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Wildlife health specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a wildlife health specialist. Wildlife health specialists usually study biology, environmental science, or wildlife management. 72% of wildlife health specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 184 real wildlife health specialist resumes to see exactly what wildlife health specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for wildlife health specialists are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

There are also many online wildlife health specialist courses to help get the education required to be a wildlife health specialist.

What education do you need to become a wildlife health specialist?

What degree do you need to be a wildlife health specialist?

The most common degree for wildlife health specialists is bachelor's degree, with 72% of wildlife health specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Associate, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 10%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a wildlife health specialist?

You should major in biology to become a wildlife health specialist. 23% of wildlife health specialists major in biology. Other common majors for a wildlife health specialist include environmental science and wildlife management.

Most common colleges for wildlife health specialists

Wildlife health specialists often get their degrees at Purdue University, Florida Institute of Technology, and Washington State University. Here are the most common colleges for wildlife health specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Wildlife health specialist common collegePercentages
Purdue University9.38%
Florida Institute of Technology6.25%
Washington State University6.25%
Western Kentucky University6.25%
University of North Carolina at Wilmington6.25%

Best majors for wildlife health specialists

Best colleges for wildlife health specialists

The best colleges for wildlife health specialists are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A wildlife health specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for wildlife health specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become wildlife health specialists.

1. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

20 best online courses for wildlife health specialists

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1. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice

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5. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2

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This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...

6. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health

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The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...

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Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...

9. Leadership for Public Health Crises

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Leadership for Public Health Crises will enable current and prospective managers, directors, unit heads, and elected officials to effectively lead their organizational response to profound health-related emergencies and to build leadership capacity across multiple sectors, agencies, organizations, and divisions. This series of courses prepares graduate students (in, e.g., public administration, public health, social work, business, homeland security, education, and related fields) and...

10. Epidemiology in Public Health Practice

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This specialization is intended for people working or aspiring to work in the field of public health at the local, regional, and national level. Over five courses taught by faculty from the preeminent school of public health, you'll learn to use the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyze data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics...

11. Population Health: Governance

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How can we organise care in such a way that we optimize experience, quality and costs? What type of governance is needed? And how should healthcare organisations collaborate? These are central questions in this course. In answering them, we depart from a recognition of the impact of three crucial global shifts in health care governance: 1) the change in focus from cure to population health, 2) the increased attention to social determinants of health, and 3) the stronger involvement of...

12. Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach

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Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...

13. Foundations of Public Health Practice

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This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds...

14. Hypothesis Testing in Public Health

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Biostatistics is an essential skill for every public health researcher because it provides a set of precise methods for extracting meaningful conclusions from data. In this second course of the Biostatistics in Public Health Specialization, you'll learn to evaluate sample variability and apply statistical hypothesis testing methods. Along the way, you'll perform calculations and interpret real-world data from the published scientific literature. Topics include sample statistics, the central...

15. Biostatistics in Public Health

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16. Qualitative Research Design and Methods for Public Health

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This specialization will enable public health professionals and researchers to design effective qualitative studies addressing a range of public health issues, select and implement appropriate qualitative methods to meet their study's objectives, and generate and analyze qualitative data...

17. Impacts of the Environment on Global Public Health

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In this specialization, you will explore how many public health outcomes are directly influenced by human contact with the environment. The four courses in this series will introduce you to the environmental health sciences (EHS) discipline; you'll examine the hazards of air pollution, water pollution, solid and hazardous waste, radon, and noise; identify the major challenges posed by climate change and unsustainable practices; and use risk assessment to evaluate the health of population,...

18. Participatory Approaches in Public Health

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This specialisation guides learners through the process of designing an appropriate participatory approach to a given public health challenge, focusing on the history, theory and practice of participatory approaches to public health. You'll gain an understanding of the impact of social and cultural contexts in which public health programmes exist, as well as, why participatory approaches could better assist in meeting the population’s needs and solving certain health-related challenges...

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20. Introduction to Digital health

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Top 10 most affordable universities for wildlife health specialists

The most affordable schools for wildlife health specialists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for wildlife health specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for wildlife health specialists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wildlife health specialists

The hardest universities for wildlife health specialists to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for wildlife health specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for wildlife health specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wildlife health specialists

The easiest schools for wildlife health specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, curry college, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wildlife health specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for wildlife health specialists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average wildlife health specialist salary by education level

Wildlife health specialists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $52,208 annually. With a Master's degree, wildlife health specialists earn a median annual income of $45,838 compared to $42,241 for wildlife health specialists with an Bachelor's degree.
Wildlife health specialist education levelWildlife health specialist salary
Master's Degree$45,838
Bachelor's Degree$42,241
Doctorate Degree$52,208

Wildlife health specialist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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