Environmental Sciences Certifications

The Wildlife Society offers a certification program for wildlife biologists, to recognize individuals that have met pre-specified educational standards and have gained significant expertise through their professional work experiences. The Wildlife Society supports the development and advancement of wildlife professionals throughout their careers. Certification constitutes recognition by TWS that, to its best knowledge, a member meets the minimum educational, experience, and ethical standards adopted by the Society for professional wildlife biologists. 

Certification also provide governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations, private firms, courts, and the general public with a definitive minimum standard of experience and education for wildlife professionals.

Our Environmental Science Program has the appropriate classes to allow a student to become certified by the Wildlife Society as an Associate Wildlife Biologist. 

Wildlife Management and Biology, minimum 12 semester hours need:

At least one course (≥3 credits) must demonstrate training in understanding and manipulating wildlife habitat relationships and population dynamics in the context of objectives and influences established by human concerns and activities. Conservation biology courses are accepted if they contain a specific focus on wildlife management and decision making. One course (≥3 credits) must focus solely on the science of mammalogy, ornithology, or herpetology (this course must be taken at a college/university and cannot be substituted by experience). Courses that combine herpetology, mammalogy and/or ornithology will meet this requirement. Up to 3 credit hours of invertebrate biology courses can be counted as long as there is specific focus on natural resource management applications. Ichthyology, marine biology (except courses focusing on marine mammals, birds or reptiles), microbiology, or related courses will not count in this category, but will qualify in the Zoology category.

Ecology, minimum 3 semester hours:

Courses in general plant or animal ecology (excludes human ecology). Course descriptions are required. Examples of other acceptable courses include Ecosystem Ecology, Community Ecology, Environmental Ecology, Forest Ecology, Organismal Ecology, Population Ecology, and Natural Resource Ecology. Course descriptions, immediately following course listing, are required.

Zoology, minimum 9 semester hours:

Courses in the taxonomy, biology, behavior, physiology, anatomy, and natural history of vertebrates and invertebrates. Course descriptions are required. Courses in genetics, nutrition, physiology, disease, and other biology or general zoology courses are accepted. Credits in general genetics and general biology should be split evenly between the Zoology and Botany categories. Ichthyology or fisheries biology courses are accepted.

Botany, minimum 9 semester hours:

Courses in general botany, plant anatomy, plant genetics, plant morphology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, and other botany courses. Course descriptions are required. Dendrology and silvics are accepted. Partial course credit may be allowed for silviculture if content related to dendrology and/or silvics is included. At least one course (≥2 semester hours) or the equivalent must be primarily concerned with plant taxonomy or identification. In cases where experience or non-traditional coursework is used to meet the plant taxonomy/identification requirement, the applicant must provide sufficient supporting documentation to demonstrate that the competency obtained is equivalent to a college/university course (e.g., exam score, certificate of completion, etc.). Credits in general genetics and general biology should be split evenly between the Zoology and Botany categories.

Physical Sciences, minimum 9 semester hours:

Includes courses such as chemistry, physics, geology, or soils with at least two disciplines represented. Course descriptions are NOT required. If applicants believe a course description would be helpful, additional information can be provided in the Professional Experience or Non-traditional Education Section.

Basic Statistics, minimum 3 semester hours:

Course(s) in basic statistics. Course descriptions are required.

Quantitative Sciences, minimum 6 semester hours:

Courses in calculus, biometry, college algebra, advanced algebra, trigonometry, systems analysis, mathematical modeling, sampling, computer science, or other quantitative science. Course descriptions are required. Elementary algebra, remedial algebra, and introductory personal computing courses do not count in this category. Geographical Information Systems courses may count if they incorporate analytical components through data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Humanities and Social Sciences, minimum 9 semester hours Courses such as economics, sociology, psychology, political science, government, history, literature, or foreign language.

General Education Courses

Communications, minimum 12 semester hours:

Courses designed to improve communication skills such as English composition, technical writing, journalism, public speaking, or use of mass media. Course descriptions are required: A maximum of three semester hours each will be allowed for a completed master's thesis and Ph.D. dissertation. Courses in literature interpretation, foreign languages, and classes requiring a term paper, class projects, and seminars in non-communication courses generally will not count toward this category. However, non-communication courses designated by the college or university as communication-intensive (e.g., writing-intensive course) will be accepted in this category. The applicant must provide official university documentation describing how the course meets the communication-intensive requirement. Applicants may receive partial credit for non-communication courses that have a significant component dedicated to improving communication, such as senior thesis and other capstone courses, and natural resource-related seminars. A course syllabus or letter from an instructor describing the communication component of the course is required.

Policy, Administration, and Law, minimum 6 hours:

Courses that demonstrate significant content or focus on natural resource policy and/or administration, wildlife or environmental law, or natural resource/land use planning will apply in addition to courses that document contributions to the understanding of social, political, and ethical decisions for wildlife and natural resources management. Course descriptions are required: Up to three semester hours in classes dealing with human dimension issues may count in this category, depending on course content. Conservation Biology courses that effectively integrate legal and policy aspects of conservation planning will count toward this category. Courses that are tools supporting professional practice, e.g., Landsat, introductory GIS techniques, or more general courses such as environmental science, resource management, law enforcement, criminology, political science, and introductory survey courses in conservation will not apply.