The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) major is offered through the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Faculty based in EEOB and other associated departments offer courses and direct research leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
The EEB major is designed for students interested in the study of mechanisms controlling the composition, structure, and functional processes of ecological systems and the mechanisms that regulate the pattern and rate of evolutionary change within and among species. Applicants should have completed an undergraduate or master of science or arts degree in one of the biological, physical, or mathematical sciences. Applicants also should have taken undergraduate courses in both basic ecology and evolution.
The EEB curriculum includes a core course and seminar courses. Cooperating departments provide courses and research opportunities in the following areas:
Conservation and Restoration Ecology
Quantitative Ecology and Evolution
Evolutionary Ecology
Landscape Ecology, Modeling, and Spatial Dynamics
Natural Resources Ecology and Management
Physiological and Behavioral Ecology
Population, Community, and Ecosystems Ecology
Population, Quantitative, and Evolutionary Genetics
Systematics, biodiversity, and biogeography
In addition, offerings are available in the ethics and practice of research in the biological sciences as well as in science communication (both written and oral).
Students majoring in EEB are trained for careers focused on basic or applied ecology and evolutionary biology in a variety of settings, including academia, government, industry, and private organizations. Graduates have a broad understanding of ecology and evolutionary biology, experience designing and conducting research, writing grant proposals, and communicating effectively with scientific colleagues at meetings and through publications.
Information on admission procedures, academic requirements, and faculty research areas is available on the EEB website.
Courses
Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduates:
Credits: 4.
Prereq: Graduate Standing or Permission of Instructor
Introduction to key figures and ideas that have shaped the development of ecology and evolutionary biology. Covers major developments in ecology and evolutionary biology at five levels of biological organization: Genome, Organism, Population, Community, and Ecosystem. Impacts of these developments on current approaches to investigation and argument formulation. Effects of technological advances on the direction of scientific investigations. Introduction to analytical skills important for critical thinking in ecology and evolutionary biology and the impact of accepted lines of scientific reasoning on the objectives and conduct of research, such as explanation and prediction, design of studies as experimentation, and structured or unstructured observation.
(Typically Offered: Fall)
Credits: 1. Repeatable.
Prereq: Graduate Standing or Permission of Instructor
Extended field trip to study major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Location and duration vary. Report required.
(Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer)
Credits: 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Instructor Permission for Course
For students wishing to conduct in-depth study of a particular topic in ecology and evolutionary biology.
(Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer)
Courses for graduate students:
Credits: 1. Contact Hours: Lecture 1.
Repeatable.
Reports and discussion of recent research and literature. (Typically Offered: Fall, Spring)
Credits: 1-30. Repeatable.
Prereq: Department Permission for Course
Thesis and dissertation research.
(Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer)