Courses of Study 2024-2025 
    
    Oct 06, 2024  
Courses of Study 2024-2025

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology


In the Biological Sciences program .


In addition to the concentration requirements outlined below, all students must complete the Biological Sciences foundation requirements:

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Ecologists study the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of those interactions for individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. Evolutionary biologists study the history of organisms and the processes that have resulted in adaptation, phenotypic variation, and biotic diversity. Ecology and evolutionary biology are interdependent fields that both rely on a deep understanding of the diversity of organisms, their physiology and anatomy, and how they are modified through natural selection, which is why biodiversity/organismal biology is the third pillar of our curriculum.

Learning in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (E&EB) concentration is not confined to the classroom and lab. In Field Ecology, for example, students spend one afternoon each week in the fields, forests, and ponds of the area, investigating animals and plants by observation and experiment. Many of our courses (e.g. Field Ecology, Ichthyology, Ornithology, Limnology, Stream Ecology) include field trips and short field-based student projects. E&EB students can also earn credit for off-campus field courses, such as courses at Shoals Marine Lab and through the Organization for Tropical Studies. Hands-on laboratory work is a basic feature of many courses. Quantitative methods are used in laboratory and field research and in theoretical studies, and molecular biology has become crucial in all areas of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell has greatly enhanced our understanding of natural ecosystems, and how ecosystems are changing in response to the major global challenges in the Anthropocene: climate change, biodiversity loss, emerging infectious diseases, and providing food for an ever-increasing human population. Students have many opportunities to participate in original field- and lab-based research, either as a member of a research team or independently under the guidance of a faculty member. In addition, students can receive credit for research in E&EB through BIOG 2990  (Introduction to Research Methods in Biology) and BIOG 4990  (Independent Undergraduate Research in Biology). 

Graduates from this concentration have entered a wide variety of careers. Many go on to graduate school in ecology or evolutionary biology. Others take jobs with government agencies doing conservation work, management, or environmental education, or with non-governmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy or World Wildlife Fund. Students have also used their backgrounds to enter careers in environmental law, journalism, medicine, and business.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Requirements


  • All requirements must be taken for letter grade unless the course is offered S/U only. Exceptions to the grading option and any course substitutions must be approved via the biological sciences petition. Students are encouraged to discuss exceptions and course substitutions with their faculty advisor prior to submitting petition.
  • A grade of D- or better must be obtained to count the course for concentration.
  • A minimum of 13 credits of concentration requirements.

In addition to BIOEE 1780  (A Biological Sciences major requirement), Ecology and Evolutionary Biology concentrators must take BIOEE 1610  or BIOSM 1610  as one of the courses used to fulfill the core course requirement for the Biology major. The E&EB curriculum is organized into three categories, representing the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Biodiversity pillars of the program. In addition, courses are categorized as A) Core courses (Advanced Fundamentals), which provide a broad exposure to several sub-disciplines within one field or comprehensively cover one core discipline, B) Electives (specialized) courses, which allow specialization in various subfields, and C) Field and Laboratory courses.

To meet E&EB concentration requirements, students must take:

  • at least one Core course in Ecology
  • at least one Core course in Evolutionary Biology
  • at least one Core course in Biodiversity (Organismal Biology)
  • at least one course that provides field or laboratory experience.
  • additional courses of any category to meet specific interests and career plans up to at least 13 credits total

Note:


BIOG 4990 can be used for up to three of the total 13 credits, with the approval of the faculty advisor, and if the research has a substantial ecology, evolutionary biology, or biodiversity/organismal biology component. It cannot be used to fulfill the field/lab requirement. Students can receive credit for research in E&EB through BIOG 2990 (Introduction to Research Methods in Biology) and BIOG 4990 (Independent Undergraduate Research in Biology).

A. Core Courses (Advanced Fundamentals)


Note:


Students can fulfill their field and laboratory course requirements with a diversity of off-campus opportunities, including: 

a. Courses at the Shoals Marine Laboratory (BIOSM).

b. Courses offered by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) Undergraduate Semester Abroad Program (3 credits each for Fundamentals in Tropical Biology and Field Research in Tropical Biology for a total of 6 credits).

c. Any other field course, with approval from their academic advisor and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Course Offerings in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology


A complete list of BIOEE courses