Ecology & Evolutionary Biology - PhD

The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduate program at UCSC reflects the remarkable local and global diversity of species and environments studied by our faculty and students. The vision of the EEB graduate program is to provide a nurturing, creative, and intellectual environment conducive to the development of world-class scientists. Our graduate program encourages close working relations between students and faculty in an informal atmosphere conducive to rapid learning and professional growth. Interdisciplinary collaborations with oceanographers, geologists, toxicologists, economists and others enable students to explore the conceptual connections between related fields as they acquire mastery in their areas of specialization.

The Department offers MA and PhD degrees in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

All curricular requirements are aimed at preparing students for timely and successful completion of a doctoral dissertation. The Ph.D. curriculum in EEB includes five stages: 1) required coursework, 2) the comprehensive exam, 3) the qualifying exam, 4) two quarters of teaching experience, 5) submission of at least one paper for publication, 6) the research, writing, and defense of the dissertation.