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Fisheries Focus

The Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences degree (B.S.) with a Fisheries Focus prepares students for careers as fisheries professionals with state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, environmental consulting, and graduate school. Graduates are qualified for federal positions with agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Survey and others. The degree also prepares you for higher academic degrees, and about 15% of graduates go on to earn a Master’s degree. Students majoring in the Fisheries focus meet the certification requirements of The American Fisheries Society as an Associate Fisheries Professional upon graduation.

Hands-on experience is a major component of all Fisheries courses at VCSU and is applied in both laboratory and field settings. In addition, students are encouraged to seek real world experience through volunteering and summer employment opportunities with fisheries professionals. This real world experience in professional settings increases VCSU graduates’ marketability when entering the workforce. VCSU faculty use established relationships with multiple state and Federal agencies to aid students in acquiring summer employment. In addition, faculty members often offer summer employment opportunities in aquatic research to current students.

You have the choice of majoring in the Fisheries, Wildlife or Conservation Law Enforcement. Many students do major in more than one Focus.