Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

South Dakota’s premier wildlife and fisheries sciences program

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences holds a local, national, and international reputation for excellence. Our department is the only university program in South Dakota where students can receive B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in wildlife and fisheries sciences. All students learn and grow under the guidance of our respected faculty.

Our faculty members take great pride in working with students in the field. From capturing and marking mountain lions for study, to monitoring dozens of species of fish and birds, to many other ongoing research efforts taking place in hundreds of streams, rivers, fields, forests, and landscapes in the Midwest and beyond, our students have endless opportunities to get involved.

Degrees from our program provide students the knowledge they need to manage habitats, organisms, and the human element as it applies to fisheries and wildlife systems. Our graduates are prepared to manage sport fishes and wildlife, as well as nongame species and threatened or endangered animals.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences course of study allows undergraduates to obtain certification from the American Fisheries Society (click here for the Dakota Chapter) and The Wildlife Society. In addition, our master’s and doctoral students conduct their own original research as they complete their advanced degrees.