialization recommends additional preparatory courses; prerequisites for admission to Veterinary Medicine vary among schools and students should confirm the specific requirements of the school(s) to which they wish to apply. | ||
| WFC 151 | Wildlife Ecology | 4 |
| or WFC 168 | Climate Change Ecology | |
| Choose (BIS 102 or BIS 102V) & BIS 103 or ABI 102 & ABI 103: | 6-10 | |
| Structure & Function of Biomolecules | ||
| Structure & Function of Biomolecules and Bioenergetics & Metabolism | ||
OR | ||
| Animal Biochemistry & Metabolism and Animal Biochemistry & Metabolism | ||
| Choose one: | 3-4 | |
| Biology & Conservation of Wild Mammals | ||
| Biology & Conservation of Wild Birds | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Biology & Conservation of Fishes | ||
| Population Dynamics & Estimation | ||
| Sampling Animal Populations | ||
| Tropical Ecology & Conservation | ||
| Conservation in Working Landscapes | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Ecology of Waterfowl & Game Birds | ||
| Applied Fisheries Conservation | ||
| Wildlife Ecology | ||
| Ecology of Human-Wildlife Conflicts | ||
| Wildlife Space Use & Habitat Conservation | ||
| Climate Change Ecology | ||
| Choose one: | 3-5 | |
| Animal Welfare | ||
| Principles & Applications of Domestic Animal Behavior | ||
| Ethics of Animal Use | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Organology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Systemic Physiology | ||
or NPB 101V | Systemic Physiology | |
| Principles of Environmental Physiology | ||
| Infectious Disease in Ecology & Conservation | ||
| Additional Preparatory | ||
| Recommended, not required: | ||
| Genes & Gene Expression | ||
or BIS 101V | Genes & Gene Expression | |
| General Chemistry | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Health & Life Sciences | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Health & Life Sciences | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Health & Life Sciences | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| Total Units | 16-23 | |
(4) Individualized
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Students may, with prior approval of their advisor and the curriculum committee, design their own individualized specialization within the major. The specialization will consist of at least four upper division courses with a coherent theme. | ||