Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Wildlife Biology

Minimum required: 121-125 semester credit hours

General Requirements

  1. The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.
  2. Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses).
  3. The minimum number of hours required for this degree program is 127. The number of elective hours a student completes depends on the number of hours a student may need to achieve the required 127 total or 36 advanced hours.
  4. Students entering Texas State with fewer than 16 credit hours completed after high school graduation will be required to take US 1100. All others will be exempt from taking this course. Students may be required to earn an additional elective to reach the 120 minimum total credit hour requirement for the awarding of a degree.
  5. Nine semester credit hours must be writing intensive (WI).
  6. If two years of the same foreign language were taken in high school, then no additional language hours will be required. In the absence of such high school language, two semesters of the same modern language must be taken at the college level.
  7. This Bachelor of Science degree plan includes courses in preparation for The Wildlife Society certification as an Associate Wildlife Biologist, and does not require a minor.
  8. For transfer students, 24 semester credit hours in biology, chemistry and physics (or their equivalents) may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Biology Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Wildlife Biology at Texas State University. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the following course list.

    BIO 1330Functional Biology3
    TCCN: BIOL 1306
    BIO 1130Functional Biology Laboratory1
    TCCN: BIOL 1106
    BIO 1331Organismal Biology3
    TCCN: BIOL 1307
    BIO 1131Organismal Biology Laboratory1
    TCCN: BIOL 1107
    CHEM 1341General Chemistry I3
    TCCN: CHEM 1311
    CHEM 1141General Chemistry Laboratory I1
    TCCN: CHEM 1111
    CHEM 1342General Chemistry II3
    TCCN: CHEM 1312
    CHEM 1142General Chemistry Laboratory II1
    TCCN: CHEM 1112
    CHEM 2341Organic Chemistry I3
    TCCN: CHEM 2323
    CHEM 2141Organic Chemistry Laboratory I1
    TCCN: CHEM 2123
    PHYS 1315General Physics I3
    TCCN: PHYS 1301
    PHYS 1115General Physics I Laboratory1
    TCCN: PHYS 1101
    Total Hours24

Course Requirements 

Freshman
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
BIO 1330 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1306])3BIO 1331 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1307])3 
BIO 1130 (TCCN BIOL 1106)1BIO 1131 (TCCN BIOL 1107)1 
CHEM 1341
CHEM 1141 (TCCN 1311 & 1111)
4CHEM 1342
CHEM 1142 (TCCN CHEM 1312 & 1112)
4 
US 11001American History Component Code 0603 
Communication Component Code 0103Creative Arts Component Code 0503 
Government/Political Science Component Code 0703  
 15 14 
Sophomore
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
BIO 24104BIO 24114 
BIO 2450 (TCCN BIOL 2416)4Component Area Option 090/091/092/093/0943 
American History Component Code 0603Government/Political Science Component Code 0703 
MATH 2321 or 2471 (Mathematics Component Code 020 [TCCN MATH 2313 or 2413])3-4MATH 2328, HP 3302, or AG 3352 (TCCN MATH 1342 or 2342)3 
 CHEM 2330
CHEM 2130
4 
 14-15 17 
Junior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHoursSummerHours
Component Area Option 090/091/092/093/0943ENG 3303 (Communication Component Code 010)3PHIL 1305 or 1320 (Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 [TCCN PHIL 1305 or PHIL 2306])13
BIO 44164Advanced Vertebrate Elective2,33-4Advanced Vertebrate Elective2,33-4
Botany Elective23-4Physiology Course24 
Choose 4 hours from the following:4Botany Elective23-4 
PHYS 1315
PHYS 1115 (TCCN PHYS 1301 & 1101)
   
PHYS 1335
PHYS 1115 (TCCN PHYS 1101)
   
 14-15 13-14 6-7
Senior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
Advanced Vertebrate Elective2,34BIO 43013 
BIO 44234BIO 44254 
Policy Elective3BIO 44354 
Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 0803Conservation Elective3 
 14 14 
Total Hours: 121-125
1

While PHIL 1305 or PHIL 1320 are strongly preferred, the department will allow other Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 courses to satisfy this requirement.

2

Individual biology advanced electives can apply to only one requirement and cannot satisfy multiple requirements.

3

Students must complete (1) advanced vertebrate elective from group one and (2) vertebrate electives from group two.

Electives 

Advanced Vertebrate Elective Group One
Choose 1 course from the follwing
Bird Conservation and Management
Field Ornithology
Natural History of the Vertebrates
Ornithology
Mammalogy
Herpetology
Tropical Biology
Advanced Vertebrate Elective Group Two
Choose 2 from the following:
Natural History and Conservation of Large Mammals
Tropical Ecology and Conservation
Bird Conservation and Management
International Ecology and Conservation of Wildlife
Ichthyology
Field Ornithology
Natural History of the Vertebrates
Ornithology
Mammalogy
Herpetology
Tropical Biology
Animal Behavior
Botany Elective Option
Choose 2 from the following:
Economic Botany
Plant Taxonomy
Marine Ecology and Conservation
Plants Important for Wildlife
Field Biology of Plants
Wetland Plant Ecology and Management
Plant Ecology
Physiology Course Options
Choose 1 from the following:
Vertebrate Physiology
Fish Physiology
Environmental Physiology of Animals
Plant Physiology
Policy Elective Option
Choose 1 from the following:
Wildlife and Recreation: Impact, Policy, and Management
Wildlife Policy and Law in North America
Ecology of Rarity
Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation
Conservation Elective Option
Choose 1 from the following:
Ecology of Rarity
Biological Resources: Conservation and Planning
International Ecology and Conservation of Plants
International Ecology and Conservation of Wildlife