Student working at ground level in the field

Academics

Ecology and evolutionary biology is the study of the patterns and processes that structure ecological systems and drive evolutionary change. Understanding interactions between organisms and the environment is critical for solving environmental problems. 

Students shown working in a laboratory

Undergraduate Study

Our undergraduate curriculum is a rich array of innovative lecture, laboratory and field courses that allows students to try out and prepare for diverse career paths in environmental biology, evolutionary biology, or particular kinds of organisms; we invite you to explore our Undergraduate Program page to learn more. Please feel free to also contact our Director of Undergraduate Studies, André Kessler (ak357@cornell.edu) if you have further questions about our program, courses, field experiences and research opportunities.

Through coursework, field studies, and faculty-directed research projects, EEB students are exposed to a variety of disciplines and habitats ranging from local freshwaters to terrestrial ecosystems, including agricultural landscapes, to tropical oceans, alpine tundra, deserts and tropical rainforests. For a complete list of courses, follow this link to the Cornell Courses of Study.

Student shown with bird skins from the collections at Cornell

Graduate Study

The Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology provides its students with rich opportunities to study biological diversity, including its origins, maintenance and consequences. Our graduate students pursue topics across a broad set of interlinked fields, including ecosystem biology and biogeochemistry, community ecology and population biology, organismal biology, chemical and molecular ecology, population genetics and genomics, speciation and macroevolution.

Prospective graduate students apply to Graduate Fields of Study at Cornell rather than departments. Most Graduate Fields are more inclusive than any one Department. Graduate Fields are, in a sense, virtual, and bring together faculty and students with shared intellectual interests, irrespective of their departmental homes.

EEB's commitment to diversity, access, and inclusion begins with recruitment. The University's Consider Cornell programming series provides excellent opportunities for individuals exploring graduate study to gain a thorough understanding of the graduate admissions process, network with faculty, staff, and graduate students, and learn more about graduate education at Cornell. Contact considergrad@cornell.edu, or follow these links:
Consider Cornell: Explore (each year in August)
Consider Cornell: Experience (each year, Fall semester)

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