Ecology and Evolutionary Biology courses
Director of undergraduate studies: Thomas Near, 370A ESC, 432-3002, karen.broderick@yale.edu
FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
Professors Leo Buss, †Peter Crane, Michael Donoghue, †Vivian Irish, †Kenneth Kidd, Nancy Moran, Howard Ochman, Jeffrey Powell, Richard Prum, †Eric Sargis, †Oswald Schmitz, †David Skelly, Stephen Stearns, Paul Turner (Chair), J. Rimas Vaišnys, Günter Wagner
Associate Professors Suzanne Alonzo, Walter Jetz, Thomas Near, David Post
Assistant Professors Antonia Monteiro, Jeffrey Townsend, David Vasseur
Senior Lecturer Marta Martínez Wells
Lecturers Gisella Caccone, Mary Beth Decker
†A joint appointment with primary affiliation in another department or school.
The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) offers broad education in the biological sciences. The subject matter includes molecules, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems and the evolutionary processes that shape them. The department offers a B.A. and a B.S. degree. The B.A. program is intended for students who are interested in ecology, evolution, and organismal diversity as part of a liberal education but do not intend to pursue graduate work in the discipline. The B.S. program is designed for students planning to attend medical or veterinary school or to pursue graduate study in ecology and evolutionary biology, other biological disciplines, or the environmental sciences. The two programs share the same prerequisite and core requirements but differ in elective and senior requirements.
Students majoring in EEB select one of two tracks. The requirements for Track 1 emphasize courses appropriate for careers in ecology, evolutionary biology, and environmental science; Track 2 is most appropriate for premedical and preveterinary students because it allows them to use as electives many courses required by medical schools. The EEB major offers opportunities for independent research in both laboratory and field.
Courses for nonmajors Several EEB courses have no college-level prerequisites and are suitable for nonmajors. These include all 100-level offerings as well as 200-level courses that deal with particular organism groups such as fish, mammals, birds, or insects.
Prerequisites The prerequisites for the major are intended to provide core scientific literacy; they include courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The introductory biology sequence BIOL 101, 102, 103, and 104 is required, as is an introductory biology laboratory. Also required are CHEM 112, 113, or 114, 115, or 118, taken with their associated laboratories, and one term of organic chemistry with laboratory. CHEM 124, 125, with 222L, 223L satisfies both chemistry requirements. Two terms of physics are required, PHYS 170, 171 or higher, and one term of mathematics, MATH 115 or higher or STAT 101–106. A different statistics course approved by the director of undergraduate studies may be substituted for the mathematics prerequisite.
Acceleration credit awarded in chemistry, mathematics, and physics, or completion of advanced courses in those departments, is accepted in place of the corresponding prerequisites for the EEB major. Students who have mathematics preparation equivalent to MATH 115 or higher are encouraged to take a statistics course (most often STAT 101–106) and/or additional mathematics courses such as MATH 120, 121, 222, or 225. Because chemistry courses are prerequisite to several EEB courses, students are strongly urged to take general and organic chemistry in the freshman and sophomore years. Students who place out of general chemistry should take organic chemistry during their freshman year. Finishing the prerequisites early allows for a more flexible program in later years.
Placement Students can place out of the introductory biology sequence (BIOL 101, 102, 103, 104) only by means of the biology placement examination administered jointly by the biological science departments, EEB, MB&B, and MCDB. See the EEB departmental Web site and the Freshman Web site for information about the placement examination.
Potential EEB majors are expected to take the mathematics placement test. Those who place above the level of MATH 112 may proceed to prerequisite courses for the EEB major; those who place into MATH 112 must take calculus before other prerequisites. Placement in chemistry courses is arranged by the Chemistry department.
Requirements of the major Beyond the prerequisites, the B.A. requires three lecture courses and one laboratory, for three and one-half course credits. In Track 1, the required courses are E&EB 220, General Ecology; E&EB 225, Evolutionary Biology; and a lecture course and laboratory on organismal diversity chosen from E&EB 246, 247L; 250, 251L; 255, 256L; 257, 258L; 264, 265L; or 272, 273L. Required courses in Track 2 include E&EB 290 and 291L, Comparative Anatomy and laboratory; E&EB <295> (a course in comparative physiology scheduled for fall 2013) or BENG 350, Physiological Systems; and MCDB 300, Biochemistry.
The B.S. requirements are the same as those for the B.A., with the addition of at least two electives, for two course credits, in either Track 1 or Track 2. At least one of the electives must be a lecture or a seminar. Most EEB, MCDB, or MB&B courses numbered 200 or above qualify as electives, as do most research courses and laboratories in a biological sciences department or in the Medical School. Courses from other departments may qualify with permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
Limit on research courses While independent research courses may be taken multiple times for credit, there are restrictions on the number of such courses that can be included in a student's curriculum. See Course Credits and Course Loads in the Academic Regulations.
