Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources in West Lafayette is one of Indiana's top choices for students to acquire a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in forestry, wildlife or natural resources. Classes cover all aspects of managing wildlife and natural resourses as well courses in understanding and managing urban and other forests. Graduates can continue on and acquire a master's degree in their related field or find employment, often in the government sector, in monitoring wetlands and in urban forestry and wildlife management.
Biology students at Ball State University in Muncie have the option to focus their degree on wildlife biology, forestry and conservation of natural resources. Ball State also offers graduate programs in these areas as well as a doctorate in environmental science. Forestry and conservation students can expect to intern in their specific fields and can also expect to pursue employment in government agencies as soil or forestry conservationists, controlling air pollution and becoming arborists or biologists for privately or publicly-owned businesses.
Indiana University Bloomington offers Bachelor's, Master's and a Doctorate in Environmental Sciences. Students study such issues as ecosystems, natural resources, disasters and how to overcome or alleviate them -- as well as the local and global effects of climate change. Students have the option of focusing strictly on the environmental angle or a collaborative degree with different disciplines such as biology or other sciences.
A bachelor's or higher degree is an extremely important qualification -- but other considerations for people interested in wildlife, forestry and conservation is the ability to enjoy working outdoors and to be prepared for physical exertion and possible relocation for work.