Graduate Catalog
Degree Programs

Master of Science
Fisheries and Wildlife Science

Dr. John Jackson
Associate Professor
McEver Building, Room 114
(479) 964-3226
jjackson@atu.edu

The Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Science is offered for those who wish to pursue careers in various areas of fisheries or wildlife science, and for those who wish to obtain a graduate degree before continuing their education at the doctoral level. The Department of Biological Sciences offers the M.S. degree with the option of selecting a concentration of study in either fisheries or wildlife science.

Unconditional Admission

Students are eligible to apply for unconditional admission to the Master of Science degree program in Fisheries and Wildlife Science if they have:

  1. Met the admission requirements for Graduate College.
  2. Completed a bachelor's degree in a biological science from an accredited university.
  3. Completed courses in fisheries management or wildlife management, ecology, and statistics with a minimum grade of "C".
  4. Filed scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in the Graduate College.
  5. Prepared a letter of intent that addresses the applicant's interests, goals, and reasons for applying to the degree program.
  6. Provided two (2) letters of recommendation, using the form provided by our department, from professors familiar with the applicant's academic ability.
  7. Approval from the Program Director.

Conditional Admission

Qualified students without the courses listed above may be accepted provided the deficiencies are made up without graduate credit. Applicants who fail to meet the grade point requirement specified for unconditional admission may be admitted conditionally to enroll for a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. If a student was admitted conditionally based on grade point average, the condition will be met upon completion of twelve (12) semester hours with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better is achieved.

Academic Advisors

A major advisor within the Fisheries and Wildlife Program is required. Submission of a letter to the program director by a faculty member that acknowledges willingness to serve as a student's major advisor, constitutes formal acceptance into the program. The advisor and student will select two (2) or more qualified personnel (at least one from the Fisheries and Wildlife Program) to serve as members of the student's advisory committee.

The advisor and student should develop a program of study and have it approved by the student's advisory committee and program director within the first semester. The advisory committee will be responsible for identifying critical deficiencies in undergraduate preparation and adding courses to the program of study to compensate for these deficiencies. It remains, however, the student's responsibility to understand and to satisfy all degree requirements.

For students pursuing the thesis option, a proposal of thesis research developed by the student, approved by the advisor, advisory committee, and program director is expected within six (6) months of matriculation. The advisory committee will determine acceptability of the thesis and oral defense.

Admission to Candidacy

Students who have been granted conditional admission are eligible for admission to candidacy for the degree upon the completion of twelve (12) hours with a minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average and completion of all deficiencies. Students who have been granted unconditional admission are eligible for admission to candidacy upon completion of twelve (12) hours with a minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average. Students who do not submit an "Application for Admission to Candidacy" prior to the end of the semester in which the student becomes eligible will not be allowed to register for subsequent graduate classes.

Degree Requirements

  1. A minimum of 30 semester hours for the thesis option and a minimum of 36 semester hours for the non-thesis option at the graduate level must be completed, including completion of:

    Thesis only option (30 hours)

    FW 6001 Graduate Seminar in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology
    FW 6002 Research Methods I
    FW 6012 Research Methods II
    FW 6013 Population Dynamics
    FW 6991-6 Thesis Research - 6 hours
    MATH 5173 Advanced Statistics
    Approved 5000 or 6000 level elective courses - 13 hours

    Non-Thesis only option (36 hours)

    FW 5163 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
    FW 6001 Graduate Seminar in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology
    FW 6002 Research Methods I
    FW 6012 Research Methods II
    FW 6013 Population Dynamics
    FW 6033 Conservation Management Practicum
    FW 6043 Conservation Research Practicum
    FW 6101 Comprehensive Exam
    MATH 5173 Advanced Statistics
    Approved 5000 or 6000 level elective courses - 15 hours

    Electives

    BIOL 5003 History and Philosophy of Science
    BIOL 6023 Conservation Workshop
    EMHS 6033 Foundation of Leadership
    FW 5003 Principles of Wildlife Management
    FW 5014 Forest Ecology and Management
    FW 5024 Limnology
    FW 5034 Geographic Information Systems in natural Resources
    FW 5083 Principles of Fisheries Management
    FW 5103 Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife Management
    FW 5881-4 Advanced Topics
    FW 6023 Quantitative Fisheries Science
    SPH 5063 Organizational Communication

  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 must be achieved in all graduate work attempted at Arkansas Tech University. A maximum of six (6) hours of "C" can be counted toward degree requirements, and a student receiving more than six (6) hours of "C" is subject to dismissal from the program. Refer to the section of the catalog on "Academic Probation and Dismissal."
  3. A written thesis and an oral defense of the research thesis must be approved by the advisory committee, the program director, and the Graduate College Dean. Students will be required to enroll in an additional one credit hour of graduate coursework prior to their thesis defense if the thesis is not defended within one semester of completion of the coursework for the degree. For the purposes of this policy, summer is considered to be one semester.
  4. Completion of all requirements of the degree must be accomplished within six (6) years from the time of admission to the program.

Special Conditions of Graduate Credit

Graduate Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University

A maximum of six (6) semester hours of graduate credit with a grade point average of "B" or better may be transferred from an accredited graduate school if deemed appropriate to the graduate program by the program director and the Graduate College Dean. Students must send a written request to the program director to petition an acceptance of the transfer credit prior to requesting admission to candidacy to the graduate program. Graduate credit earned six (6) years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied toward the degree without the approval of the program director and the Graduate College Dean. Credits earned by correspondence courses or for remedial purposes will not apply toward the graduate degree. No undergraduate course may be repeated for graduate credit.

Graduate Credit Taken After Admission to Arkansas Tech University

If after admission to graduate study, a student wishes to take a course at another institution to count toward degree requirements at Arkansas Tech University, the student must (in advance of enrollment) obtain written approval from the program director and the Graduate College Dean.