Biological Sciences (BS): Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Concentration
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There are five different avenues to earning a B.S. in Biological Sciences at NC State. Students studying for a degree in Biological Sciences can opt for a general curriculum (BLS) or can choose to focus in a particular area by selecting one of four areas of concentration: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCD), Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology (IPN), Human Biology (HB), or Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (EEC).
The EEC curriculum offers students in-depth studies in areas of biology at the level of the organism, populations, communities, and ecosystems. It is designed for students who have an interest in whole organisms and their biodiversity 鈥� what causes and maintains it, what environmental changes affect it, and how to protect it in the face of critical challenges in the Anthropocene.
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring the Life Sciences | |||
| 尝厂颁听103 | Exploring Opportunities in the Life Sciences | 1 | |
| Writing | |||
| Advanced Writing Requirement Elective 1 | 3 | ||
Cannot be double-counted for a GEP requirement. | |||
| Biological Sciences | |||
| 尝厂颁听101 | Critical and Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences 1 | 2 | |
| 叠滨翱听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 1 | 4 | |
| 叠滨翱听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 1 | 4 | |
| 叠滨翱听270 | Introduction to Evolution 1 | 3 | |
| 辞谤听叠滨翱听330 | Evolutionary Biology | ||
| 础贰颁听360 | Ecology 1 | 4 | |
| 辞谤听笔叠听360 | Ecology | ||
| 础贰颁听460 | Field Ecology and Methods 1 | 4 | |
| 骋狈听311 | Principles of Genetics 1 | 4 | |
| 骋狈听312 | Elementary Genetics Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| 狈搁听406 | Conservation of Biological Diversity 1 | 3 | |
| 辞谤听骋狈听450 | Conservation Genetics | ||
| Select one of the following Physiology courses: 1 | 3 | ||
| Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology | |||
| Plant Physiology | |||
| Animal Anatomy and Physiology | |||
| Physical & Mathematical Sciences | |||
| 惭础听131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A 1 | 3 | |
| 辞谤听惭础听141 | Calculus I | ||
| 惭础听231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B 1 | 3 | |
| 辞谤听惭础听241 | Calculus II | ||
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 | |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| 颁贬听201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 | 3 | |
| 颁贬听202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| 颁贬听221 | Organic Chemistry I 1 | 3 | |
| 颁贬听222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab 1 | 1 | |
| 颁贬听223 | Organic Chemistry II 1 | 3 | |
| 颁贬听224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab 1 | 1 | |
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | ||
| College Physics I | |||
| Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory | |||
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | ||
| College Physics II | |||
| Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | |||
| 厂罢听311 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 | |
| Major Electives | |||
| EECB Electives 1 | 18 | ||
| Organismal Biology Elective 1 | 3 | ||
| Learning Experience Elective | 3 | ||
| Plant Co-Requisite (verify requirement) | |||
| GEP Courses | |||
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 | |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 6 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP Additional Breadth (Humanities/Social Sciences/Visual and Performing Arts) | 3 | ||
| GEP U.S. Diversity (verify requirement) | |||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Free Electives | |||
| Free Electives 2 | 6 | ||
| These electives cannot be remedial nor can they be taken at an elementary level after you have taken comparable coursework at a more advanced level. Students interested in graduate school or professional school should check the courses required for admission to the programs to which they plan to apply. | |||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
| 1 | A grade of C- or higher is required. |
| 2 | Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement. |
Advanced Writing Requirement Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 叠滨翱听267 | Research in the Life Sciences I: Research Skills | 3 | |
| 颁翱惭听211 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听214 | Introduction to Editing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听232 | Literature and Medicine | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听287 | Explorations in Creative Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听288 | Fiction Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听289 | Poetry Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听292 | Writing About Film | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听316 | Introduction to News and Article Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听323 | Writing in Rhetorical Traditions | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听331 | Communication for Engineering and Technology | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听332 | Communication for Business and Management | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听333 | Communication for Science and Research | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听381 | Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听388 | Intermediate Fiction Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听389 | Intermediate Poetry Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听416 | Advanced News and Article Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听417 | Editorial and Opinion Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听422 | Writing Theory and the Writing Process | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听425 | Analysis of Scientific and Technical Writing | 3 | |
