Forestry/Wildlife Management (Pre)

Bring your love of the outdoors into your career and work to increase our natural resources and the health of our environment.

With forests covering over one-third of the earth’s surface, modern forestry and wildlife management hold the key to sustaining biodiversity, storing excessive carbon, and delivering freshwater to all who need it. Balancing human needs with the needs of plants and wildlife involves being an advocate for the land and animals who use it.

In our program, you’ll analyze ecosystems and the earth’s natural resources through the lens of biology, chemistry, geology, environmental, and social sciences. You’ll examine the impact animals have with humans and with their surroundings. We’ll prepare you for a career maintaining and nurturing tomorrow’s forest lands against threats like uncontrolled fire and pest migration.

The Forestry/Wildlife Management emphasis area is offered at our Scottsbluff campus. This two-year program will give you the background you’ll need to be able to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the fields of forestry and/or wildlife management.

Award Types

Associate of Science in Forestry / Wildlife Management (Pre)

About the Program

Program Objectives

Provide a basic understanding of the life processes while affording the opportunity to become better acquainted with the natural world.
Stimulate interest in the biological sciences as a possible career goal.
Provide the necessary knowledge, understanding, and techniques to better manage and conserve the environment.
Instill a sense of appreciation for the often-unseen beauty in the living world.
Teach the fundamental techniques necessary to employ the scientific method in further research in the biological sciences.
Make the student aware of the importance of a career focused on the care and management of our renewable resources.
Provide an educational experience allowing the student to complete the transition to a four-year college or university with relative ease.

Curriculum

Career Opportunities

A Pre-Forestry/Wildlife Management degree at WNCC will give you the foundation you need to transfer and pursue a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year college or university. Opportunities in this field are abundant, and can be found having an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree. Some of these exciting, in-demand pathways include timber conservation, forest procurement and operations, forest fire control, forest recreation, wildlife management, habitat restoration, fish and wildlife law enforcement.

This is a career where only a portion of your time will be spent behind a desk completing reports on your research and observations. The rest of your time will be spent gathering information from the flora and fauna in your care. This job can be physical and you will be required to hike to different locations. You will need to be detail-oriented and enjoy working alone or in small or large groups, depending on the task. Careers are typically with non-profits, government, or businesses with interests in forestry, soil science, and/or wildlife. Enjoy having a well-paying career that gives you independence while working outdoors to improve the conditions of our forests and wildlife.

For more information on any of these career options, contact Career Pathways & Advising at pathways@wncc.edu .

Program Contact Information