Values underlie our attitudes, and attitudes in turn might predict our behavior. While values cannot be observed directly, value orientations are more numerous
and may be seen as an expression of values. This study examined value orientations among prospective forest, nature and wildlife management professionals in Denmark – that is students at five MSc study programs at the University of Copenhagen enabling them to a professional career. We focused on value orientations towards wildlife and used a US developed survey instrument on Wildlife Value Orientation types (‘utilitarian’, ‘mutualist’, ‘pluralist’, ‘distanced’) delivered via an Internet-based questionnaire in 2018 (n = 180). The majority of prospective management (and policy) professionals were mutualists as general orientation. However, Forest and Nature Management respondents were more utilitarian than other study programs, and females among the five study programs were more mutualist oriented than males. As a whole, prospective professionals were more mutualist oriented than etakeholders such as hunters and landowners (found to be notably utilitarian) and more mutualist oriented compared to members of the general public (found to be especially distanced). Information about forest, nature and wildlife management professionals’ value orientations can be used to check on, or anticipate potential differences in value orientation viz a viz stakeholders and the public in general. Whether professionals or the public should adjust their values is an open question. Nevertheless, knowledge about value orientations can be helpful in improving communication and limit potential conflicts. Future studies should explore value orientations of accomplished forest, nature and wildlife management professionals.