Program Guidelines

Many students in the Department of Ecology & Evolution participate in interdepartmental programs in genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, population biology, and evolutionary biology, and in these programs dissertation research may be cosponsored by faculty from different departments. Collaboration is also maintained with the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium for students interested in research in systematics, taxonomy, and evolutionary biology, and with the Brookfield Zoo for basic research in conservation and behavior involving zoo animals. Possibilities also exist for field studies in Central America, Africa, and other regions of the earth.

The Department has a regular weekly seminar series, with invited speakers from around the country. There are also a number of more informal seminars each week, and graduate students have a weekly Friday afternoon meeting of their own. All students are encouraged to participate as widely as possible in these events. There are many opportunities for teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate courses, and this is regarded as a required part of the graduate training program, not merely a source of financial gain. More detailed information about the Department's program of study and about student life in the department are also available.

General Timetable for the Ph.D. Program in Ecology & Evolution

Most students in the Department of Ecology & Evolution complete their Ph.D. program in about five years, though students entering with Masters degrees may finish in slightly less time. The first and second years consist largely of coursework and individual reading courses, aiming toward successful completion of the general knowledge examination by the spring quarter of the first year of study and defense of a dissertation research proposal by the end of the second year of study. Work in subsequent years shifts to dissertation-centered research and, finally, preparation and defense of the Ph.D. dissertation. While there is no M.S. program in Ecology & Evolution, students may elect to receive the M.S. degree upon successful completion of their dissertation proposal defense.