Overview
The Earth harbors an incredible diversity of life, linked through webs of intricate ecological relationships and connected by deep evolutionary histories spanning millions of years. Human societies depend upon this biodiversity, yet much of it remains poorly understood by science and faces unprecedented threats from global change. The Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity (EEB), offered by the Department of Biology, trains the next generation of scientists to pioneer new insights into the natural world, clarify the processes that maintain and change it, and develop innovative approaches to its conservation. The EEB program prepares students to forge new understandings of the ecological interactions among species and their evolutionary adaptations to their environments. Graduating students can launch their career as a research scientist, a science policy advisor, an environmental analyst or a science communicator. In education, graduates can aim for university professor, K-12 science teacher or environmental program director. Out in the field, graduates can enter jobs as a restoration ecologist, park naturalist and conservation or natural resource manager.
Campus Location: Main
Program Code: ST-EEB-BS
Distinction in Major
To graduate with distinction in this major, a student must satisfy the following criteria:
- achieve a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade point average (GPA);
- achieve a minimum 3.2 major GPA;
- successfully complete BIOL 4391 Accelerated Research in Biology or BIOL 4291 Extradepartmental Research for a total of 6 credits over two semesters;
- write a final research paper; and
- present their research at a departmental research poster session.
Undergraduate Contact Information
Robert Sanders, Chair
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 255
215-204-8851
Erik Cordes, Vice Chair
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 315A
erik.cordes@temple.edu
215-204-8876
Brent Sewall, Faculty Advisor for Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Majors
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 203
215-204-6115
bjsewall@temple.edu
Amy Freestone, Program Director for Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Majors
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 205
215-204-1826
amy.freestone@temple.edu
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity.
These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2023-2024. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2023 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.
Bachelor of Science Requirements
Summary of Requirements for the Degree
- University Requirements (123 total s.h.)
- Students must complete all University requirements including those listed below.
- All undergraduate students must complete at least two writing-intensive courses for a total of at least six credits at Temple as part of their major. The specific writing-intensive course options for this major are:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours BIOL 2297 Research Techniques in Genetics (S) 3 BIOL 4396 Advanced Study in Biology 3 - Students must complete the General Education (GenEd) requirements.
- See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for the GenEd curriculum.
- Students who complete CST majors receive a waiver for 2 Science & Technology (GS) and 1 Quantitative Literacy (GQ) GenEd courses.
- Students must satisfy general Temple University residency requirements.
- College Requirements
- A minimum of 90 total credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and/or the College of Engineering (ENG).
- A minimum of 45 of these credits must be upper-level (courses numbered 2000 and above).
- Complete a one-credit first-year or transfer seminar.
- A minimum of 90 total credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and/or the College of Engineering (ENG).
- Major Requirements for Bachelor of Science (74-82 s.h.)
At least 9 courses required for the major must be completed at Temple. At least 6 Biology courses must be completed at Temple.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Biology BIOL 1111 Introduction to Organismal Biology 4 or BIOL 1911 Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology Select one of the following: 4 Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes or BIOL 1912Honors Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology or BIOL 2912Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology BIOL 2207 Genetics (S) 3 BIOL 2227 Principles of Ecology 3 BIOL 2297 Research Techniques in Genetics (WI, S) 1 3 BIOL 3101 Evolution (F) 3 BIOL 4396 Advanced Study in Biology (WI) 3 Chemistry Select one of the following: 4 General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry Laboratory IHonors General Chemical Science I
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F)Select one of the following: 4 General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry Laboratory IIHonors General Chemical Science II
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory II (S)Select one of the following: 4 Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory IOrganic Chemistry for Honors I
