2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog
Ecology and Evolution, BS
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Return to: Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
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, education, law, public policy, and public health are actively seeking well-qualified students.
Requirements for the Ecology and Evolution major are described below.
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Biological Sciences core courses
Majors must complete 35 credits of Biological Sciences coursework as described below.
Writing-intensive (W) and Seminar Courses
Elective courses
Majors must complete nine credits of elective courses, including at least one field course, from the following lists.
Field course electives
Students must choose at least one field courses offered at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology (PLE) (3 credits) or the Oakland campus (BIOSC 1223 - 2 credits) or an equivalent course approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. If the field course is less than 3 credits, additional credits must be added from the approved electives list to reach 9 credits total. PLE course offerings change annually; check the course schedule to see which courses are offered.
Co-requisite courses
Students choose one track for co-requisite courses:
Restrictions
- All BIOSC courses at the 0800-level are designed for non-majors and do not count toward the major.
- Undergraduate teaching assistant (BIOSC 1690), independent study (BIOSC 1901), independent study (BIOSC 1901), an undergraduate research credits (e.g., BIOSC 1903) do not count toward the major, although the department encourages students to pursue these opportunities.
- Anatomy lecture and lab courses do not count toward the major.
- The following courses are considered as course repeats, and students cannot earn credit for both:
- Students must complete at least one upper-level BIOSC lab and one field course for the major, and at least one of them must be taken at the Pittsburgh campus or Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. Online labs cannot be used for the Ecology and Evolution major.
Grade requirements
- All biology core courses, seminar course, writing course, and electives must 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 35 credits required for the major.
- Students must also earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the co-requisite courses. A passing grade of C- or lower in a co-requisite course can be accepted if balanced by a higher grade in another co-requisite course so that the co-requisite GPA is 2.0 or higher. Exceptions: CHEM 0110 and CHEM 0120 require a C or better to declare the major; PHYS 0110/0174 require a C or better to enroll in PHYS 0111/0175; MATH 0220 requires a C or better to enroll in MATH 0230.
- Only one BIOSC course may be taken on a Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC) basis.
David C. Frederick Honors College equivalent courses may be substituted for required or elective courses.
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