BS in Organismal Biology — Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Option (ECEB)

Students in the BS in Organismal Biology — Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Option (ECEB) at Auburn University develop practical skills by combining laboratory-based biology with ecology, evolution, genetics, organismal biology and animal behavior. The curriculum includes dedicated laboratory courses such as Principles of Biology Laboratory, Organismal Biology Laboratory, Genetics Laboratory and advanced physiology laboratory work, while the option culminates in Animal Behavior and specialized ecology/evolution/diversity electives. Auburn also provides opportunities for faculty-mentored research, internships and field-based learning, giving students opportunities to apply biological concepts beyond the classroom.

Program-specific experiential opportunities include:

• Laboratory training: Students complete hands-on laboratory courses including BIOL 1021 Principles of Biology Laboratory, BIOL 1031 Organismal Biology Laboratory and BIOL 3001 Genetics Laboratory, developing practical skills alongside their core biology coursework.
• Ecology and field-focused study: BIOL 3060 Ecology provides the core ecological foundation for the ECEB option, while upper-level Eco/Evo/Diversity electives allow students to pursue more specialized study of organisms, populations and ecosystems.
• Animal behavior: BIOL 5650 Animal Behavior examines animal behaviors, their adaptive value, development and evolution, providing direct academic preparation for students interested in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology.
• Research experience: Auburn offers BIOL 4980 Undergraduate Research, a directed research course in an area of specialty within Biological Sciences. Students can work with faculty on research projects and receive academic credit for approved undergraduate research.
• ECEB undergraduate research: Auburn's current Undergraduate Research Fellows include students from this exact major option. Recent projects include research on sex-based differences in heat-dissipating behavior in zebra finches and the effects of acclimation temperature on swimming, demonstrating opportunities to undertake focused organismal and behavioral research.
• Research areas: Departmental research directly relevant to ECEB includes behavior, ecology, evolution and conservation, as well as evolutionary genetics and systematics and physiological adaptations and functional genomics.
• Internships: Students can complete BIOL 4920 Internship in Biology, which applies biology concepts and skills in a professional experience. Auburn states that internships may involve research universities, research firms, nonprofit organizations and companies, and approved internships can earn Auburn credit.
• Field and conservation opportunities: Auburn's Biological Sciences internship resources specifically identify opportunities such as the Student Conservation Association, Wildlands Studies, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, U.S. Geological Survey internships and Smithsonian Museum internships, giving ECEB students potential routes into conservation, wildlife and environmental work.
• Natural-history collections: The John D. Freeman Herbarium provides a particularly relevant research and teaching resource for organismal biology. It contains approximately 75,000 vascular plant specimens, more than 3,000 fungi, 2,000 lichens and 1,500 bryophytes, and serves as a resource for plant identification and research.
• Museum research resources: The Auburn University Museum of Natural History houses extensive biological collections, including flowering plants, gymnosperms, pteridophytes, bryophytes, lichens and fungi, giving students and researchers access to specimens relevant to biodiversity and evolutionary studies.
• Research instrumentation: The Auburn University Research Instrumentation Facility (AURIF) provides research instrumentation and services to Auburn student researchers, including training, instrument familiarization and specimen-preparation assistance; the facility supports research in biological sciences among other disciplines.
• Biology teaching laboratories: Auburn's Sciences Center Laboratory Building contains laboratories specifically used for undergraduate chemistry and biology classes, supporting the laboratory component of the ECEB curriculum.
• Scientific communication: All ECEB students complete BIOL 4950 Senior Seminar, which involves oral presentations and discussion of recent scientific publications in biological sciences, strengthening scientific communication and presentation skills.
• Specific software: Auburn's official ECEB curriculum and departmental pages do not identify a particular software package as a required program-specific tool, so no software is added here without an official source confirming its use.

The BS in Organismal Biology — Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Option (ECEB) prepares students to understand organisms, ecosystems, evolution and behavior, creating pathways into ecology, conservation, environmental research and related biological sciences. Auburn specifically identifies this option as preparation for careers or graduate study in ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation and environmental research.

Career opportunities: Ecologist, Conservation Scientist, Wildlife Biologist, Environmental Researcher.

Career development and graduate outcomes:

• Career services: Auburn's Career Discovery and Success provides major and career exploration, career-readiness development, internship and job-application support, employer and alumni connections, and assistance with evaluating and negotiating job offers.
• Biological Sciences career support: The department provides professional-development opportunities alongside laboratory and field experiences, faculty mentoring, internships and research, helping students prepare for careers in conservation, research, environmental protection, education and related areas.
• Internships: Biological Sciences students can receive academic credit for approved internships through BIOL 4920 Internships in Biology. Auburn lists opportunities with organizations such as the Student Conservation Association, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, U.S. Geological Survey, Smithsonian Museum, National Council for Science and the Environment, and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
• Undergraduate research: Students can work with faculty on research projects in areas including behavior, ecology, evolution, conservation, evolutionary genetics and systematics. Auburn's undergraduate research listings also include opportunities such as the LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates, which recruits biology majors for environmental-sustainability research.
• Specific research example: An Auburn undergraduate majoring in Organismal Biology—Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior conducted research on sexual selection in wild yellow-bellied slider turtles using 3-D printed decoys and PIT tags, demonstrating the type of specialized research experience available to students in this option.
• Employment statistics and salary: Auburn does not publish a program-specific employment rate or starting-salary figure for the ECEB option on its official program pages. Auburn's official First Destination Survey information is used for some individual programs, but a specific ECEB salary statistic is not stated; therefore, no unrelated salary figure is assigned to this degree.
• University–industry and external connections: Auburn's Biological Sciences internship resources connect students with external organizations and research institutions including the U.S. Geological Survey, Smithsonian Museum, Student Conservation Association, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. These are documented internship/research opportunities rather than a stated exclusive industry partnership for the ECEB degree.
• Long-term accreditation value: Auburn does not state a separate professional accreditation specifically for the Organismal Biology—ECEB bachelor's degree on the official program page. The program is an officially listed BS degree in Organismal Biology—Ecology, Evolution and Behavior within Auburn's College of Sciences and Mathematics.
• Graduation outcomes: Auburn states that Organismal Biology graduates are prepared for careers and advanced study in areas including research, conservation, natural-resource-related fields and other biological sciences; the ECEB option specifically supports progression into ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation and environmental research.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into Auburn's M.S. or Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, where research-focused training is available across areas including ecology, evolution, conservation, behavior and other biological sciences. Auburn also offers an Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's (ABM) pathway for Organismal Biology students: eligible students can take three 6000-level courses worth 9 credits that count toward both degrees, develop undergraduate research into an M.S. thesis, and potentially complete the M.S. in 12–15 months.