This program is available at the following location:

• Corvallis

The Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences (FWCS) offers graduate work leading to a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences.

The faculty and graduate students in FWCS conduct basic and applied research focused on helping sustainably manage, conserve, and recover species of wild animals and the habitats and ecosystems those species rely on. Research outcomes include advances in our basic understanding of the biology and ecology of species and communities, the structure and function of ecosystems, and the interactions between human behaviors and ecosystems. Applied research supports data-driven decision making by the state and federal agencies responsible for making management decisions along with Extension/public outreach to communicate results of our work and help communities act to sustainably manage native species and their habitats. Research is often conducted in collaboration with scientists and managers from state (e.g., Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) and federal (e.g., U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.O.A.A., Bureau of Land Management) agencies. For a full range of faculty expertise and interests, consult the department’s website), but broadly includes applied ecology, organismal biology, and conservation biology, transdisciplinary approaches to management of threatened species and habitats, human dimensions of conservation and natural resource management, conservation genetics and genomics, natural resource communications, ecological and social science work in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems, harvest management, human-wildlife interactions, marine fisheries ecology and management, aquaculture, marine mammal science and conservation, and conservation and management of fish and wildlife on working landscapes. Research is conducted in ecosystems from the equator to the poles and on every continent.

Contact Information

For more information, visit the website or email fw.gradadvising@oregonstate.edu

Major Code: 1320

Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:

MS

• Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work.
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
• Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.
• Produce a well written thesis that placed their work in proper context and used correct style and grammar to effectively communicate major findings.
• Deliver a well-organized and easy to follow defense seminar.
• Demonstrate good oral communications skills during the closed defense with their committee.
• Display evidence of critical thinking skills during the oral defense.

PhD

• Produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge.
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
• Conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner.
• Produce a well written thesis that placed their work in proper context and used correct style and grammar to effectively communicate major findings.
• Deliver a well-organized and easy to follow defense seminar.
• Demonstrate good oral communications skills during the closed defense with their committee.
• Display evidence of critical thinking skills during the oral defense.

MS

PhD

Major Code: 1320