Course Overview

This major is dedicated to discovering and conserving biodiversity and natural resources and managing ecological systems. Students choose to study one of three options: Aquatic Ecology and Conservation, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, or Vertebrate Zoology.

The Aquatic Ecology and Conservation option is designed for both students interested in the research and management of fish, other freshwater and marine organisms, and the ecosystems that sustain them, as well as controlled production of organisms in aquatic systems.

The Wildlife Ecology and Conservation option is designed for students interested in the research, management and conservation of wildlife and the ecosystems that support it. It allows for the study of wildlife ecology, wildlife and fisheries management, conservation biology, and animal behavior management.

The Vertebrate Zoology option provides the rigorous training needed for careers in the fields of ichthyology, herpetology, mammalogy and ornithology, with disciplinary expertise in areas such as behavior, ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, physiology and systematics.

It is a flexible program which permits the inclusion of courses specifically required by graduate degree programs as well as schools of dentistry, law, medicine and veterinary medicine. Courses in this major combine ecological theory and management principles.

General Eligibility

Undergraduate students who meet the following general admission requirements at the time of application are assured admission to  A&M-Central Texas:

• Minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA on a 4.0 scale;

• Minimum 30 academic, college-level transferable semester hours. Applicants pursuing an Applied Science or Aviation Science degree may meet this requirement utilizing select workforce education credit from an approved Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree upon completion of 45 hours, to include all general education courses within the AAS.

• Must be eligible to return to all previously attended colleges or universities.

Part Time Work Details

n/a

Language Requirement

• The University requires all students to take at least one year of a foreign language. This requirement is completed by having taken two units of the same foreign language in high school, completing one year of the same foreign language in college or completing the credit-by-examination process.

  Minimum TOEFL Essentials score of 8.5, or. Minimum IELTS Academic test score of 6.0 overall band (Texas A&M University does not accept the IELTS General test)