Fisheries and Wildlife Graduate Programs
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Advanced degree programs within Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences are intercollegiate degree programs administered by the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources in conjunction with the Department of Biology and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Currently, more than 50 graduate students are pursuing advanced Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences degrees.
The Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences area at NC State focuses on researching and understanding ecological principles as they apply to natural resource management as well as the subsequent effects on wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture. Our mission is to advance the scientifically-based conservation, management and use of fishery, wildlife and associated resources. This focus in reflected in the emphasis our graduate students place on identifying and resolving important questions ranging from fundamental scientific inquiry to the most technical applied, management-oriented problems.
Graduate students interested in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences at NC State can choose to pursue a non-thesis degree by enrolling in our Master of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences degree program. Students interested in obtaining a thesis degree should select our Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences option. In addition, a new PhD in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences program allows students to obtain their doctorates in a wide array of related concentrations.
Research Projects
See a current list of our graduate students conducting fisheries and wildlife research projects.
Research Facilities
Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences graduate students can conduct their research on campus in various labs maintained by the College of Natural Resources, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. These campus resources are augmented by outstanding off-campus field and laboratory sites, such as the Pamlico Aquaculture Field Laboratory; research and extension centers in eastern and western NC; The Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City; and at the facilities of various state and federal agencies or private organizations.
For more information on our research, extension and other resources in this field, please visit the Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences interest area section of our site.
Admission Requirements
Application for admission to the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences program is made through the department where the student's major faculty advisor is appointed. Minimum requirements include an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 in an appropriate biological discipline and a graduate record examination score of 1000, calculated as the sum of verbal and quantitative scores. Admission is contingent upon acceptance by an advisor. Exceptions to minimum requirements may be made for students with special backgrounds.
Fisheries and Wildlife graduate programs are very competitive and we are only able to accept a small fraction of the applicants. Strong applicants exceed the minimum standards, have a degree in a related field and have relevant work experience. Students are rarely admitted to this program without funding and almost all international students bring funding with them. You can increase your chances of admission by making sure your completed application is received before the deadline.
Once you are accepted, you must satisfy certain other requirements in order to obtain an advanced degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. These are outlined in our Grad Student Requirements section.
How to Apply
For instructions on how graduate students can apply to the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences program at NC State, please review our How To Apply section.
