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The Accelerated Master's Program allows students to receive a BS and MS degree in 5 years. During the first three years, the student will enroll in undergraduate courses. During the fourth year, or the transitional year, the student is eligible to take graduate level courses that will apply to both the BS degree and MS degree. During the fifth year, the student will formally be admitted to the Graduate College and will be considered a graduate student and will complete the remaining units and thesis. The Accelerated Master's Program is only available for current University of Arizona students who are working towards a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. No other major, including Biology, or BA tracks qualify for the program.
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Founded in 1975, EEB was the first department of its kind in the world and is increasingly being used as a model for the organization of biology in the world’s leading universities. Our goal is to lead undergraduates, graduate students, our faculty, and the biological community worldwide on a mission of discovery of the nature and principles underlying ecological and evolutionary systems. Our unifying theme is biodiversity and biodiversification (the processes which create and maintain biodiversity).
On campus, we are the primary home of basic ecological and evolutionary education and research. We study the diversity of life in an integrative evolutionary framework, considering all levels in the biological hierarchy: genes, cells, organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems. This diversity carries over into our work environments beyond the lab. We work in a variety of habitats including the local desert and mountain systems extending into Mexico, the Sea of Cortez and Costa Rica.
Our Mission
Discover and teach the principles underlying biological diversity through instruction, research, and outreach. We are excited about building an inclusive and diverse environment for research, education and service. We believe that is the path to achieving the full potential of our institution and the people who make it what it is.
College of Science
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
1. Must have completed, or currently enrolled at the time of application, the following main EEB courses:
2) Must have a Major Advisor identified. The Major Advisor must be a core faculty member of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
3) Must have a 3.3 GPA at the time of application and at the time of entrance as a graduate student.
N/A
During the fourth year, the student is still considered an undergraduate and is eligible for any funding opportunities for undergraduates.
During the fifth year, the student will be considered a graduate student is eligible for any funding available to master students.
When students are accepted into the master's program, they are are not offered financial support by the department. Teaching assistantships are offered to master's students when available. Research assistantships are offered at the discretion of the faculty member.
Applications should be submitted during the student's third (junior) year. Application deadline is December 1 (each year). Late applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the EEB Graduate Coordinator for more information and to obtain the Application Authorization Code.
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
4832
30
Students must complete at least 30 units for a MS degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. At least 15 of the 30 units must be graded units and at least 24 must be non-thesis units. All master students are required to complete at least 1 thesis unit (ECOL 910) in order to earn a thesis MS degree. It is expected that course work will consist of ECOL home courses.
Required Courses
ECOL 910 - Thesis, 1-6 units. At least one unit must be completed, but no more than 6 units can be included on an official Plan of Study.
Students must fill the remaining 24 - 29 units from the Elective Courses listed below.
Per the Graduate College's requirements for the official Plan of Study, a minimum grade of C for each course is required (assuming the student's overall GPA remains 3.0 or higher, per Graduate College requirements).
Strongly recommended courses:
ECOL 600A - Fundamentals in Evolution, 3 units
ECOL 600B - Fundamentals in Ecology, 3 units
Other Elective Courses:
ECOL 506R - Conservation Biology, 3 units
ECOL 526 - Population Genetics, 3 units
ECOL 553 - Functional and Evolutionary Genomics, 4 units
ECOL 572 - Systematic Botany, 4 units
ECOL 573 - Topics in Behavioral Ecology, 3 units
ECOL 575 - Freshwater and Marine Algae, 4 units
ECOL 578 - Global Change, 3 units
ECOL 580 - Mathematical Models in Biology, 3 units
ECOL 582 - Ichthyology, 4 units
ECOL 583 - Herpetology, 4 units
ECOL 584 - Ornithology, 4 units
ECOL 585 - Mammalogy, 4 units
ECOL 586 - Biological Scaling, 2-3 units
ECOl 587R/587L - Animal Behavior Lecture/Lab, 3 units/1 unit
ECOL 596A - Evolutionary Ecology, 2 units
ECOL 596B - Population Biology, 1 unit
ECOL 596I - Biology of Introduced and Invasive Species, 2 units
ECOL 596J - Plant Population Ecology, 2-3 units
ECOL 596W - Special Topics in Ecology and Evolution A, 1-3 units
ECOL 596X - Special Topics in Ecology and Evolution B, 1-3 units
ECOL 900 - Research, 1-8 units
Additional courses within EEB are eligible to meet the coursework requirement upon approval of the major faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Cross-listed courses and transfer credits will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
This is an Accelerated Master's Program (AMP).
The Graduate College offers exceptional undergraduate students in selected majors the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in as few as 5 years. The Accelerated Master's Program is for the top undergraduates in participating majors who plan to continue in a graduate program in the same, or closely related, UA discipline.
Programs will select from among a qualified pool, based on the following criteria. Individual programs may have more stringent or additional requirements: