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University of Pittsburgh    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
 
  Mar 28, 2024
 
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Ecology and Evolution, BS


The field of ecology explores the interactive web of organisms and the environment. Studies in evolution consider the processes by which modern organisms have developed from ancestral ones. The Ecology and Evolution major is a good choice for students interested in the fundamental questions of the evolutionary origins of organisms and how they survive, or don't survive, in their changing habitats. Within this major, students have the opportunity for in-depth study of the morphological and physiological adaptations of a variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms to a changing world, the ecological relationships of organisms from the individual to the global scale, and the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change.

Employment opportunities in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology have increased greatly in recent years. There continues to be a demand for well-trained professionals at all levels (BS, MS, and PhD). Government environmental agencies, commercial consulting and testing firms, waste management industries, research laboratories, and natural history and science museums are just a few of the career opportunities. Graduate departments of ecology, evolution, environmental sciences, genetics, botany, public policy, and public health are actively seeking well-qualified students. The required chemistry, physics, and mathematics courses incorporate the requirements for admission to medical, dental, and other health-professional schools. An Ecology and Evolution major could also serve as a springboard to a career in law.

Requirements for the Ecology and Evolution major are described below.

Elective courses


Majors must complete nine credits of elective courses, including at least one field course, from the following lists.

Co-requisite courses


Students choose one track for co-requisite courses:

Grade requirements


  • Each required BIOSC course for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better.
  • The elective courses for the major must also be completed with a grade of C or better.
  • A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all departmental courses taken is required for graduation. If a C- or lower is earned in an elective course for the major but is not repeated, the course will be used to calculate the departmental GPA but will not be counted toward the 32 credits required for the major.
  • Students must also earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the co-requisite Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics courses. A passing grade of C- or lower in a co-requisite course can be accepted, except for CHEM 0110 and CHEM 0120, if balanced by a higher grade in another co-requisite course so that the co-requisite GPA is 2.0 or higher. Students must pass CHEM 0110  and CHEM 0120  with a grade of C (not C-) or better for the major.
  • Only one BIOSC course may be taken on a Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC) basis.

University Honors College equivalent courses may be substituted for required or elective courses.



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