Biodiversity and Conservation

Program Overview

We all depend on the diversity of life for personal and societal survival. We need all forms of life for the beauty it holds, the food it gives, the life-saving drugs it provides, the clean water we use, or any number of other valid and important reasons. The services that healthy ecosystems perform, if only from our human perspective, are immense and irreplaceable.

Conservation Biology deals with identification, protection, maintenance, development, and restoration of the earth’s biological diversity (biodiversity), including genetic diversity within species, species richness in different regions, and the diversity of ecological communities. This focus differs substantially from traditional wildlife management and forestry-range programs in two fundamental ways: (1) it seeks to protect all life on earth; and (2) it seeks to preserve biological processes (ecological and evolutionary interactions) that generate and maintain biodiversity over the long-term. Our program offers a large number of natural history courses (botany, mammalogy, entomology, etc.) and includes courses relevant to policy, management, ethical, and socioeconomic factors.

Program Summary

Program Credits: 60.0 Credits

Status: Open Enrollment

Introductory Course: BIO 220 or BIO 230

Beyond The Classroom

Engaging in internships, mentored research, associations and clubs related to your program is an important step in linking your education with the real world. These experiences enhance your education and prepare you for both further schooling and your future career.