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Program Details

Graduate Program: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (PHD)

General Information

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Program/Degree
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (PHD)  
Program Description

The graduate program provides research training in ecology and evolutionary biology with areas of strength in biological diversity, evolutionary history and mechanisms, community structure, ecological interactions, behavior, development and mathematical biology.

 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

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

College of Science

 
Campus where offered

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Pennie Rabago-Liebig
520-621-9328
Graduate Program Coordinator
Pennie Rabago-Liebig
520-621-9328
Director of Graduate Studies
Jeremiah D Hackett
520-621-7514
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Annie Prisbrey
520-621-0119
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

Statement of purpose
Curriculum vitae
Transcripts
Three Letters of Recommendation

Any additional information that will strengthen the application.

 
Standardized Tests

Required English Proficiency Tests for International Students (please review the Graduate College's International Admission Requirements by Country: https://grad.arizona.edu/tools/intladmissionsreqs/)

Minimum TOEFL: 79 (internet based) 
Minimum IELTS: Composite of 7 (no subject lower than 6)

For funding as a Teaching Assistant:
Minimum TOEFL speaking score: 24   
Minimum total IELTS score: 7.5

Please see the Graduate College's policy about other acceptable English Proficiency credentials:  https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency

GREs are not required, but potential advisors may recommend.

 
Funding Opportunities

Teaching and Research Assistantships
Graduate College Fellowship
UA and CONACyT Fellowship for Mexican Doctoral Students (https://grad.arizona.edu/funding/opportunities/ua-and-conacyt-fellowship-mexican-doctoral-students)
Please also see Graduate College website on Financial Resources (https://grad.arizona.edu/funding)

 
Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

  • Fall: December 10, 2020

International Applicants:

  • Fall: December 10, 2020
 
International Conditional Admission

International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

NRC Taxon(a) for this program: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

63 

Core Coursework Requirements

Minimum credits for Major: 36
Minimum credits for Minor: 9
Minimum credits for dissertation: 18

First semester: Two internships/rotations, Internship Presentation and Planning, and Fundamentals in Ecology
ECOL 610A - Research in Ecology and Evolution, 1 unit, minimum grade required: C
ECOL 610B - Research in Ecology and Evolution, 1 unit, minmum grade required: C
ECOL 610C - Internship Presentation and Planning, 1 unit, minimum grade required: C
ECOL 600B - Fundamentals of Ecology, 3 units, minimum grade required: C

Second semester: A third internship, a second term of Internship course, and Fundamentals of Evolution
ECOL 610A - Research in Ecology and Evolution, 1 unit, minimum grade required: C
ECOL 610C - Internship Presentation and Planning, 1 unit, minimum grade required: C
ECOL 600A - Fundamentals of Evolution, 3 units, minimum grade required: C

Four semesters of the departmental seminar, preferrably completed during the first 4 semesters
ECOL 596B - Population Biology, 1 unit (repeated 4 times), minimum grade required: C 

18 units of Dissertation
ECOL 920 - Dissertation, 1-9 units allowed per semester

 
Elective Coursework

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 coures 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. 

 
Additional Requirements
  • First year students must select a Guidance Committee comprised of at least 3 members* (2 members must be from EEB).
  • During the first year, students meet with the Guidance Committee to complete the Qualifying Exam and Provisional Plan of Study.
  • Two of the three internship rotations required during the first year must be with EEB faculty.
  • Doctoral Committee is selected during the second year and must comprise of at least 4 faculty members* - 3 for the major and 1 for the minor.  At least two for the major must be core EEB faculty.
  • Beginning in the second year, students must meet with their Dissertation Committee.
  • Beginning in the second year, students must present a research seminar in the departmental noon seminar.
  • Serve as a half-time (0.5 FTE) Graduate Teaching Assistant for at least two semester.

* Faculty members must be tenure / tenure-track / tenure-equivalent faculty.

 
Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program

Doctoral students are required to have a minor.  Students can minor in EEB or any other minor of their choice.  Students are subjected to the minor requirements set by the minor department.  

 

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

Program-level Information
Application Acceptance Rate 18%
Med. Time-to-degree (years) 6.00
 
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male 54.05%
Enrollment Percent Female 45.95%
Enrollment Percent International 29.73%
Enrollment Percent URM 10.81%

Back to statistics
  • All application, admit, and enrollment data are from Fall 2020.
  • Median Time to Degree calculates how long graduates in the last 5 years (2015-2019) took to complete their degrees, counting back to the first semester entering their program.
  • Underrepresented Minorities (URM) includes domestic students of ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

Persistent link: https://grad.arizona.edu/catalog/programinfo/ECOLPHD
Last revised 22 Nov 2020
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