and Organic Honors Laboratory I (F)Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity (EEB) Electives Select six of the following, with at least one in each category: 2, 3 18-24 Ecology Disturbance Ecology Experimental Marine Biology (Summer) Marine Ecology (F) Animal Behavior (S) Ecology of Invasive Species (F) Tropical Marine Biology (F, odd years) Plant Community Ecology (F) Life at the Extremes - Polar Biology Freshwater Ecology (F, even years) Field Research in Community Ecology (Summer) Biological Impacts of Global Climate Change (F) Evolution Evolutionary Ecology (F) Genomics and Infectious Disease Dynamics (F) Human Evolution Introduction to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Theoretical Population Genetics Evolutionary Genetics (S) Behavioral Genetics (F) Genomics and Evolutionary Biology of Parasites and Other Dependent Species (S) Genomic Biology Evolutionary Developmental Biology: Evo-Devo (S) Biodiversity Invertebrate Biology (S) Parasitology (Not every year) Conservation Biology (F) Herpetology (S) General Microbiology (S) Biology of Plants (F) Mathematics and Quantitative Methods MATH 1041 Calculus I 4 or MATH 1941 Honors Calculus I SCTC 1013 Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences 3 Select two of the following Quantitative Methods courses: 6-8 Genome Analytics Biostatistics (F) Global Change Science: Analytics with R Remote Sensing and GIS Calculus II or MATH 1942Honors Calculus II Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences Physics Select one of the following: 4 Introduction to General Physics I Elementary Classical Physics I or PHYS 1961Honors Elementary Classical Physics I General Physics I or PHYS 2921Honors General Physics I Select one of the following: 4 Introduction to General Physics II Elementary Classical Physics II or PHYS 1962Honors Elementary Classical Physics II General Physics II or PHYS 2922Honors General Physics II Total Credit Hours 74-82 Course List Code Title Credit Hours (F) - Fall only course (S) - Spring only course - 1
This course has a co-requisite of BIOL 2207.
- 2
Additional course prerequisites may be required.
- 3
Students may fulfill one upper-level elective by completing a total of 6 credits of research. A maximum of 3 credits may come from the junior level research course BIOL 3082 and the remaining 3 credits must come from a senior level (4000+) research course. Students may also complete all 6 credits using two semesters of the senior research course if they prefer. Research must be appropriate to fulfill one of the upper-level elective categories (Ecology, Evolution, or Biodiversity) and may be used for a maximum of 4 credits toward the elective. Consult with the EEB program advisor to determine 1) which labs are participating, 2) if your research is appropriate for one of the category choices and 3) which research course you should register for. Not all research courses are appropriate for EEB credit. Once 6 hours of research are completed, students must seek approval from a CST advisor to obtain the waiver for credit towards one upper-level elective in the appropriate category.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Other Suggested Courses | ||
| These courses do not count for credits in the major but may be taken as free elective credits: 1, 2 | ||
| ANTH 2001 | Evolution and Human Environments | 3 |
| ANTH 2763 | Anthropological Genetics | 3 |
| ANTH 2764 | Primate Behavior | 3 |
| ANTH 3196 | Methods in Environmental Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 3796 | Methods in the Study of Evolution | 3 |
| BIOL 2234 | Dinosaur Paleobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 3201 | Human Genetics (F) | 3 |
| BIOL 3204 | Cell Structure and Function (F) | 4 |
| BIOL 3265 | Developmental Biology (F) | 3 |
| BIOL 3324 | Molecular Biology (F) | 3 |
| BIOL 3325 | Research Techniques in Molecular Biology (S) | 3 |
| BIOL 3333 | Advanced Techniques in Microscopy (S) | 4 |
| BIOL 3334 | Mammalian Physiology (S) | 4 |
| BIOL 3337 | Comparative Biomechanics (F) | 3 |
| BIOL 3396 | Scientific Writing for Biology: The Art of Communicating | 3 |
| BIOL 4375 | General Biochemistry I | 3 |
| BOT 1111 | General Botany | 4 |
| BOT 1112 | Plant Ecology | 3 |
| BOT 3166 | Plant Taxonomy | 3 |
| CHEM 0877 | The Chemistry of Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| ECON 1001 | Introduction to the Economy | 3 |
| ECON 3506 | Energy, Ecology, and Economy | 3 |
| EES 2001 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| EES 2002 | Energy and Environment | 3 |
| EES 2051 | Introduction to Data Visualization and Analysis for Earth and Environmental Science | 3 |
| EES 2096 | Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere | 4 |
| ENST 2001 | Environment and Society | 3 |
| ENST 2025 | Environmental Law and Regulation | 3 |
| ENST 2097 | Research Design in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| ENST 2157 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| ENST 3051 | Environmental Policy Issues | 3 |
| ENST 3053 | Climatology | 3 |
| ENST 3062 | Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| ENST 3068 | Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| ENVH 2102 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| ENVT 4761 | Environmental Regulations | 3 |
| HIST 3214 | North American Environmental History | 3 |
| HORT 2114 | Soils | 3 |
| JRN 3253 | Health and Environmental Writing | 3 |
- 1
Additional course prerequisites may be required.
