Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wander through the wilderness to find and protect endangered species? What if that could be your job? That’s what it means to be a wildlife manager.
Wildlife managers have an interest in the environment, biodiversity, and protecting animals and our natural resources. In order to become one, you need the proper education, experience, attitude and skill set. If you have ever wanted to work with animals, this could be a great career for you!
Hocking College's Wildlife Management Program
The Wildlife program at Hocking College will supply you with all of the education and training you need to become a wildlife manager. The curriculum is experience-based and provides hands-on training with animals in natural settings so that you gain the right skill set.
Students in the Hocking College program actively learn and practice field skills that other management programs simply teach out of a textbook. You will gain a strong conceptual understanding of wildlife management, ecology and conservation in addition to botany and plant identification and natural resources as a whole.
Skills You Will Learn
At Hocking, you will learn a number of diverse skills, including how to identify wildlife, fish and plants, techniques for collecting wildlife field data (including surveying, capturing, radio telemetry, and habitat and population sampling), map reading, watercraft operation and natural resources equipment operation.
The degree in Wildlife Management is designed for students who want employment in fish and wildlife careers. This two-year associate degree helps students get the essential skills they need, in a short amount of time. Students will find that most positions with Ohio county and state parks, as well as the Ohio Division of Wildlife, ask for a two-year wildlife degree.
The program will help you cultivate technical skills and techniques. You'll learn to apply biological knowledge and skills to manage wildlife habitat and populations, collect, analyze and interpret wildlife and fish population data, and communicate scientific research with the public and other natural resource professionals.
You'll also learn to exhibit ethical decision-making in wildlife management, competent leadership and supervisory skills, how to interpret, apply and communicate natural resource law and policy and how to calculate wildlife habitat and population data.
Benefits of a Two-Year Program
With a two-year program, you can complete your full course of study in a condensed time so you are prepared to move into a career and start earning money. This is hugely beneficial over longer programs because you don’t have to devote as much time or as many resources to your education. This means you can jumpstart your career right away.
Career Outlook for Wildlife Managers
One of the main career positions for wildlife managers is as a Game Warden. This position has a median salary of $52,800, and there are expected to be 6,300 Game Warden positions open by 2024. It’s the perfect time to start getting the training you need to move into this field!
Hocking College offers an excellent program in Wildlife Resources Management that can help fast-track you on the career of your dreams. You’ll earn all of the education and expertise that you need to secure a great job, and you’ll be finished with school in just two years.
Check out the full website for more details on the program and speak with a staff member for information about getting started with your application!
