Master’s in Wildlife Conservation and Management

Prerequisites Required:  Interested applicants in the Master’s in Wildlife Conservation and Management, Professional Wildlife Biologist Track must have completed 3 or more credits in Statistics, as well as 3 or more credits in either Ecology, Wildlife Biology, or Natural Resource Management.

The Professional Wildlife Biologist Track is for state and federal wildlife biologists, recent graduates who want a career in natural resource management,
environmental scientists who want to expand their wildlife management knowledge, and professional ecologists who want an advanced degree.

No Pre-requisites Required: There are no pre-requisite classes for the Master’s in Wildlife Conservation and Management, Conservation and Management Track.

The Conservation and Management Track is for land trust or non-profit land managers, teachers who want more experience and to augment their academic credentials, NGO Conservation Organizations, and environmental advocates.

Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Thought

Math is essential in working in wildlife conservation, students will learn how to directly apply their knowledge to real world situations. Students will practice techniques such as population estimation using capture-mark-recapture techniques as well as distances and detection functions.

Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management

For every initiative, there are alternative solutions. Students discover different possibilities and research how those options will affect the outcomes. After careful consideration, students present their findings for the best possible strategies to protect our environment.

Wildlife Identification

There are wildlife species that have a conservation status of threatened or endangered. Students explore how to identify the species and research their habitats. They learn how to inform visitors about the wildlife and how to protect them.

Unity College Alum, Savannah Stura, works as an OPS Wildlife Biologist.

“There are so many opportunities in wildlife health, especially working in Florida. Between the whitetail deer, reptile species, and the Florida panthers, there is so much to learn about and how to better protect these species from a variety of raising issues. Following my degree, I will not only expand my horizons within wildlife health, but I will also try my hand at several certificate programs and looking into getting my prescribed burn license too! Through Unity College, I feel like I have been opened up to several different fields of study and want to keep that going by expanding my knowledge of the world around me!”

Unity College Alum, Jorge Nunez, works as a Forestry Field Specialist.

“Unity College was an amazing learning experience for me! As I was running through ideas of how to progress with my desire to study and conserve wildlife I came across Unity College and its wildlife conservation program. As I began reading more about it, I felt more compelled to apply and try my luck! The curriculum is what I was looking for in terms of learning more about the discipline of wildlife conservation. Through my collegiate experience, I enjoyed the attention to detail and the reading material is given by my professors. The classes were very interesting and interactive where we can discuss very important topics within conservation. I hope that my Unity College graduate degree can help shift my career from forestry into a role within wildlife conservation and management.”

Unity College Alum, Angie Lindgren, works at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

“Once I obtained my master’s degree, I was offered a position with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Environmental Cleanup and Brownfield Redevelopment. I am in the field often and am directly applying my education to my career. I cannot speak highly enough about pursuing a degree with Unity, especially a Master of Professional Science, as it has immediately transferrable skills to the environmental field.”

Dr. Brent Bibles

Professor of Wildlife Biology

Dr. Brent Bibles is Professor of Wildlife Biology at Unity College. He received a Ph.D. and M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Arizona and BS in Fisheries and Wildlife from Utah State. Brent has been involved in wildlife management since the 1980’s and is a well-respected expert in the field. Besides working in academia, he has worked for state wildlife and federal land management agencies. He is primarily an ornithologist but works with all taxa. He has worked with several threatened or endangered species, most recently the Mexican Spotted Owls and black-footed ferrets.

Dr. Bibles provides value for his students by using teaching techniques that deliver courses that use question-driven instruction. His contribution to the Sustainable Natural Resource Management track of the MS in Professional Science is to add his management experience, quantitative abilities, and student-focused teaching style to the curriculum.