The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with a major in in wildlife ecology is a thesis-based degree with an emphasis on the application of ecological principles to studies in the fields of wildlife ecology and natural resource management.Wildlife ecology has grown as an area of study and concern and is now a major factor determining land/water use, wildlife populations, and recreation in the United States. Wildlife issues are no longer confined to hunting, fishing, and agricultural pursuits, but rather encompass much larger issues pertaining to energy sources, urban and suburban development, overpopulation of some species, threatened and endangered species, water use and availability, and coastal development. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in Central Texas.