| 贰狈骋听426 | Analyzing Style | 3 |
EECB Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 础贰颁听380 | Water Resources: Global Issues in Ecology, Policy, Management, and Advocacy | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听400 | Applied Ecology | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听419 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 | |
| 础贰颁听420 | Introduction to Fisheries Science | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听441 | Biology of Fishes | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听442 | Biology of Fishes Laboratory | 1 | |
| 础贰颁听501 | Avian Ecology | 4 | |
| 础贰颁听509 | Ecology and Conservation of Freshwater Invertebrates | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听519 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 | |
| 叠颁贬听451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 | |
| 叠滨翱听230 | The Science of Studying Dinosaurs | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听267 | Research in the Life Sciences I: Research Skills | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听269 | Research in the Life Sciences II: Guided Research | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听315 | General Parasitology | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听330 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听440 | The Human Animal: An Evolutionary Perspective | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听444 | The Biology of Love and Sex | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听485 | Capstone Course in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听498 | Honors Project Part I | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听499 | Honors Project Part 2 | 3 | |
| 叠惭础听567 | Modeling of Biological Systems | 4 | |
| 叠厂颁听492 | Professional Experience | 1-3 | |
| 叠厂颁听493 | Research Experience | 1-3 | |
| 颁翱惭听436 | Environmental Communication | 3 | |
| 颁厂听230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 | |
| 颁厂听430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 | |
| 贰狈罢听425 | General Entomology | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听502 | Insect Diversity | 4 | |
| 贰狈罢听509 | Biology of Aquatic Insects | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听520 | Insect Behavior | 3 | |
| 贵翱搁听565 | Plant Community Ecology | 4 | |
| 贵奥听353 | Wildlife Management | 3 | |
| 贵奥听444 | Mammalogy | 3 | |
| 贵奥听544 | Mammalogy | 3 | |
| 骋滨厂听510 | Fundamentals of Geospatial Information Science and Technology | 3 | |
| 骋滨厂听530 | Spatial Data Foundations | 3 | |
| 骋滨厂听550 | Geospatial Data Structures and Web Services | 3 | |
| 骋狈听423 | Population, Quantitative and Evolutionary Genetics | 3 | |
| 骋狈听450 | Conservation Genetics | 3 | |
| 骋狈听456 | Epigenetics, Development, and Disease | 3 | |
| 骋狈听550 | Conservation Genetics | 3 | |
| 惭础听242 | Calculus III | 4 | |
| 惭础听331 | Differential Equations for the Life Sciences | 3 | |
| 惭叠听451 | Microbial Diversity | 3 | |
| 惭叠听452 | Microbial Diversity Lab | 2 | |
| 惭贰础听220 | Marine Biology | 3 | |
| 惭贰础听454 | Marine Physical-Biological Interactions | 3 | |
| 惭贰础听469 | Ecology of coastal Resources | 3 | |
| 惭贰础听554 | Marine Physical-Biological Interactions | 3 | |
| 笔叠听250 | Plant Biology | 4 | |
| 笔叠听400 | Plant Diversity and Evolution | 4 | |
| 笔叠听403 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听503 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| 笔笔听222 | Kingdom of Fungi | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听421 | Role of Soils in Environmental Management | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听470 | Wetland Soils | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听562 | Environmental Applications Of Soil Science | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听570 | Wetland Soils | 3 | |
| 窜翱听250 | Animal Anatomy and Physiology | 4 | |
| 窜翱听317 | Primate Ecology and Evolution | 3 | |
| 窜翱听333 | Captive Animal Biology | 3 | |
| 窜翱听350 | Animal Phylogeny and Diversity | 4 | |
| 窜翱听402 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 | |
| 窜翱听410 | Introduction to Animal Behavior | 3 | |
| 惭础听432 | Mathematical Models in Life Sciences | 3 | |
| 叠厂颁听497 | Biological Sciences Honors Project Part 1 | 3 | |
| 叠厂颁听498 | Biological Sciences Honors Project Part 2 | 3 | |
| 叠厂颁听499 | Honors Thesis in Biological Sciences | 1 |
Organismal Biology Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 础贰颁听441 | Biology of Fishes | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听442 | Biology of Fishes Laboratory | 1 | |
| 础贰颁听501 | Avian Ecology | 4 | |
| 础贰颁听509 | Ecology and Conservation of Freshwater Invertebrates | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听315 | General Parasitology | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听370 | Developmental Anatomy of the Vertebrates | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听425 | General Entomology | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听503 | Insect Morphology and Physiology | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听509 | Biology of Aquatic Insects | 3 | |
| 贵翱搁听339 | Dendrology | 4 | |
| 贵奥听444 | Mammalogy | 3 | |
| 贵奥听544 | Mammalogy | 3 | |
| 惭叠听351 | General Microbiology | 3 | |
| 惭叠听352 | General Microbiology Laboratory | 1 | |
| 笔叠听220 | Local Flora | 3 | |
| 笔叠听250 | Plant Biology | 4 | |
| 笔叠听403 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听421 | Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| 笔叠听445 | Paleobotany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听503 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听545 | Paleobotany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听570 | Plant Functional Ecology | 3 | |
| 笔笔听222 | Kingdom of Fungi | 3 | |
| 窜翱听350 | Animal Phylogeny and Diversity | 4 | |
