New Master of Wildlife Biology program receives approval for Fall 2023

The College of Biological Science and Department of Integrative Biology are pleased to announce the new Master of Wildlife Biology, a one-year, course-based program designed to help prepare students for careers in government, not-for-profit, environmental consulting, education and industry.

The program is flexible, individualized and hands-on. Students spend more than 80 hours in workshops, seminars and skills training and can choose either an experiential practicum at a wildlife rehabilitation centre, government unit, industry or consulting group or they may be able to complete a major research project.

“This is a unique program in Canada,” says Sherri Cox, the program director, wildlife veterinarian and assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology. “In only a year, we train students on the knowledge and skills they’ll need to solve some of the important and pressing problems facing society, wildlife and ecosystems today.”

Students can choose to specialize in biomonitoring, which focuses on the observation and assessment of the state of species and ecosystems over time; wildlife rehabilitation, which focuses on the care and management of orphaned, hurt or impaired fauna to restore their health and increase their chances of surviving in the wild; or wildlife conservation, which focuses on the strategies and tools for preserving biodiversity at multiple scales and in a context of rapid environmental changes.

In all three fields of specialization, students learn to become wildlife professionals who can conduct independent inquiry, evaluate different perspectives, communicate with stakeholders, lead projects and ultimately apply their knowledge and skills to make ethical and evidence-based decisions in support of wildlife.

The Master of Wildlife Biology program received approval from the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance at the end of March.

The program is open to international and domestic students. The deadline for applications is April 15, but the committee with continue to consider exceptional domestic candidates until Sept. 9.