Courses & certificate program

ACL faculty teach the following graduate and undergraduate courses at Northern Arizona University. The central focus of these courses is to provide students with hands-on professional experiences in areas ranging from research design and data collection to sociological and cultural factors influencing management practices. Several of these courses take place in conjunction with Field Experience in Conservation Biology, a four-month academic program that takes students outside the classroom and into the field both in the American Southwest and abroad. The program has taken students to Western Pacific Ocean islands and will next venture to Namibia.

BIO 467/567 familiarizes students with the ecology of marine intertidal and terrestrial species that characterize Western Pacific ecosystems. This course enhances understanding of ecological theories and paradigms used to understand island biogeography and population dynamics in isolated and fragmented ecosystems and familiarizes students with experimental and analytical techniques used in modern ecological research.

BIO 468/568 familiarizes students with the customs socioeconomic issues regulations and laws that affect the conservation of threatened and endangered species in national and international contexts. The course involves students directly in current conservation challenges in tropical island ecosystems.

BIO 469 allows students to improve their statistical analysis skills with ecological datasets and learn effective ways to communicate complex scientific information to both popular and professional audiences. This course emphasizes quantitative approaches graphical representation and science writing.

BIO 485 takes students into the field to work alongside wildlife professionals to conduct research related to imperiled terrestrial and marine wildlife species. Students learn sampling and monitoring techniques animal handling and tracking and ecological data analysis best practices. This course which is structured as an internship emphasizes the design and execution of novel research and the research findings are presented by the students in a public professional forum.

Undergraduate Certificate in Conservation Biology

The Undergraduate Certificate in Conservation Biology offered at Northern Arizona University demonstrates that holders have the knowledge and skills that qualify them and make them competitive for jobs with government agencies and other organizations involved in natural resource conservation. Combined, the courses listed above fulfill a significant portion of the requirements for the certificate.