Undergraduate students who select the Wildlife major must also choose one of two specializations - the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation specialization or the Preprofessional specialization. Distinctions between these two specializations are explained below:

WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION SPECIALIZATION

Students in this specialization train in the biological, social, physical, and management sciences, and excel at both the scientific and human dimensions of managing wildlife and natural resources. With appropriate choices of electives and course options graduates satisfy requirements to apply for certification as an Associate Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society.

This specialization provides students with the flexibility to design their undergraduate degree program towards specific educational and career goals. Students are responsible for consulting with their WEC faculty advisor and the WEC Student Services Office to select nine Common Course Requirements and four courses from a designated Focus Area, in addition to meeting universal tracking requirements, general education requirements, Gordon Rule requirements, College requirements for advanced technical writing and advanced oral communication, and mandatory WEC major-specific requirements.

Students admitted to UF Summer B 2015 or later will follow the current WEC Curriculum for this specialization. For additional details, see Advising Sheet for Wildlife Ecology Specialization.

These students must also complete a WEC Common Course Focus Course Plan by the end of their first semester in the major.

PREPROFESSIONAL SPECIALIZATION

This specialization satisfies the course work requirements for admission to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. Some students may also satisfy requirements for certification as an Associate Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society. Courses reflect current requirements for admission to most national veterinary programs. Students admitted to UF Summer B 2015 or later will follow the current WEC Curriculum for this specialization. For additional details, see Advising Sheet for Preprofessional Specialization .

THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION MAJOR

WEC also provides academic advisement for the Natural Resource Conservation (NRC) major, a major co-sponsored by the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC). NRC offers a flexible, often interdisciplinary curriculum with one-on-one advising provided by either a WEC or SFRC faculty advisor, allowing students to tailor the major to his or her particular interests and career trajectory. This major is available at the University of Florida's main campus in Gainesville, FL, and at the West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC) campus in Milton, FL. More information about the NRC major may be found here.

Prospective NRC students who wish to apply to the Gainesville campus program should contact Ms. Kristina Haselier, SFRC Academic Coordinator, at khaselier@ufl.edu or 352-846-0847. Prospective NRC students who wish to apply to the Milton campus program should contact Dr. Debbie Miller at dlmi@ufl.edu or (850) 983-7128. NRC students who seek advisement related to WEC courses and wildlife conservation careers may email Maureen Cox, WEC Student Services or call at (352)846-0554. NRC students who seek advisement related to all other areas of natural resource conservation careers and SFRC courses may contact Dr. Timothy Martin, SFRC Undergraduate Coordinator, tamartin@ufl.edu or (352) 846-0866.