This page serves as a guide to opportunities and courses for undergraduates interested in Ecology and Evolution at Florida State University. Information on specific requirements for the major in Biological Science can be obtained through the Undergraduate Advising Office.

Coursework in Ecology and Evolution

Undergraduates interested in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Florida State University may tailor their courses to specialize in a variety of areas, as well as participating in more advanced activities such as field courses, seminars, and independent research. Most of these courses allow undergraduates to interact closely with faculty and graduate students in our program.

Upper Division Courses include (see undergraduate handbook for full course descriptions)


Lecture Courses:

BOT 3150 PLANT BIOLOGY (2 hrs)
BOT 3150L PLANT BIOLOGY LABORATORY (1 hr)
BOT 3800 ELEMENTARY BOTANY: PLANTS AND MAN (3 hrs)
BOT 4373C BIOLOGY OF HIGHER PLANTS (4 hrs)
BSC 3052 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (3 hrs)
BSC 3312 MARINE BIOLOGY (3 hrs)
BSC 3402L EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY (2 hrs)
BSC 3930 SEMINAR IN BIOLOGICAL FRONTIERS (1 hr)
BSC 3938 CAREERS IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (1 hr)
BSC 4514 AQUATIC POLLUTION BIOLOGY (3 hrs)
BSC 4613 SYSTEMATICS (3 hrs)
PCB 3043 GENERAL ECOLOGY (3 hrs)
PCB 4674 EVOLUTION (3 hrs)
ZOO 3203 ADVANCED INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY (2 hrs)
ZOO 4513 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (4 hrs)
ZOO 4823 INSECT BIOLOGY (3 hrs)
ZOO 4823 INSECT BIOLOGY (3 hrs)

Field Courses:

BOT 3143C FIELD BOTANY (4 hrs)
BSC 4931r SENIOR TUTORIAL (1 hr)
PCB 4341C ADVANCED FIELD BIOLOGY (3 hrs)
ZOO 3203L ADVANCED INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY LABORATORY (2 hrs)
ZOO 4204C BIOLOGY OF HIGHER MARINE INVERTEBRATES (5 hrs)
ZOO 4343C BIOLOGY OF THE LOWER VERTEBRATES (4 hrs)
ZOO 4353C BIOLOGY OF THE HIGHER VERTEBRATES (4 hrs)

Scholarships and Fellowships

The Department of Biological Science has several scholarships designed specifically to encourage and facilitate undergraduate participation in research. More information can be found on each of these through the Undergraduate Advising Office. Scholarships and fellowships include:

Francenia E. Fisher Scholarship is for students interested in plant biology.

Goldwater Scholarship is a national scholarship program for students interested in conservation biology.

Charles M. McAllister Endowed Scholarship is specifically intended to allow students to replace part-time work with Directed Independent Study to participate in research.

William R. and Lenore Mote Summer Undergraduate Internship in Marine Biology allows students to work with scientists in fisheries biology at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.

Robert B. Short Scholarship provides funds to allow students to take courses or conduct research at field stations across the world.

Varina Vaughn–Winona Jordan Scholarship assists financially needy students interested in careers in plant sciences.


Research Opportunities and Programs

Certificate Program in Living Marine Resource Ecology (Marine Biology)

This program provides interested students with both a challenging academic program and substantive hands-on experiences in the field. Available only to upper-level students who have met application requirements, the program prepares students to pursue professional careers in the application of ecology to significant resource issues of the marine environment.

Directed Independent Study (DIS; BSC 4900r)

Students are encouraged to work on research projects with individual faculty and can receive course credit in the major for doing so. These projects may involved working with faculty on their own research or developing and conducting independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. We encourage our students to present their completed research in poster sessions at Florida State or at regional science meetings.

Undergraduate Summer Internships in Marine Biology

Students may conduct independent research and receive credit.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)—National Science Foundation)

Many faculty in Ecology and Evolution provide support for one or two undergraduate students each summer to participate in research projects through a special program of the National Science Foundation. The requirements are only that the student be in good standing at Florida State University and plan to continue as an undergraduate in the fall (most REU scholars are juniors). The REU program provides full support for students to work 40 hours per week on projects supervised by faculty, generally closely allied to the faculty's own research. Contact individual faculty to find out about REU opportunities in their labs—obtaining these positions is often very competitive.

Employment and Volunteerism

A limitless number of opportunities are available for students interested in research. Most labs at Florida State employ a number of part-time research assistants. More than just a paycheck, these jobs can provide an important experience in research and a hands-on exposure to ecology and evolutionary biology. Even if such paid positions are not available, we strongly encourage students to explore the opportunities to do volunteer work in labs, perhaps leading up to a later position or Directed Independent Study project.

Contacts:

Information on courses, scholarships, and research opportunities can be found through the Undergraduate Advising Office in the Department of Biological Science. You don't have to do it yourself—trained professionals are ready to help you!