| 窜翱听402 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 |
Learning Experience Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning experience in an appropriate area, with prior approval by faculty adviser, prospective supervisor, and departmental undergraduate coordinator. Contact and arrangements with prospective supervisors is the responsibility of the student. | |||
| 叠滨翱听269 | Research in the Life Sciences II: Guided Research | 3 | |
| 叠滨翱听499 | Honors Project Part 2 | 3 | |
| 叠厂颁听492 | Professional Experience | 1-3 | |
| 叠厂颁听493 | Research Experience | 1-3 | |
| 叠厂颁听498 | Biological Sciences Honors Project Part 2 | 3 | |
| 叠厂颁听497 | Biological Sciences Honors Project Part 1 | 3 | |
Plant Co-Requisites
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| A course from this list can also be used to meet one other requirement in the major. | |||
| 颁厂听230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 | |
| 颁厂听430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 | |
| 贵翱搁听339 | Dendrology | 4 | |
| 贵翱搁听565 | Plant Community Ecology | 4 | |
| 笔叠听220 | Local Flora | 3 | |
| 笔叠听250 | Plant Biology | 4 | |
| 笔叠听321 | Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| 笔叠听400 | Plant Diversity and Evolution | 4 | |
| 笔叠听403 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听421 | Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| 笔叠听445 | Paleobotany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听503 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听545 | Paleobotany | 4 | |
| 笔叠听570 | Plant Functional Ecology | 3 | |
| 笔笔听222 | Kingdom of Fungi | 3 | |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 尝厂颁听101 | Critical and Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences 1 | 2 |
| 叠滨翱听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 1 | 4 |
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| 惭础听131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A 1 | 3 |
| 尝厂颁听103 | Exploring Opportunities in the Life Sciences | 1 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 叠滨翱听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 1 | 4 |
| 颁贬听221 | Organic Chemistry I 1 | 3 |
| 颁贬听222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab 1 | 1 |
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| 惭础听231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B 1 | 3 |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Physiology Requirement | 3 | |
| 颁贬听223 | Organic Chemistry II 1 | 3 |
| 颁贬听224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab 1 | 1 |
| Evolution or Ecology | 3 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 骋狈听311 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| 骋狈听312 | Elementary Genetics Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| 颁贬听201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 | 3 |
| 颁贬听202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| Evolution or Ecology | 4 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 础贰颁听460 | Field Ecology and Methods 1 | 4 |
| Advanced Writing Requirement | 3 | |
| 笔驰听211 | College Physics I 1 | 4 |
| 厂罢听311 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Learning Experience Elective | 3 | |
| 笔驰听212 | College Physics II 1 | 4 |
| Organismal Biology Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| EEC Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 狈搁听406 | Conservation of Biological Diversity | 3 |
| EEC Elective | 3 | |
| EEC Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EEC Elective | 3 | |
| EEC Elective | 3 | |
| EEC Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Additional Breadth (Humanities/Social Sciences/Visual and Performing Arts) | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 12 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 120 |
| 1 | A grade of C- or higher is required. |
Career Opportunities
Many students majoring in the Department of Biological Sciences take advantage of scholarship and honors programs available at NC State, including the 福利逼站 Honors Program and the 福利逼站 Scholars Program.听 In addition, we offer a discipline-based Undergraduate Honors Program in Biological Sciences (DBS Honors Program).听 The DBS Honors Program requires students to design a challenging program of advanced study, including eight credits of honors coursework in biology and at least two semesters of research or teaching scholarship.听 Participants write an honors thesis and are required to present their scholarly work at a local, regional, or national meeting.听 Invitations to join the DBS Honors Program are sent in the first three weeks of the Fall and Spring semesters.听听Students in any major in the Department of Biological Sciences who have earned an overall GPA of 3.60 after completing 30-65 credit hours at NC State will receive an invitation to join the DBS Honors Program; transfer students in any of our majors who have earned an overall GPA of 3.60 in 15 credit hours at NC State also will receive an invitation.听听
Students who graduate from the Department of Biological Sciences are well prepared for employment in broad variety of positions in government agencies and private industries. Graduates may continue their education with studies leading to advanced degrees in many areas of the biological sciences, including cell biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, genetics, zoology, neurobiology, and biomedical disciplines. Many choose to seek advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, and other health-related fields. Students who plan to seek certification for pre-college teaching may want to pursue a second major in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Education. Overall, graduates in the EEC concentration pursue diverse and successful trajectories in local, state, and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, diverse private industries, and academia.