BS in Organismal Biology — Conservation and Biodiversity Option (CONS)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Auburn University

Program Overview

The BS in Organismal Biology — Conservation and Biodiversity Option at Auburn University provides a broad foundation in biological sciences while allowing students to specialize in ecology, evolution, physiology, conservation and biodiversity. It suits students interested in understanding organisms and ecosystems and preparing for careers or further study in conservation, environmental science, wildlife biology, natural resource management, research and related fields.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their scientific foundation through BIOL 1020 Principles of Biology, BIOL 1030 Organismal Biology and their associated laboratory courses, alongside CHEM 1030 Fundamentals of Chemistry I and CHEM 1040 Fundamentals of Chemistry II. MATH 1610 Calculus I and BIOL 2100 Professional Development also introduce quantitative and professional skills needed for subsequent biological study.

Year 2: Students move into more specialized biological concepts with BIOL 3000 Genetics, BIOL 3030 Evolution and Systematics and BIOL 3060 Ecology, building an understanding of heredity, evolutionary relationships and ecological processes. CHEM 2030 Survey of Organic Chemistry and STAT 2510 Statistics for Biological and Health Sciences strengthen the chemistry and quantitative background required for biological research and analysis.

Year 3: The curriculum becomes strongly focused on organisms and biodiversity through WILD 3280 Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management, BIOL 4020 Vertebrate Biodiversity and BIOL 3100 Plant Biology. Students also study ENTM 3040 General Entomology, BIOL 4100 Cell Biology and selected Ecology/Evolution/Biodiversity electives, giving them experience across plant, animal and cellular perspectives.

Year 4: Students apply their knowledge directly to conservation and biodiversity through BIOL 5090 Conservation Biology, BIOL 4010 Invertebrate Biodiversity and BIOL 5120 Systematic Botany. The final year also includes BIOL 4950 Senior Seminar, biology electives and an Anatomy and Physiology elective, allowing students to consolidate their scientific knowledge and prepare for professional or postgraduate pathways.

Focus areas: Conservation and biodiversity, ecology, evolution, physiology, wildlife, natural resource management, plant biology, animal biodiversity, systematic botany and biological research.

Learning outcomes: Students develop a broad understanding of biological organisms and their environments, with specialized knowledge of biological diversity, ecology, evolution and conservation at organism and ecosystem levels. The curriculum also develops foundations in genetics, cell biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and statistics.

Professional alignment (accreditation): STEM designated: Auburn University identifies Organismal Biology as a STEM-designated undergraduate program. A separate professional accreditation specific to the BS in Organismal Biology — Conservation and Biodiversity Option is not stated on the official program pages.

Reputation (employability rankings): Auburn University's official Strategic Plan reports an 85% undergraduate First Destination Success rate for 2021–22 and 2022–23, while its 2025–26 institutional rankings include QS 851–900 globally and U.S. News & World Report #102. These are university-level figures rather than rankings specific to the Organismal Biology program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Auburn University’s BS in Organismal Biology – Conservation & Biodiversity Option develop practical skills by studying organisms, ecosystems, biodiversity, ecology and conservation through laboratory, field and collection-based experiences. The program is supported by Auburn’s Biological Sciences facilities and research resources, including the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, John D. Freeman Herbarium, Donald E. Davis Arboretum and Alabama Natural Heritage Program, allowing students to connect coursework with real biodiversity research, specimen collections, conservation projects and field-based studies. Auburn specifically states that undergraduate students can develop skills through laboratory courses, field experiences, faculty-led research, internships and study-abroad opportunities.

Program-specific practical opportunities include:

