Master of Science
Fisheries and Wildlife Science

The Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Science was established in the Fall of 2000 to build on Arkansas Tech University's longstanding tradition of educating fisheries and wildlife professionals. Students interested in the program are encouraged to apply. Application procedures are listed below and guidelines for admission to the program are contained within the graduate catalogue description of our program.

Full-time teaching and research assistantships of $13,000 per annum with full tuition waivers are available on a regular basis, pending the status of funding cycles and the outcome of grant writing efforts.  Duties of a full-time teaching assistant include instructing two freshman-level biological laboratories per semester, assisting with an upper-division fisheries and wildlife course, and work on a thesis research project.  Duties of a full-time research assistantship focus primarily on research related directly to the source of funding for a grant, and may include research obligations beyond those required by the thesis project.  Assistantships sometimes are a hybrid of the the two types of assistantships. In addition, graduate students can apply for $3,000 annually renewable scholarships made available by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to supplement graduate assistant stipends.

A good way to determine if assistantships are available is to directly contact the Fisheries and Wildlife faculty member whose research interests and background most closely resemble your career goals.  Faculty contact information can be found on our Faculty page.  Assistantships, when available, are frequently advertised in AFS Fisheries, TWS The Wildlifer, and on the Texas A&M Job Board.  Access to these sites, and other job/graduate school sites, can be found at the bottom of our Student page.

To apply forward the following information to:
The Graduate School
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR 72801.
1. Official copies of your GRE scores.
2. Official copies of transcripts for all colleges you have attended.
3.Two letters of recommendation, using the form provided by the Office of Graduate Studies, from professors familiar with your academic ability. You can download a letter of recommendation form here using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
4. A letter of intent that addresses your interests, goals, and reasons for applying to the degree program.
5. A graduate school application form. The form can be obtained online from the graduate school
Applications should be received before October 1 for enrollment the following spring semester and March 1 for enrollment the following fall semester to ensure full consideration for teaching and research assistantships. Applications received after these dates will be considered as funds become available. Applications for graduate assistantships are available through the Office of Graduate Studies. If you need additional information on the program or potential research projects please feel free to contact any of the fisheries and wildlife faculty. Their e-mails and phone numbers can be found on their web pages.

Graduate Catalogue Description for the
Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Science

The Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology is offered for those who wish to pursue careers in various areas of fisheries or wildlife biology, and for those who wish to obtain a graduate degree before continuing their education at the doctoral level. The Department of Biological Sciences offers the M.S. degree with the option of selecting a concentration of study in either fisheries or wildlife science.

Unconditional Admission

Students are eligible to apply for unconditional admission to the M.S. degree program in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology provided they:
1. Meet all general requirements for admission to graduate studies as listed in the Graduate Catalogue. The requirements read as follows:
a) Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college.
b) Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or a 3.0 on the last 30 hours of undergraduate work or hold a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
c) Meet additional admission requirements specified by programs in the graduate catalog (GRE, writing samples, etc.)
2. Hold a bachelor’s degree in a biological science from an accredited university.
3. Have completed courses in fisheries management or wildlife management, ecology, and statistics with a minimum grade of C.

Conditional Admission

Qualified students without the courses listed above may be accepted provided the deficiencies are made up without graduate credit. In the case of undergraduate grade point average, conditionally admitted students will be subject to the standards for graduate grade point average as listed under;Degree Requirements for the Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology; on page 52.

Academic Advisors

A major advisor within the Fisheries and Wildlife Biology Program is required. Submission of a letter to the program director by a faculty member, that acknowledges willingness to serve as a student’s major advisor, constitutes formal acceptance into the program. The advisor and student will select two or more qualified personnel (at least one from the Fisheries and Wildlife Program) to serve as members of the student's advisory committee. The advisor and student should develop a program of study and have it approved by the student’s advisory committee and program director within the first semester. The advisory committee will be responsible for identifying critical deficiencies in undergraduate preparation, and adding courses to the program of study to compensate for these deficiencies. A proposal of thesis research developed by the student and the advisor, and approved by the advisory committee and program director also is expected by the end of the first semester. The advisory committee will determine acceptability of the thesis and oral defense.

Admission to Candidacy

Students are eligible for admission to candidacy for the degree upon the completion of twelve hours of graduate work with a 3.0 grade point average and completion of all deficiencies with a minimum grade of "B". It is the student's responsibility to complete the "Application for Admission to Candidacy" form and to submit it to the director of the program. The form is to be submitted upon the completion of twelve hours of graduate work.

Degree Requirements for the
Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology

A minimum of 30 semester credit hours of coursework at the graduate level must be completed, including completion of:
FW 6001. Graduate Seminar in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology.
FW 6002. Research Methods I.
FW 6012. Research Methods II.
FW 6013. Population Dynamics.
An approved statistics class - 3 hours.
FW 6991-6 - 6 hours.
Approved 5000 or 6000 level elective courses - 13 hours.

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved in all graduate work attempted at Arkansas Tech University. A maximum of 6 hours of "C" can be counted toward degree requirements, and a student receiving more than 6 hours of "C", or 3 hours of "D" or "F" is subject to dismissal from the program.

A written thesis and an oral defense of the research thesis must be approved by the advisory committee, program director, and graduate dean. Students must be enrolled for a minimum of three graduate hours during the term of the thesis defense.

Completion of all requirements for the degree must be accomplished within six years from the time of admission to the graduate program.

Special Conditions of Graduate Credit
Graduate Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University:

Students who are admitted to the M.S. degree program may apply for up to six transfer graduate credits toward the satisfaction of degree requirements, subject to the following conditions. The graduate credits must have been earned at a regionally accredited college or university.
Only courses with grades of A or B; are eligible for transfer.
The transfer must be approved by the student’s advisory committee, the program director, and the graduate dean.
Graduate credit earned six years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied toward the degree without approval of the program director and the graduate dean.

Graduate Credit Taken After Admission to Arkansas Tech University:

If, after admission to graduate study, a student wishes to take a course at another institution to count toward degree requirements at Arkansas Tech University, the student must secure, in advance of enrollment, letters from the program director and graduate dean approving the course for use in the Arkansas Tech University program.