Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences

Overview
Program Outcomes
Program Outcomes for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Placement Requirements

Overview

If you have a love for the great outdoors and an interest in biology and wildlife, consider earning a certificate or an associate degree in Fisheries & Aquaculture Science at Bellingham Technical College. You can prepare for a rewarding career as a fish hatchery specialist, fish culturist, fisheries technician, shellfish hatchery worker, scientific aide, water quality technician, or habitat restoration specialist. In BTC’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Science programs, you’ll learn top skills such as fish culture, aquaculture, and fish spawning that will position you for the best aquatic science jobs in the fisheries industry. The Fisheries & Aquaculture hands-on classes take place in the classroom as well as at the Whatcom Creek Hatchery at the Maritime Heritage Park in Bellingham, which is operated by Bellingham Technical College’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Science program. If you are interested in a tour of the Perry Center, please sign up at www.btc.edu/fisheriestour. If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled tours, please contact the Admissions department at admissions@btc.edu to schedule a separate tour.

Program Outcomes

After successfully completing this program, students will be able to:

Demonstrate competency in hatchery methods and apply appropriate techniques to spawn, incubate, rear and release fish.
Utilize proper tools, equipment and protective devices to safeguard against injury to self, others and workplace facilities.
Act responsibly and ethically as an employee by being punctual, adhering to company policies and interacting positively and appropriately with co-workers and supervisors.
Receive, interpret, and convey written, verbal, and graphic information to communicate effectively with co-workers, management and the general public.
Compute, calculate, and convert standard and metric measurements for purposes of disease treatment and prevention, and the rearing of fish.
Observe and comply with environmental laws and regulations related to the rearing of fish and the use and disposal of chemicals and drugs.
Use current and emerging computerized systems or software to operate equipment, calculate results, keep records, and enter data on proper forms and records.
Identify industry workshops, conferences, and research, to stay current with new and emerging equipment and techniques.

Program Outcomes for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Demonstrate competency in hatchery methods and apply appropriate techniques to spawn, incubate, rear and release fish.
Utilize proper tools, equipment and protective devices to safeguard against injury to self, others and workplace facilities.
Act responsibly and ethically as an employee by being punctual, adhering to company policies and interacting positively and appropriately with co-workers and supervisors.
Receive, interpret, and convey written, verbal, and graphic information to communicate effectively with co-workers, management and the general public.
Compute, calculate, and convert standard and metric measurements for purposes of disease treatment and prevention, and the rearing of fish.
Observe and comply with environmental laws and regulations related to the rearing of fish and the use and disposal of chemicals and drugs.
Use current and emerging computerized systems or software to operate equipment, calculate results, keep records, and enter data on proper forms and records.
Demonstrate competency in biological studies and apply appropriate techniques to conduct studies and sample data.
Demonstrate competency in Habitat Restoration evaluation methods and apply techniques to improve and restore habitat.
Demonstrate competency in field research, stream surveys, tag studies, spawning assessments, and smolt trap projects.
Sample scales, otoliths, water quality, migrating smolts, and spawning adults in the field.

Placement Requirements

Admissions application and assessment testing in Reading, Math, and Sentence Skills are required. Your score on the test and/or your previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence. Contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with academic planning.

Degree and Certificate Requirements for Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences

Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences AAS Degree and Certificate completion requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. AAS-T Degree requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and minimum grade of C/2.0 for all General Education courses.

Degree and Certificate Requirements for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences AAS-T Degree requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and minimum grade of C/2.0 for all General Education courses.

Programs

Associate of Applied Science

Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences, AAS

Associate of Applied Science - Transfer

Certificate