College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

• MSU Registrar's Office: Fisheries and Wildlife Course Requirements
• Fisheries and Wildlife Program Course Requirements (PDF)
• Fisheries and Wildlife Concentration Requirements (PDF)

University Requirements

Credit/GPA Requirement

• Minimum number of credits required: 120 credits

• Minimum cumulative grade point average: 2.00

Writing Requirement

• Tier I: WRA 110 or higher (4 cr.)
• Tier II: Satisfied by completing FW 434 (3 cr.)

Integrative Studies Requirement (24 cr.)

Arts & Humanities (8 cr.)

• Complete one IAH course numbered below 211 (4 cr.)
• Complete one IAH course numbered 211 or higher (4 cr.)

Social Science (8 cr.)

• Complete one 200-level ISS course (4 cr.)
• Complete one 300-level ISS course (4 cr.)

Biological & Physical Sciences: Alternative Track (8 cr.)

• Biological Sciences (3 cr.) - Satisfied by completing BS 161, BS 162, LB 144 or LB 145
• Physical Sciences (3 cr.) - Satisfied by completing CEM 141 (4 cr.), CEM 151 (4 cr.) or LB 171 (4 cr.)
• Laboratory Experience (2 cr.) - Satisfied by completing (BS 171, BS 172, LB 144 or LB 145 ) and (CEM 161 or LB 171L)

Diversity

• Must complete at least two of the three types of diversity designated courses, as part of the IAH and/or ISS requirements listed above.

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Requirements

Math (3 cr.)

• Satisfied by completing MTH 124 (3 cr.), MTH 132 (3 cr.) OR LB 118 (5 cr.).

Economics (3 cr.)

• Complete EC 201 (3 cr.) OR EC 202 (3 cr.)

CANR Courses (26 cr.)

• Complete at least 26 credits of CANR courses.
• The concentrations listed below all require the minimum required CANR credits. Non-CANR courses substituted for courses in any of the concentrations may require a student to complete additional CANR course credits to meet CANR's 26-credit requirement.

Fisheries and Wildlife Major Requirements

Biological Sciences (9 to 10 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following groups of courses:

Group 1

• BS 161 - Cell and Molecular Biology (3 cr.)
• BS 171 - Cells and Molecular Biology Lab (2 cr.)
• BS 162 - Organismal & Population Biology (3 cr.)
• BS 172 - Organismal & Population Biology Lab (2 cr.)

Group 2   

• LB 144 - Biology I:  Organismal Biology (4 cr.)
• LB 145 - Biology II: Cellular & Molecular Biology (5 cr.)

Physical Sciences (8 to 9 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following groups of Chemistry courses:

Group 1

• CEM 141 - General Chemistry (4 cr.)
• CEM 161 - Chemistry Laboratory I (1 cr.)

Group 2

• CEM 151 - General and Descriptive Chemistry (4 cr.)
• CEM 161 - Chemistry Laboratory I (1 cr.)

Group 3

• LB 171 - Principles of Chemistry I (4 cr.)
• LB 171L - Introductory Chemistry Lab I (1 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following Physics courses:

• LB 273 - Physics I (3 cr.)
• PHY 183 - Physics for Scientists & Engineers I (4 cr.)
• PHY 231 - Introductory Physics I (3 cr.)

Earth Sciences (3 to 4 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following Earth Science courses:

• CSS 210 - Fundamentals of Soil Science (3 cr.)
• GEO 203 - Introduction to Meteorology (3 cr.)
• GEO 206 - Physical Geography (3 cr.)
• GLG 201 - The Dynamic Earth  (4 cr.)

Math and Statistics (6 to 7 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following Calculus courses:

• MTH 124 - Survey of Calculus I (3 cr.)
• MTH 132 - Calculus I (3 cr.)
• LB 118 - Calculus I (4 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following Statistics courses:

• STT 224 - Intro to Prob. & Stat. for Ecologists (3 cr.)
• STT 231 - Statistics for Scientists (3 cr.)
• STT 421 - Statistics I (3 cr.)

Communication (6 cr.)

Complete TWO of the following courses:

• COM 100 - Human Communication (3 cr.)
• COM 225 - Intro to Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.)
• COM 275 - Effects of Mass Communication (3 cr.)
• CSUS 433 - Grant Writing & Fund Development (3 cr.)
• FW 435 - Integrated Communication for the FW Professional (3 cr.)
• JRN 472 - Environmental, Science and Health Reporting (3 cr.)
• WRA 320* - Technical Communication (3 cr.)
• WRA 331* - Writing in the Public Interest (3 cr.)
• WRA 341 - Nature and Environmental Writing (3 cr.)
• WRA 453* - Grant and Proposal Writing (3 cr.)

* Contact WRA for an override

Ethics and Philosophy (3 cr.)

Complete ONE of the following courses:

• FW 439 - Conservation Ethics (3 cr.)       
• GEO 432 - Environmental Ethics (3 cr.)
• PHL 340 - Ethics (3 cr.)
• PHL 342 - Environmental Ethics (3 cr.)
• PHL 380 - Nature of Science (3 cr.)

Experiential Learning (3 to 4 cr.)

Complete at least 3 credits from the following courses:

• FW 493 - Professional Internship in FW (3 cr.)
• FW 490 - Independent Study (3 cr.)
• FW 480 - International Studies in FW (3 cr.)

• FW 499 - Senior Thesis in FW (4 cr.)

Fisheries and Wildlife Core (19 to 20 cr.)

Complete ALL of the following courses:

• FW 101   - Fish & Wildlife Fundamentals (3 cr.)

• FW 101L - Fish & Wildlife Fundamentals Lab (2 cr.) OR FW 238 - Intro Fish & Wildlife Field Experience (3 cr.)

• FW 293   - Undergrad Seminar in Fish & Wildlife (1 cr.)
• FW 364   - Ecological Problem Solving (3 cr.)
• FW 424   - Population Analysis and Management (4 cr.)
• FW 434   - Human Dimensions of FW Management (3 cr.)
• IBIO 355  - Ecology (3 cr.)

Fisheries and Wildlife Major: Concentrations

Complete ONE of the following six transcriptable concentrations:

1. Conservation Biology
2. Wildlife Biology and Management
3. Fisheries Biology and Management
4. Water Sciences
5. Fish and Wildlife Disease Ecology and Management
6. Preveterinary