Ecology Careers and the NWMSU Program
Careers
Environmental scientists study man's impact on his surroundings;
ecologists study nature in its own setting. This includes studies the
interaction of species with their surroundings (biological and/or physical),
and studies of distribution and abundance. Ecology can also be defined as the
study of survival and adaptation.
Ecology spans all scales of taxonomy and size, from physiological
ecology of single species (e.g. salt tolerance mechanisms in marsh grass),
to energy flow in forests, to geochemical cycles in the global atmosphere.
Graduates in ecology can get jobs in environmental fields, but the B.S.
Concentration in Environmental Science provides better training. Also, if your
career objective is ecology of large mammals (especially management), you would
be better served by the Program in Wildlife Conservation (see your catalog for
details).
Ecologists generally work for the government; many positions require
advanced degrees. The most common employers are colleges and universities,
which expect varying combinations of teaching and research. Other ecologists
work for the National Biological Survey, National Wildlife Service, state game
or conservation departments, or national parks. In all these fields, knowledge
of computers, writing, and statistics are important.
The_NWMSU_Program: B.S. in Biology, Ecology Concentration
The Concentration in Ecology is a broad-based biology degree with
specific coursework in field methods in plant and animal ecology. The program
also requires one additional plant course (over 300) and one additional animal
course (over 300), which allow the student to pursue an area of particular
interest. This plan is designed to introduce the student to a variety of
ecological fields, particularly prior to pursuing advanced degrees.
Because many positions require advanced degrees, we recommend that
students pursue additional coursework, as their interests and abilities allow,
in the areas often required by graduate schools. These areas include
especially computers, statistics, and foreign language.
If a student decides on an area to pursue in graduate school, we recom-
mend that student attend national meetings and read relevant journals to help
refine their interest. The acceptance rate is much greater for students who
contact professors that research in the area of interest.
BS Biology: ECOLOGY
Graduation Requirements, '94-96 catalog
This is only a guide. Be sure to consult your Degree Audit form.
Check prerequisites in the Catalog before enrolling.
General_Studies_Core (20 hrs) (minimum GPA 2.00)
__ Freshman Seminar (71-101, 72-101, 73-101, or 76-101)
__ Composition (Eng 10-111 and 112, or Eng 10-115 and test-out)
__ Oral Communication (Sp 29-102)
__ Math (Math 17-118) (required for Biology BS degrees)
__ Computer Literacy (Comp Sci 12-130)
__ Life Values Phys Fitness (PE 22-111, and either PE 22-110 or HES 15-110)
__ PE Activity (PE 22-101,106,107,112,113,116,121,131,134,139,160,161,165,170)
Liberal_Studies (32 hrs)
__ Government (34-102)
__ History (33-155)
__ Chemistry (24-114/115) (required for Biology BS degrees)
__ Physics (25-110/111) (required for Biology BS degrees)
__ Literature (Eng 10-220)
__ Humanities/Philos (Hum 26-101, 102, 103, 104, Phil 39-171, 274, or Sp 29-235)
__ Fine Arts (Art 13-102, 110, Mus 19-201, PE 22-262, or Th 43-101)
__ Social Sci (Econ 52-130, 150, Geog 32-101, Soc 35-101, 108, or Ag 03-102)
__ Behavioral Sciences (Psych 08-103, 303)
__ Multicultural Studies (Ed 61-569, Sp 29-225, Gov 34-103, Econ 52-103, Geog
32-102, MC 20-221, Eng 10-224, Hist 33-225, or foreign language >100)
Biology_Core (21 hrs)
__ Bio 04-112/113 Botany
__ Bio 04-114/115 Zoology
__ Bio 04-310 Cell Biology
__ Bio 04-350 Genetics
__ Bio 04-376 Basic Ecology
__ Bio 04-383 Practicum
__ Bio 04-491 Seminar
Biology_Required_Collateral_Areas (14 hrs)
__ Chem 24-116/117 General Chem II
__ Chem 24-342/343 Organic Chem I
__ Phys 25-112/113 General Physics II
Ecology_Concentration (16 hrs)
__ Bio 04-575 Methods in Animal Ecology
__ Bio 04-577 Methods in Plant Ecology
__ One animal course over 300 (to total 5-8 hrs with plant course)
__ One plant course over 300 (to total 5-8 hrs with animal course)
__ Bio 04-479 Problems in Envrionmental Bio or Ag 03-334 Soils
__ Bio electives to total 16 hrs for the Concentration
Minor (BS required)
__ 24 hrs