Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Ph.D.

The graduate program in ecology, evolution, and behavior (EEB) links faculty and students interested in the biology of organisms from molecules to ecosystems. Studies address questions from molecular mechanisms of evolution, the interactions of organisms in social groups and populations, the distributions and abundances of species in communities and ecosystems, to global biogeochemical processes. The program provides broad training in the general areas of ecology, evolution, and animal behavior, and specialized courses and research in vertebrate and invertebrate zoology; behavior and ethology; evolution; population genetics; molecular evolution; systematics; population, community, and ecosystem ecology; global ecology; limnology; ecology of vegetation; and theoretical ecology. Opportunities for field research are available in Africa, Central America, and other parts of the world, as well as in local ecosystems, including the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve and Itasca Biological Station. Seminars and individually designed tutorials are an important part of student programs and provide an exciting intellectual environment.