Substitutions permitted Two upper-level courses in Geology and Geophysics (excluding G&G 125 and 315), Mathematics, Computer Science, or Engineering and Applied Science can be substituted for the required term of organic chemistry and laboratory. The second term of organic chemistry and laboratory and up to two terms of physics laboratories are allowed as electives. Courses from other departments may be also be suitable as electives. All substitutions require the permission of the director of undergraduate studies. College seminars may not be counted toward the requirements of the major.
Senior requirement Students in the B.A. degree program fulfill the senior requirement either by completing one term of independent study in E&EB 470 during the senior year or by writing a senior essay. The senior essay may be related to the subject matter of a course, but the essay is a separate departmental requirement in addition to any work done in a course and does not count toward the grade in any course. Students intending to write a senior essay must obtain an approval form from the office of the director of undergraduate studies and have it signed by the essay adviser before the end of the course selection period. Essays must be submitted to the director of undergraduate studies by the last day of classes.
Students in the B.S. degree program fulfill the senior requirement by completing one term of original research in E&EB 475 or 495 in the senior year. Additional research courses may be taken as electives and may be taken before the senior year, but any research course intended to satisfy the senior requirement must be taken during the senior year.
Credit/D/Fail No course taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the EEB major, including prerequisites.
Advising Freshmen considering a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology are invited to consult with the director of undergraduate studies. After the freshman year, students should choose an adviser from the department faculty who has interests comparable to their own and/or is a fellow of their residential college. For additional information, visit the departmental Web site. The course schedules of all EEB majors (including sophomores intending to major in EEB) must be signed by a faculty member in EEB; the signature of the director of undergraduate studies is not required. Students whose regular adviser is on leave can consult the director of undergraduate studies to arrange for an alternate.
Study abroad Participation in study abroad field programs is encouraged. Credit for such programs may apply toward the major; intereested students should consult the director of undergraduate studies prior to going abroad.
Combined B.S./M.S. degree program Exceptionally able and well-prepared students may accelerate their professional education by completing a course of study leading to the simultaneous award of the B.S. and M.S. degrees after eight terms of enrollment. Completion in fewer than eight terms is not allowed. The requirements are as follows:
- Candidates must satisfy the Yale College requirements for the B.S. degree. In addition to the three lecture courses and one laboratory specified for the standard major, four courses are required, all of which must be graduate-level courses. One of these is a graduate seminar selected with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Students must earn a grade of A or A– in two graduate-level courses and a grade of B or higher in the rest.
- Six credits outside the major must be taken in the last two years, and at least two undergraduate courses in the last two terms.
- In addition to the courses specified above, students must complete two graduate research courses for six course credits: (a) EEB 585, a two-credit course typically taken in the second term of the junior year. At the start of the course, each student forms a committee comprised of the adviser and two faculty members that meets to discuss the research project. Two of the members of this committee must be members of the EEB faculty. At the end of the course, the student completes a detailed prospectus describing the thesis project and the work completed to date. The committee evaluates an oral and written presentation of the prospectus and determines whether the student may continue in the combined program; (b) EEB 595, a four-credit, yearlong course that is similar to EEB 495, 496 and is taken during the senior year. In the first term of the course, the student gives an oral presentation describing the work. At the end of the course, the student submits a master's thesis and gives an oral defense, followed by a comprehensive examination of the thesis conducted by the thesis committee. Upon successful completion of this examination, as well as all other requirements, the student is awarded the combined B.S./M.S. degree. Summer research between the junior and senior years is often required to obtain sufficient results for a credible master's thesis.
Students must also satisfy the requirements of Yale College for the simultaneous award of the bachelor's and master's degrees, including the following:
- Students must apply in writing to the director of undergraduate studies and obtain departmental approval no later than the beginning of the second term of their junior year. Applications must be submitted by November 1 in the preceding term. Students must have the approval of both the director of undergraduate studies and the director of graduate studies to receive graduate credit for the graduate courses they select.
- Students must have two-thirds A or A– grades in all of their courses and two-thirds A or A– grades in EEB courses, including prerequisites, to be admitted to the program.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisites BIOL 101, 102, 103, 104; 1 intro bio lab; CHEM 112, 113, or 114, 115, or 118 with labs; 1 term of organic chem with lab (CHEM 124, 125, with 222L, 223L satisfies both chem requirements); PHYS 170, 171 or higher; MATH 115 or higher or STAT 101–106
Number of courses B.A.—3½ course credits (not incl senior req); B.S.—5½ course credits (not incl senior req)
Specific courses required Track 1—E&EB 220, 225; organismal diversity lecture and lab as specified; Track 2—E&EB 290, 291L; E&EB <295> or BENG 350; MCDB 300
Distribution of courses B.S.—2 electives
Substitutions permitted Other stat course approved by DUS for math or stat prereq; two upper-level courses in G&G (except G&G 125 and 315), math, comp sci, or E&AS for organic chem and lab, with DUS permission; the second term of organic chem and lab and two physics labs as electives, with DUS permission
Senior requirement B.A.—E&EB 470 taken in the senior year or senior essay; B.S.—E&EB 475 or 495 taken in senior year
