Undergraduate Program

Welcome to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology!

Our department is composed of excellent students, faculty, and staff dedicated to education and the advancement of science. We offer a wide range of courses in ecology, evolution, genetics, behavior, physiology, and natural history. We have a wealth of academic and natural resources available to our undergraduates. Several courses take advantage of our proximity to the Gulf of California, only a 4-hour drive away. The Southwestern Research Station in the majestic Chiricahua Mountain Range of Portal, Arizona, the Gulf of California and other field stations provide a variety of experiences and opportunities for study and research. The natural beauty of Tucson, surrounded by the Santa Catalina, Tucson, Rincon, and Santa Rita Mountains, provides great research opportunities as well as a spectacular backdrop to your undergraduate career.

We offer programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with tracks in General Biology and Biomedical Sciences (for those considering professional school).

Our faculty members tend to take an integrative approach, each blending several approaches and disciplines. Indeed, it is fair to say that one of our greatest strengths is not a particular research area, but an attitude fostering interaction and interdisciplinary exploration. This is reflected in our extensive interactions with other units on campus.

Our department is particularly strong in the study of:

  • genetics, molecular evolution, and genomics
  • population biology
  • species interactions
  • theoretical biology
  • large-scale ecology
  • life history evolution

To help round out your experience at the University of Arizona, the College of Science offers a wide variety of student clubs and organizations all dedicated to the advancement of science. The University's only marine biology club, the Marine Awareness and Conservation Society (MACS), is housed in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. This club plans academic, social, and community-service events open to all students at UA. Weekly department-organized seminars provide access to experts in various biology fields in an informal setting.