Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (B.A.) Academic Course Map
Â鶹ÒùÔº pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) at CU Boulder study both ecology and evolutionary biology. Ecology seeks to understand the processes that control the abundance and distribution of organisms and how they interact with one another in a changing environment. Evolutionary biology provides a unifying conceptual framework for all of biology, including the characteristics of organisms and biological diversity. Taken together, ecology and evolutionary biology form a fundamental, broad, diverse and interdisciplinary area of scientific inquiry. Study in both areas is necessary for understanding the complex biological issues of today, including fighting diseases, understanding of the responses of life and humankind to Earth's changing environment and learning how species develop, thrive and decline. Also, ecology and evolutionary biology are working toward solving some of the world's most demanding problems, including sustainability and the future of life on earth, human health and welfare and wise stewardship of our planet.
The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major provides students with a wide breadth of skills. EBIO graduate are well-positioned to pursue graduate school (biology, medical, dental, law), and careers in research, science education, wildlife biology, conservation biology, data science, research management, environmental consulting and environmental law.
Admission Requirements
Â鶹ÒùÔº who begin at a Colorado Community College can transfer directly to CU Boulder to finish their degree in any of the programs offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. Please see the CU Boulder College of Arts & Sciences’ Colorado Community College webpage for more information detailed information admissions requirements for students transfering from a Colorado Community College.
Transfer Recommendations
To graduate in a 4-year time frame, it is important that students follow the recommended schedule. Â鶹ÒùÔº who wish to continue their education at the community college beyond the number of credits specified below should explore with both community college and CU Boulder staff how their graduation timeline, COF stipend, and financial aid will be affected.
Suggested Four-Year Course Plan for the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) major
This is a suggested guide of coursework only and is subject to change. Always consult your academic advisor for graduation planning purposes. Depending on a student’s situation, a different plan might be more applicable.
Community College (first two years)
Fall Semester 1
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 121/1021 | English Composition I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
BIO 111/1111 | General College Biology I with Lab (GT-SC1) | 5 |
MAT 135/1260 | Intro to Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
Guaranteed Transfer History Course (GT-HI1) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Spring Semester 1
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 122/1021 | English Composition II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
BIO 112/1112 | Gen College Biology II with Lab (GT-SC1) | 5 |
| Guaranteed Transfer Arts & Humanities Course (GT-AH1, GT-AH2, GT-AH3, GT-AH4) | 3 |
Ancillary Math/Science course from the list in the footnote below (GT- MA1, GT-SC1 or GT-SC2)* | 4-5 | |
| Total Credits | 15-16 |
Fall Semester 2
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 222/2122 | General College Ecology | 4 |
| 2nd Ancillary Math/Science course from the list in the footnote below (GT- MA1, GT-SC1 or GT-SC2)* | 4-5 |
| 2nd Guaranteed Transfer Arts & Humanities Course from a different category than the 1st. | 3 |
Guaranteed Transfer Social & Behavioral Sciences Course (GT-SS1, GT-SS2, GT-SS3) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 14-15 |
Spring Semester 2
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
COM 125/1250 OR | Interpersonal Communication (GT-SS3) OR Intercultural Communication (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| 3rd Ancillary Math/Science course from the list in footnote below (GT- MA1, GT-SC1 or GT-SC2)* | 4-5 |
| Guaranteed Transfer Social & Behavioral Sciences Course (GT-SS1, GT-SS2, GT-SS3) | 3 |
Guaranteed Transfer Course from any GT-AH, any GT-SS, or GT-HI1 | 3 | |
| Transfer Electives** | 2 | |
| Total Credits | 15-17 |
Total credits at community college: 60
Completion of the coursework listed above fulfills the requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at a Colorado community college and fulfills the General Education requirements at CU Boulder.
CU Boulder (last two years)
Fall Semester 3
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EBIO 2070 | Genetics: Molecules to Populations | 4 |
| Upper division EBIO major course | 4 |
| Lower- or Upper-Division Elective | 3 |
Lower- or Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Spring Semester 3
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EBIO 3080 | Evolutionary Biology | 4 |
| Upper-division EBIO major course | 3-4 |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 |
Lower- or Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Lower- or Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 16-17 |
Fall Semester 4
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EBIO 4xxx | 4000-level EBIO course | 4 |
| Upper-division EBIO Laboratory or Field Major course | 3-4 |
| 0-3 | |
Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 14-16 |
Spring Semester 4
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EBIO 4xxx | 4000-level EBIO course | 4 |
| Upper division EBIO Major course | 4 |
Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Total credits at CU Boulder: 60
*Ancillary Math and Science courses - students need to complete 3 of these courses: CHE 111/1111 General College Chemistry I w/Lab, CHE 112/1112 General College Chemistry II w/Lab, CSC 1019 Intro to Programming in Python; CSC 160/1060 Computer Science I; GEO 111/1011 Physical Geography: Landform w/Lab, GEO 112/1012 Physical Geography: Weather, Climate and Ecosystems w/Lab, GEY 111/111 Physical Geology w/Lab, GEY 112/1112 Historical Geology w/Lab, GIS 2010 GIS: Spatial Analytics; GIS 2011 GIS: Spatail Modeling; MAT 166/1440 Pre-Calculus, MAT 201/2410 Calculus I, MAT 202/2420 Calculus II, PHY 105/1105 Conceptual Physics w/Lab, PHY 111/1111 Physics: Algebra-Based I w/Lab, PHY 112/1112 Physics: Algebra-Based II w/Lab, PHY 211/2111 Physics: Calculus-Based I w/Lab, or PHY 212/2112 Physics: Calculus-Based II w/Lab.
**Number of transfer elective credits can vary depending on how many are need to reach 60 credits at your community college.
***Number of elective credits can vary depending on how many are needed to reach 60 credits at CU Boulder
