Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, M.S.

I. Contact Information

Lee Dyer, Graduate Program Director
(775)784-1360
ldyer@unr.edu

Department Office:
147 Fleischmann Agriculture

II. Brief Introduction

Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB) is an interdisciplinary program bringing together faculty and students from multiple departments at the University of Nevada, Reno, the Desert Research Institute and the Great Basin Institute. The Master of Science in EECB provides the opportunity to tailor graduate education in these areas to students’ interests.  Students have a team of mentors to guide them through their scientific endeavors and provide them with a solid foundation in research methods and experimental design. Students have access to departmental laboratories, as well as several research centers: the Chemical Ecology Program, the Nevada Genomics Center, the Whittell Forest and Wildlife Area/Little Valley Field Station and the Valley Road Field Laboratory. Graduates of our program are well-equipped for careers as scientists and researchers.

III. Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

• ​Students will be able to carry out an advanced, independent research project on a unique question in Ecology, Evolution, or Conservation Biology.
• Students will be able to articulate and follow ethical principles in a scientific context, including the communication of literature research without plagiarism, the crediting of collaborators and standards for co-authorship, and principles of intellectual property.
• Students will be able to communicate and defend the results of the thesis research in writing and in oral presentation.
• Students will be able to read and critically evaluate relevant scientific literature in the fields of Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology.

IV. Admission Requirements

1. Cumulative grade point average of 3.00.
2. Verbal plus quantitative GRE, combined score over 300; TOEFL score over 600 for international students.
3. Course work in physical sciences (6 units).
4. University mathematics including calculus (6 units).
5. Organic chemistry or biochemistry (6 units).
6. Biology course work (24 units, including genetics, evolution, and ecology), or equivalent evidence of ability to succeed in a graduate program in ecology, evolution and conservation biology.

V. Program Requirements

All Graduate School requirements for the Master of Science must be fulfilled.

There will be no foreign or computer language requirement in EECB. However, a student’s Advisory/Examining Committee may require language study.

VI. Total Units (30 units)

VII. Recommended Schedule