Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Concentration

The Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Concentration in the undergraduate Biology major is appropriate for students pursuing careers or interests that require a better understanding of our natural world. Career opportunities exist in education at all levels; basic and applied research at colleges and universities, in governmental agencies, and in the private sector; ecological consulting; conservation and natural resource management; environmental planning; and the human health and veterinary sciences.

Prerequisite courses (required for all biological sciences concentrations)

The EEB concentration consists of 32 hours:

The honors option

The requirements for the Honors Option in the EEB Concentration are as follows:

1. fulfill all requirements for the major in Biological Sciences with a concentration in EEB,
2. maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 in all of the 300-level and above courses from the Concentration and an overall GPA of at least 3.2,
3. pass a minimum of 4 hours of EEB 400, Undergraduate Research, during the junior and senior year,
4. pass EEB 401, Senior Thesis, and
5. pass EEB 490, Undergraduate Seminar.

Courses from departments other than ecology & evolutionary biology that are approved for upper division credit in the EEB concentration

Students may elect no more than two courses, regardless of credit hours, from any one department other than EEB. Note that these courses may have prerequisites or corequisites that are not approved for Upper Division credit in the Biology EEB Concentration.

Tracks

The following are examples of tracks that you might take within the EEB concentration. These are just suggested courses for students interested in these areas.

Concentration in Computational Biology

Do you want a high paying job ($40,000-80,000 typical to start) without completing another degree? Consider a career in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology! Use your biology skills to:

• analyze fascinating basic biological questions
• help derive new drugs
• help find new cures for genetic diseases.

Completion of the following set of courses along with your EEB concentration will provide you with the key concepts/skills life science students need to be successful in computational biology.

For additional information see http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/bioed/smbtalk.txt

Aquatic Biology Track

Freshwater and marine resources are likely to become the most critical environmental issue facing humanity during this century. In addition to the ecosystem services provided by aquatic resources, these systems provide some of the best habitats for experimental and theoretical ecological research. Aquatic biologists study ecological organization ranging in scale from temporary ponds, which persist for a few weeks, to oceanic systems and global-scale relationships. Aquatic biologists work in the private sector, monitoring water quality changes and biodiversity, in governmental agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and United States Geological Survey, ensuring the integrity of these critical resources, and in academia conducting basic research. Want to spend weeks on the Arctic Ocean, investigate species diversity and relationships among organisms in streams or lakes, curate a museum collection of fishes, or explore the ancient African Rift Lakes? Consider aquatic biology as a track within the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Departments undergraduate major.

Courses of study can include:

Comparative Animal Behavior Track

Animal behaviorists are concerned with the things animals do. They help farmers understand agricultural pests and predators, and to breed and raise high-quality livestock. They design healthy habitats for animals in zoological parks, nature reserves and experimental laboratories that utilize animal models in research. Animal behaviorists are instrumental in developing protection plans for species that are at risk of extinction and in developing urban designs that best accommodate humans and animal inhabitants. Some animal behaviorists even specialize in pet psychology and the training of domesticated animals that maximizes their interaction with their human owners.

Animal behaviorists also study animal behavior for the insight it provides into human behavior and psychology. For instance, through study of animal models we have a better understanding of how the central nervous system works. This is true also of human learning, intelligence, stress, and the factors that motivate or underlie behavior. Governmental agencies and a number of private research groups focus on health-related behavioral research. For example, animal models are often applied by them in examining the behavioral consequences of new drugs on people.

The track in comparative animal behavior provides a fine base on which to develop a career in conservation biology, college teaching, basic and applied research in behavior, and veterinary medicine. The causes and consequences of behavior are understood through studies involving ecology, evolution, genetics, developmental biology and physiology. Psychological, mathematical, and modeling approaches are all pursued in this field of study and the interactions of animals with each other and the environment is a major focus at all levels of animal behavior.

The following courses may be applied to the undergraduate track in Comparative Animal Behavior