In this course, students study animal behavior through biological and psychological lenses. Deep exploration into the behavior of a species of the student’s choosing complement examples of many species through the coursework. Students design and conduct an ethogram study on their species informed by factors that impact behavior, types and categories of behavior, applied behavior, and animal emotion and cognition.

This course analyzes the constitutional underpinnings of state and federal wildlife laws, including the Lacey Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Students learn how to interpret and apply the substantive law and the broad influences on the field. The course explores current impact wildlife issues have on the resource and law enforcement.

This course focuses on preparing students to be knowledgeable about the distribution, natural history, and identification of the major game species of North America plus some selected non-game species. The course is built on taxonomy of big game, small game, furbearers, upland gamebirds, waterfowl and freshwater fish. Some emphasis is placed on positive and negative societal values as well. General management considerations are discussed. Experiential learning will include examination of specimens (specimens, pelts, and skulls) in hand and in field-simulated images.

Sustaining wildlife populations in the face of climate change and other threats requires a thorough understanding of habitat concepts and adaptive management approaches. This course examines the principles, concepts, and methods used to understand how wildlife interacts with their habitat and how managers assess and implement habitat management strategies. Students will explore approaches to measuring, evaluating, and managing habitat in terrestrial and aquatic environments.