About Wildlife Biology Degrees Online

Distance learning is vastly becoming the education method of choice for students and institutions alike.  Many biology courses are available online at local colleges and universities, but labs are still on-campus.  Wildlife biology is a specialized degree program not offered in every area but you can attend most of the classes online.

Colleges

There are only a handful of colleges and universities offering completely online degrees in wildlife biology.  Oregon State University is one of the pioneers by offering an accredited Bachelor of Science degree specifically for wildlife biology.  Be sure the college you choose is accredited.  Although this college offers an online program, it works with other state’s colleges to accept credits in courses that are not offered online.

Work

Most wildlife biologists also study fisheries.  Jobs are available at different state run Departments of Natural Resources.  Other work is available in conservation, ecosystem restoration projects, and wildlife management. 

Drawbacks

Some classes in biology and other required sciences include a hands-on lab practical.  This means that when you take biology I, you will earn three or four credits for the biology lecture, and one to two credits for the lab portion of the class.  Students participate by performing lab experiments and collecting real world data to understand the materials and concepts in science classes. 

BS vs. BA

Apply for the Bachelors of Science (BS) in biology as opposed to the Bachelors of Arts (BA) offered by some online schools.  The difference is huge in the world of biology.  The Bachelors of Arts can often be earned without laboratory credits, but biologists with a BA degree often have difficulty securing work as a wildlife biologist, and may need to eventually earn the BS to attend graduate school in biology.