Undergraduate Degree Programs
B.S. Biological Sciences
Concentration in Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability
- Checksheet: 2009-10 | Major Map
- Checksheet: 2008-09 | Major Map
- Checksheet: 2007-08
- Checksheet: 2006-07
What can I do with a degree in Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability?
The Concentration in Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability is designed to provide students with a broad background in conservation biology and ecological sustainability, while allowing them to specialize in certain area(s) of interest. The concentration provides for training in population biology, behavioral ecology, climate change, urban ecology, conservation of endangered species and social and historical aspects of conservation. The major in Biological Sciences with a Concentration in Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability consists of a minimum of 41 semester hours in required life science courses, and a minimum of 16 semester hours in related fields, a three-semester-hour statistics course, plus a three-semester-hour advanced mathematics course included in the General Studies Requirement. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required in all course work in the major and related fields.
For more information about the Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability program click here.
Required courses are as follows:
Core requirements (15 credits):
- BIO 187 General Biology (4)
- BIO 188 General Biology (4)
- BIO 340 General Genetics (4)
- BIO 345 Organic Evolution (3)
Concentration requirements(9 hours):
- BIO 322 Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability I (3)
- BIO 323 Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability II (3)
- BIO 320 Fundamentals of Ecology (3)
Electives (17 hours):
Elective courses are intended to provide breadth in the areas of:
Take at least one course from each of the following categories (see below for list of approved courses)
- Population, genetic and quantitative ecology,
- Ecosystem processes and community and landscape ecology,
- Biodiversity, natural history, and field techniques,
- Human dimensions of conservation biology.
Students with a particular interest in one of these four areas are encouraged to take several elective courses in that category; others may wish to follow a more general approach. Courses in each of these areas are listed below and should be selected in consultation with an advisor.
Related Fields (16 hours):
- CHM 113 General Chemistry I (4)
- CHM 116 General Chemistry II (4)
Organic Chemistry Options
- CHM 231 Elementary Organic Chemistry SQ1 (3)
- CHM 235 Elementary Organic Chemistry Laboratory SQ1 (1)
---or--- - CHM 233 General Organic Chemistry I (3)
- CHM 234 General Organic Chemistry II (3)
- CHM 237 General Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (1)
- CHM 238 General Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (1)
Other Related Field Options
- 4 hours in Physics, Geography, or Geology
Math Proficiency (6 hours; 3 as a General Studies Requirement):
- STP 226 Elementary Statistics (3) or STP 231 Statistics for Biosciences (3)
- MAT 251 Calculus for Life Sciences (3)
Elective credit options (not in catalog):
Population, Genetic and Quantitative Ecology
- BIO 331 Animal Behavior (3)
- BIO 411 Quantitative Conservation Biology (3)
- BIO 423 Population and Community Ecology (3)
- BIO 424 Dynamic Modeling in Social and Ecological Systems (4)
- PLB 420 Plant Ecology: Organisms and Populations (3)
Ecosystem Processes and Community and Landscape Ecology
- BIO 421 Landscape Ecology (3)
- BIO 423 Population and Community Ecology (3)
- BIO 426 Limnology (4)
- BIO 494 Riparian Ecosystems (3)
- BIO 494 Urban Ecology (3)
- BIO 494 Restoration Ecology (3)
- BIO 494 Soil Ecology (3 )
- PLB 421 Plant Ecology: Communities and Landscapes (3)
Biodiversity, Natural History and Field Techniques
- BIO 321 Introductory Ecology Laboratory (2)
- BIO 410 Techniques in Wildlife Conservation Biology (3)
- BIO 471 Ornithology (3)
- BIO 472 Mammalogy (4)
- BIO 473 Ichthyology (3)
- BIO 474 Herpetology (3)
- PLB 304 Biology of Algae and Fungi (3)
- PLB 305 Desert Annuals, Cacti and Succulents (3)
- PLB 310 The Flora of Arizona (4)
- PLB 400 Lichenology (3)
- PLB 401 Mycology (3)
- PLB 404 Phycology (4)
- PLB 407 Plant Fossils and Evolution (4)
- PLB 411 Trees and Shrubs of Arizona (3)
Human Dimensions of Conservation Biology
- BIO 412 Conservation in Practice (3)
- BIO 494 Environmental History(3)
- BIO 424/PHI 310 Environmental Ethics (3)
- BIO 494 Environmental Economics (3)
- BIO 494 People and Nature: Ecosystem Services (3)
- HPS 377 Nature in Context (3)
- HST 306 American Environmental History (3)
- HST 394 The History and Philosophy of Sustainability (3)
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