Wildlife Science Certificate
Contact:
Email: lissa3@hawaii.edu
The certificate program in Wildlife Science is designed to prepare baccalaureate degree seeking students and non-degree seeking students for employment in wildlife related careers or graduate school. This program requires that students take courses in animal behavior and handling, wildlife science, both captive and in-situ wildlife management, and wildlife health care, which will provide well-rounded knowledge and practical understanding for the field of wildlife science. Assignment based labs encourage critical thinking and the ability to utilize evidence-based best practices. Hands-on laboratories are aimed to provide real life work experience and to gain valuable contacts in the field.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate a diverse knowledge of wildlife protection and care, encompassing both in situ and ex situ environments.
- Exhibit the capability to conduct fieldwork within in situ wildlife conservation projects and captive wildlife facilities.
- Display knowledge of global wildlife, with a particular focus on Hawaiian wildlife, including their habitats, ecological niches, and existing protective measures.
- Recognize how to become stewards and advocates for wildlife in their local communities and on a global scale.
- Demonstrate knowledge in taxonomy, evolution, adaptation, behavior, biomes, diets, population dynamics, species interactions, and common wildlife parasites and pathogens.
- Identify and analyze relationships and interactions within habitats, ecosystems, and trophic systems.
- Exhibit both theoretical and practical proficiency in conducting observations, population counts, monitoring, harvesting, and controlling native wildlife and invasive species.
- Recognize and address human-wildlife conflicts, employing creative cognitive thinking in prevention strategies.
- Demonstrate the ability to distinguish various types of animal behavior and safely handle animals of different species.
- Identify common diseases and parasites, understanding the necessary steps to ensure appropriate care and welfare-based decision-making.
- Utilize knowledge of diets, behavior, anatomy, and physiology to formulate and provide species-specific diets, enclosures, and enrichment for captive wildlife.
- Identify appropriate and maladaptive or abnormal behavior in wildlife species.
- Identify potential biohazards to wildlife and understand methods to mitigate exposure and contamination.
- Demonstrate an understanding of captive breeding programs and their significance in species conservation.
- Possess knowledge of the economic aspects of both in-situ and ex-situ wildlife conservation efforts.
Requirements (17 credits)
- ANSC 223 Intro to Wildlife Science (3)
- ANSC 175 Animal Behavior and Handling (3)
- ANSC 453 Anim Disease & Parasites (3)
- ANSC 323 Captive Wildlife Management (3)
- BIOL 281 General Ecology (3)
- BIOL 281L General Ecology Lab (2)