- 2
Courses in CST and CLA will count towards the College Requirements for overall and upper-level credits in CST, CLA, or ENG.
With the exception noted in footnote 3 above, the research and independent study courses shown below do not count as EEB electives. The research and independent study courses shown below do not count as Biology electives, but they may count as free elective credits toward graduation. Most research courses can only be taken ONCE for a letter grade. Check individual course descriptions for details and/or exceptions.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2082 | Independent Research I | 1 to 4 |
| BIOL 3082 | Independent Research II | 1 to 4 |
| BIOL 3181 | Cooperative Research in Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 3681 | Cooperative Studies | 2 to 4 |
| BIOL 3685 | Externship Studies | 3 |
| BIOL 4291 | Extradepartmental Research | 1 to 4 |
| BIOL 4391 | Accelerated Research in Biology | 1 to 4 |
| BIOL 4483 | Accelerated Research in Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 4491 | Research in Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 4591 | Research in Neuroscience | 1 to 4 |
Note: Grades of C- or higher are required unless otherwise specified in all courses for the major, including course prerequisites. The College of Science and Technology requires that students have a GPA of at least 2.00 overall and at least 2.00 in the courses applicable to their major and/or minor GPA to graduate.
Suggested Academic Plan
Please note that this is a suggested academic plan. Depending on your situation, your academic plan may look different.
Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity
Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2023-2024 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| BIOL 1111 or BIOL 1911 | Introduction to Organismal Biology or Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science I and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F) | ||
| MATH 1041 or MATH 1941 | Calculus I or Honors Calculus I | 4 |
| SCTC 1001 | CST First Year Seminar | 1 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 2227 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science II and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory II (S) | ||
| SCTC 1013 | Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| ENG 0802 | Analytical Reading and Writing or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL or Honors Writing About Literature | 4 |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes or Honors Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes | ||
| Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology or Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Honors I and Organic Honors Laboratory I (F) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to General Physics I | ||
| Elementary Classical Physics I or Honors Elementary Classical Physics I | ||
| General Physics I or Honors General Physics I | ||
| IH 0851 or IH 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 2207 | Genetics (S) | 3 |
| BIOL 2297 | Research Techniques in Genetics (S) | 3 |
| Select one of the following Quantitative Methods courses: | 3-4 | |
| Genome Analytics | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Global Change Science: Analytics with R | ||
| Remote Sensing and GIS | ||
| Calculus II or Honors Calculus II | ||
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to General Physics II | ||
| Elementary Classical Physics II or Honors Elementary Classical Physics II | ||
| General Physics II or Honors General Physics II | ||
| IH 0852 or IH 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good | 3 |
| Elective | 1-0 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 3101 | Evolution | 3 |
| Select one of the following Quantitative Methods courses: | 3-4 | |
| Genome Analytics | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Global Change Science: Analytics with R | ||
| Remote Sensing and GIS | ||
| Calculus II or Honors Calculus II | ||
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| EEB Elective 1 1 | 3-4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3-0 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EEB Elective 2 1 | 3-4 | |
| EEB Elective 3 1 | 3-4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-1 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| EEB Elective 4 1 | 3-4 | |
| Select one of the following: 2 | 3-4 | |
| Advanced Study in Biology | ||
EEB Elective 5 1 | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Elective | 3-1 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: 2 | 3-4 | |
| Advanced Study in Biology | ||
EEB Elective 5 1 | ||
| EEB Elective 6 1 | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4-2 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 123 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) - Fall only course | ||
| (S) - Spring only course | ||
- 1
See the Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity (EEB) Electives list under Requirements for course options. At least one course from each Elective category (Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity) must be selected.
- 2
Either BIOL 4396 or EEB elective 5 may be completed in the fall term. Whichever is not chosen in the fall, must then be completed in the spring term.