Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences
The Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences offers Master of Science degree in Range and Wildlife Management. The department also offers the Doctor of Philosophy in Wildlife and Rangeland Sciences.
Research projects in Wildlife Science have involved a variety of topics on game and nongame wildlife, habitat management, disease issues, natural history and basic theoretical aspects of wildlife ecology and management. Faculty from the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute are recognized internationally for their contributions to natural resource management.
Range and Wildlife Management (RWSC)
RWSC 5306 Thesis 3 SCH (3)
Designed for thesis option students. The course requires completion of thesis research. Prerequisite: departmental approval. May be repeated for maximum of 6 semester hours.
RWSC 5390 Adv Studies Range/Wildlife Mgt 1-3 SCH (1-3)
Material offered will be determined by the needs of the students. Laboratory and lecture will vary according to the subject needs. May be repeated under a different topic.
RWSC 5399 Research Topics 1-9 SCH (0-0-1-9)
This course is specifically designed for Plan I students. Required during the research, data analysis, and initial writing stage. Grading for the course will be S for satisfactory or U for unsatisfactory.
Rangeland and Wildlife Management, M.S.
Rangeland and Wildlife, M.S. - Thesis Option I
The 30 credit hour requirement is met through major core, major research, and major elective courses. A minimum of 18 credit hours in graduate level RWSC and/or WSCI courses, and six (6) hours of quantitative analysis statistic-based courses is required toward the RWSC Master of Science degree. Additionally, free elective courses may not count toward the credit hour requirement.
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Core-Support Field 1 | 6 | |
| Quantitative Analysis Course (stats based) | ||
| Quantitative Analysis Course (stats based) | ||
| Major Research | 6 | |
In addition to the above, the course below must be taken twice for a total of six (6) semester credit hours | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Major Elective Courses 2 | 12-18 | |
| Free Elective Courses 3 | 0-6 | |
| TOTAL | 30 Credits | |
- 1
WSCI Stats Elective- WSCI 6401, 6402, 6403, 6404 or other stats graduate-level courses.
- 2
RWSC or WSCI Elective- Electives from graduate-level courses in rangeland and wildlife sciences. List of courses to take is under recommendation with major advisor, and listed below.
- 3
Free Elective- Electives from graduate-level coursework in biology, geography/GIS, animal science, rangeland and wildlife science, plant and soil science, and ranch management.
Students who received a graduate stipend are expected to be enrolled as a full-time student each semester. Research hours (5399 or 6999) can be taken to fulfill the obligation of being a full-time graduate students; however, research hours do not count toward formal course work hours.
List of Major Elective Course Options
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WSCI 6302 | Biopolitics, PR & Wildlife Law | 3 |
| WSCI 6310 | Teach & Comm Method Scientists | 3 |
| WSCI 6315 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| WSCI 6320 | Prescribed Burning | 3 |
| WSCI 6325 | Fire Ecology | 3 |
| WSCI 6330 | Remote Sensing for Wildlife St | 3 |
| WSCI 6345 | Restoration Ecology | 3 |
| WSCI 6371 | Wildlife Nutrition | 3 |
| WSCI 6372 | Wildlife Conservation Biol | 3 |
| WSCI 6374 | WildlifeResearch Methods | 3 |
| WSCI 6382 | Waterfowl Ecology & Management | 3 |
| WSCI 6387 | Wildlife Habitat Mgmt | 3 |
| WSCI 6390 | Adv Studies Range and Nat Res | 1-3 |
| WSCI 6391 | Ecosys Function and Management | 3 |
| WSCI 6392 | Wildlife & Nat Resource Sci | 3 |
| WSCI 6394 | Grazing Management | 3 |
| WSCI 6395 | Probs in Range and Wldlfe Mgt | 1-3 |
| WSCI 6396 | Avian Community Ecology | 3 |
| WSCI 6397 | Wildlife Diseases | 3 |
| WSCI 6401 | Experimental Design & Analysis | 4 |
| WSCI 6402 | Applied Regression Analysis | 4 |
| WSCI 6403 | Practical Non-Parametric Stats | 4 |
| WSCI 6404 | Applied Multivariate Analysis | 4 |
| WSCI 6381 | Wildlife Population Ecology | 3 |