Program Overview
Ohio State University's forestry, fisheries, and wildlife program equips students with the knowledge and skills to address conservation and restoration issues. Students specialize in one of three disciplines: forestry, fisheries, or wildlife, while gaining a foundation in all three areas. The program emphasizes international experience and prepares graduates for careers as biologists, administrators, or education specialists.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The forestry, fisheries, and wildlife major at Ohio State University is an applied-science program designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to solve conservation- and restoration-related issues in landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, and plant and animal species affected by human resource use. Students receive intensive training in one or two of the three disciplines while also gaining a strong foundational understanding of all three areas. This prepares them for future careers as biologists, administrators, or education specialists.
Outline:
The program begins with foundational courses in environmental science, society, and natural resources, as well as general education requirements in mathematics, chemistry, biology, and the humanities. After completing these foundational courses, students choose to specialize in one of three disciplines:
- Forestry: Foresters work in both public and private sectors, managing public lands and providing technical assistance to private landowners. Forestry courses cover topics such as ornithology, animal diversity, wildlife ecology, biology of woody forests, forest ecosystems, forest biometry, photo interpretation, silvaculture, city and regional planning, fire ecology, and forest entomology.
- Fisheries: Fisheries biologists and technicians work in aquariums, public land management agencies (e.g., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency), and both private and government fish hatcheries. Fisheries courses cover topics such as chemistry, physics, ecology, plankton, limnology, fish ecology, aquatic entomology, wetland ecology, ichthyology, aquaculture, and fisheries management.
- Wildlife: Wildlife biologists work in public and private agencies, conducting research and implementing management plans. They focus on managing ecosystems to maintain the health and balance of each component. Wildlife courses cover topics such as chemistry, physics, ornithology, animal diversity, ammology, wildlife ecology and management, wildlife identification, local flora, animal form and function, environmental communications, and entomology. Students are also encouraged to gain international experience through study abroad programs in countries such as China, the Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Iceland.
Careers:
Graduates of the forestry, fisheries, and wildlife program are prepared for competitive and rewarding careers. Many graduates choose to pursue advanced education to gain additional research experience, which is necessary for working as a biologist in many areas. More than half of graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees. Graduates may work as:
- Natural resource specialists
- Technicians in forestry, fisheries, and wildlife
- Biologists
- Administrators
- Education specialists
