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, BIOL 4291 Extradepartmental Research, or BIOL 4396 Advanced Study in Biology for a total of 6 credits over two semesters;
  • write a final research paper; and/or
  • 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

Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Bachelor of Science Requirements

Summary of Requirements for the Degree

  1. 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:
      BIOL 2297Research Techniques in Genetics3
      BIOL 4396Advanced Study in Biology3
    • 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.
  2. 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.
      • SCTC 1001 CST First Year Seminar for every entering first-year CST student.
      • SCTC 2001 CST Transfer Seminar for every entering transfer CST student.
  3. 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.
    Biology
    BIOL 1111Introduction to Organismal Biology4
    or BIOL 1911 Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology
    Select one of the following:4
    Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes
    Honors Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes
    Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
    Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
    BIOL 2207Genetics3
    BIOL 2227Principles of Ecology3
    BIOL 2297Research Techniques in Genetics (WI) 13
    BIOL 3101Evolution (F)3
    BIOL 4396Advanced Study in Biology (WI)3
    Chemistry
    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)
    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)
    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)
    Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity (EEB) Electives
    Select six of the following, with at least one in each category: 2, 318-24
    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
    Human Evolution
    Evolutionary Ecology (F)
    Genomics and Infectious Disease Dynamics (F)
    Introduction to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
    Theoretical Population Genetics
    Evolutionary Genetics and Phylogenetics (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 1041Calculus I4
    or MATH 1941 Honors Calculus I
    SCTC 1013Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences3
    Select two of the following Quantitative Methods courses:6-8
    Genome Analytics
    Biostatistics (F)
    Global Change Science: Analytics with R
    Biological Models in Python
    Remote Sensing and GIS
    Calculus II
    Honors 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
    Honors Elementary Classical Physics I
    General Physics I
    Honors General Physics I
    Select one of the following: 4
    Introduction to General Physics II
    Elementary Classical Physics II
    Honors Elementary Classical Physics II
    General Physics II
    Honors General Physics II
    Total Credit Hours74-82
    (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.

Other Suggested Courses
These courses do not count for credits in the major but may be taken as free elective credits: 1, 2
ANTH 2001Evolution and Human Environments3
ANTH 2763Anthropological Genetics3
ANTH 2764Primate Behavior3
ANTH 3196Methods in Environmental Archaeology3
ANTH 3796Methods in the Study of Evolution3
BIOL 2234Dinosaur Paleobiology3
BIOL 3201Human Genetics (F)3
BIOL 3204Cell Structure and Function (F)4
BIOL 3265Developmental Biology (F)3
BIOL 3324Molecular Biology3
BIOL 3325Research Techniques in Molecular Biology (S)3
BIOL 3333Advanced Techniques in Microscopy (S)4
BIOL 3334Mammalian Physiology (S)4
BIOL 3337Comparative Biomechanics (F)3
BIOL 3396Scientific Writing for Biology: The Art of Communicating3
BIOL 4375General Biochemistry I3
BOT 1111General Botany4
BOT 1112Plant Ecology3
BOT 3166Plant Taxonomy3
CHEM 0877The Chemistry of Global Environmental Issues3
ECON 1001Introduction to the Economy3
ECON 3506Energy, Ecology, and Economy3
EES 2001Physical Geology4
EES 2002Energy and Environment3
EES 2051Introduction to Data Visualization and Analysis for Earth and Environmental Science3
EES 2096Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere4
ENST 2001Environment and Society3
ENST 2025Environmental Law and Regulation3
ENST 2097Research Design in Environmental Studies3
ENST 2157Environmental Ethics3
ENST 3051Environmental Policy Issues3
ENST 3053Climatology3
ENST 3062Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems3
ENST 3068Environmental Impact Assessment3
ENVH 2102Environmental Health3
ENVT 4761Environmental Regulations3
HIST 3214North American Environmental History3
HORT 2114Soils3
JRN 3253Health and Environmental Writing3
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.

BIOL 2082Independent Research I1 to 4
BIOL 3082Independent Research II1 to 4
BIOL 3181Cooperative Research in Biochemistry3
BIOL 3681Cooperative Studies2 to 4
BIOL 3685Externship Studies3
BIOL 4291Extradepartmental Research1 to 4
BIOL 4391Accelerated Research in Biology1 to 4
BIOL 4483Accelerated Research in Biochemistry3
BIOL 4491Research in Biochemistry3
BIOL 4591Research in Neuroscience1 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.

A total of one semester of Biology research courses numbered lower than 4000 (to include: BIOL 2082, BIOL 3082, BIOL 3181, and BIOL 3681) may be taken for a letter grade. Any additional semesters in research courses in this category can be taken only on a CR/NC basis.

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 2024-2025 Academic Year

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallCredit Hours
BIOL 1111
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
Calculus I
or Honors Calculus I
4
SCTC 1001 CST First Year Seminar 1
GenEd Breadth Course 3
 Credit Hours16
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 [GW]
or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL [GW]
or Honors Analytical Reading and Writing [GW]
4
Elective 1
 Credit Hours15
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
Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY]
or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY]
3
 Credit Hours15
Spring
BIOL 2207 Genetics 3
BIOL 2297 Research Techniques in Genetics [WI] 3
Select one of the following Quantitative Methods courses: 3-4
Genome Analytics  
Biostatistics  
Global Change Science: Analytics with R  
Biological Models in Python  
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
Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ]
or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ]
3
Elective 1-0
 Credit Hours17
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  
Biological Models in Python  
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 Hours15
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 Hours15
Year 4
Fall
EEB Elective 4 1 3-4
Select one of the following: 2 3-4
Advanced Study in Biology [WI]  
EEB Elective 5 1
 
GenEd Breadth Course 3
Elective 2
Elective 3-1
 Credit Hours14
Spring
Select one of the following: 2 3-4
Advanced Study in Biology [WI]  
EEB Elective 5 1
 
EEB Elective 6 1 3-4
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 4-2
 Credit Hours16
 Total Credit Hours123
(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.