Conservation and biodiversity coursework: The option includes upper-level study across ecology, evolution and physiology, with a specific focus on conservation and biodiversity, giving students a practical scientific foundation for studying organisms and ecosystems.
Conservation Biology: BIOL 5090 introduces the ethical, economic and biological dimensions of conservation at local through global scales, directly supporting the option’s conservation focus.
Laboratory experience: Auburn’s Biological Sciences curriculum includes laboratory-based biology courses, while the department provides teaching and research laboratory infrastructure for undergraduate students working across organismal biology and related fields.
Auburn University Museum of Natural History: Students can engage with extensive natural-history collections covering plants, insects, fishes, amphibians and reptiles, birds, mammals and other organisms. The museum supports teaching, research and conservation activities closely aligned with organismal biology.
John D. Freeman Herbarium: The herbarium contains approximately 75,000 vascular plant specimens, more than 3,000 fungi, 2,000 lichens and 1,500 bryophytes. Students can use the collection for plant identification, research and biodiversity studies, and its online database provides digital access to collection information.
Museum research and volunteer experience: Auburn Museum of Natural History offers students opportunities to assist with collection maintenance, ongoing research and outreach while gaining curatorial experience and familiarity with diverse flora and fauna. Research-credit opportunities are also available.
Biodiversity data and GIS: The Alabama Natural Heritage Program, housed within Auburn’s biological sciences resources, conducts field surveys and biological inventories and provides biodiversity data, GIS support and mapping services for conservation planning, environmental review, research and land management.
Field-based conservation research: Students can connect with the Alabama Natural Heritage Program’s work documenting rare and sensitive species, natural communities, habitats and ecological conditions throughout Alabama, providing a direct connection between biodiversity science and conservation practice.
Donald E. Davis Arboretum: The 13.5-acre arboretum provides an outdoor setting containing numerous plants and habitats native to Alabama and is used by Auburn as an outdoor classroom for education and research.
Natural-history collections and digital databases: Auburn’s museum collections are databased or being digitized, with collection information available through platforms including Specify, iDigBio and GBIF, giving students exposure to collection-based biodiversity information and digital specimen data.
Faculty-led undergraduate research: The Department of Biological Sciences provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in faculty-led research, with research spanning biodiversity, conservation, evolution, ecological processes and other areas relevant to the Conservation & Biodiversity option.
Internships and study abroad: Auburn’s Department of Biological Sciences specifically identifies internships and study-abroad opportunities among the experiential-learning options available to undergraduate biology students.
Advanced collection-based experience: Auburn offers Natural History Museum Practicum coursework focused on practical methods in museum curation, including assisting with collections at the Auburn University Museum of Natural History.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BS in Organismal Biology — Conservation and Biodiversity Option prepares students to apply biological knowledge to conservation, biodiversity, ecology and natural-resource challenges. Auburn specifically identifies pathways into conservation, environmental science, wildlife biology, natural-resource management and related fields, while also preparing students for graduate or professional study.

Career opportunities: Conservation Scientist, Wildlife Biologist, Natural Resources Specialist, Environmental Scientist:

Career services: Auburn's Career Discovery and Success office provides career counseling, job and internship searches, on-campus interviews, career fairs, employer events and internship registration support. Students can also use Auburn's Labor Market Insights, developed in partnership with Lightcast, to explore employment trends, employers, job titles, technical skills and annual earnings.
Employment and salary information: Auburn does not publish a program-specific employment rate or salary figure for the Conservation and Biodiversity option. Its official career platform provides occupation-level employment trends and annual earnings using labor-market and BLS-based data, allowing students to research salaries for individual conservation and biological occupations.
Research and professional experience: Students can participate in faculty-mentored research, laboratory and field experiences, internships and study-abroad opportunities. Auburn's undergraduate research records also document Conservation and Biodiversity students completing research projects, such as a project examining the diet of wild turkeys in Alabama.
University–industry and external connections: Auburn's Department of Biological Sciences works across research areas including ecology, evolution and conservation, while the department's resources include the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, Auburn University Museum of Natural History and Alabama Natural Heritage Program, supporting research, conservation and public engagement across Alabama and the Southeast. A specific private-industry partnership dedicated exclusively to this degree is not stated by Auburn.
Graduation outcomes: Auburn identifies Biological Sciences graduates as prepared for careers in research, conservation, biotechnology, education, government service and related areas. The Conservation and Biodiversity curriculum specifically emphasizes ecology, evolution, physiology, conservation and biodiversity and identifies career directions including naturalist, policymaker and wildlife scientist.
Long-term accreditation value: Auburn University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor's, master's, education specialist and doctoral degrees. Auburn received a 10-year reaffirmation of its institutional accreditation in December 2023, supporting the long-term recognition and quality-assurance framework of the university's degrees.
Professional development: The Conservation and Biodiversity curriculum includes BIOL 4AA0 Professional Development II, while Auburn's department provides professional-development opportunities through research seminars, journal clubs, teaching experiences and student organizations.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into Auburn's MS in Biological Sciences, including research areas such as ecology, evolution and organismal biology, or progress to the PhD in Biological Sciences for advanced independent research. Auburn also offers an Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's (ABM) pathway for Organismal Biology students, allowing eligible students to take three 6000-level courses that count toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees and potentially develop undergraduate research into an M.S. thesis.