Becoming a Wildlife Officer

May 20, 2021

Question: I’m starting college in the fall and am ultimately interested in becoming a wildlife officer. What’s the best degree to earn that will help me qualify for the job?

Answer: Thank you for your question! Before you start your education journey and before you apply, it is important to understand we have certain minimum qualifications for education that must be met.

You must have a total of 60 semester units of college (no degree required). Within those 60 semester units, you must have 18 semester units in the biological sciences, police science or law enforcement, natural resources conservation, ecology or other “related” fields. This 18 semester unit requirement does not have to be your degree field and the units needed to fulfill this requirement can be taken from your general education or from other accredited college classes you have taken. Students who have 30 semester units of college and have 18 semester units completed (within the 30 units), in the required or related fields, can apply. You must complete the remaining 30 semester units during the hiring process before you are hired.

CDFW has determined that “related fields” include, but are not limited to: animal science, botany, chemistry, conservation, ecology, entomology, environmental management, environmental science, environmental studies, fisheries or wildlife management, forestry, geography, geology, herpetology, life science, mammalogy, marine biology, natural resources, oceanography, ornithology, physics, psychology, plant taxonomy, water quality management, wilderness survival and zoology.

So, to answer your original question:

If you meet the above requirements, study what you love. Earning a two-year or four-year degree is not mandatory but would potentially make you a more competitive applicant. Our wildlife officers frequently follow the obvious courses of study such as criminal justice, wildlife biology or environmental studies, but we also have an English major wildlife officer who has taught report writing at our Academy for many years and a former chemistry major who worked as a chemist before he became a wildlife officer. Now he specializes in criminal pollution investigations. There are many other examples where a wildlife officer’s educational background or personal area of expertise is applicable to our work. Those with excellent computer skills have proven to be a valuable resource in investigating internet wildlife trafficking, or poaching crimes that were discovered when a suspect posted their violation or tried to sell the poached wildlife online. We hope you continue to pursue your educational and career goals of wildlife law enforcement and someday bring your unique talents to our Law Enforcement Division. If you are interested in becoming a wildlife officer, you must turn in your application prior to July 31, 2021, in order to be considered for the next hiring cycle. Please contact our LED recruiter, Lt. Perry Schultz, at [email protected] for further information.