Bachelors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University’s Bachelors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is strongly built around hands-on learning, combining laboratory work, field studies, faculty research, and study-abroad experiences. Students develop practical skills across molecular biology, microbiology, physiology, animal behavior, disease ecology, and field ecology, with opportunities to work directly in faculty laboratories and apply ecological and evolutionary concepts beyond the classroom.

Students can build practical experience through these program-specific opportunities:

• Laboratory training: Students complete EBIO 1015 Diversity of Life Lab and EBIO 3045 General Ecology Lab, with additional laboratory/field electives available as part of the major.
• Field-based learning: The program provides hands-on field learning as part of its ecology and evolutionary biology curriculum, allowing students to study organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems in real-world settings.
• Faculty research laboratories: Students are encouraged to join faculty labs and can develop experience in molecular biology and microbiology, physiology, animal behavior, disease ecology, and field ecology.
• Research methods: EBIO 2020 Theory and Methods in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology introduces students to the methods used to investigate ecological and evolutionary questions, while the senior EBIO 5970/5971 Capstone Research Seminars connects students with current departmental research.
• Research and capstone experience: In the senior year, students complete Capstone Research Seminars, attend departmental research seminars, discuss contemporary research topics, and engage with career development.
• Study abroad: The department offers study-abroad programming in Ecuador, Australia, and Scandinavia, extending ecological and evolutionary learning into different environments and ecosystems.
• Undergraduate fellowship: The EEB Undergraduate Fellows Program gives selected students experience assisting with laboratory sections after laboratory training and preparation meetings, providing practical teaching and group-working experience.
• Tropical and biodiversity research: The department's broader research environment includes the Tulane University Biodiversity Research Institute (TUBRI), a 500-acre research station used for ecological research and teaching, as well as field opportunities in locations such as Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and the Crosby Arboretum.
• Marine research: Tulane is an associate member of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, whose Cocodrie facility includes a modern marine research laboratory, providing an additional resource for marine and ecological research.
• Collections and research resources: Tulane's wider research infrastructure includes extensive plant and animal museum collections and library resources that support research in systematic biology, functional morphology, and ecology. 

Graduates of Tulane University’s Bachelors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology can pursue careers in zoology, botany, conservation, science education, environmental consulting, and nonprofit organizations. The degree also provides preparation for graduate and professional study, including public health, medical, and veterinary programs, while developing research, field-analysis, and ecological skills.

Career roles: Conservation Biologist, Zoologist, Environmental Consultant, Science Educator:

• Career support: Tulane’s Career Services provides undergraduate students with career guidance and access to employment and continuing-education outcome information. The School of Science and Engineering also hosts a career fair specifically open to Ecology and Evolutionary Biology students, with employers offering full-time, internship, co-op, and undergraduate opportunities.
• Employment statistics: Tulane publishes Graduating Student Survey Outcomes covering employment, continuing education, employers, industries, locations, and year-by-year trends. The official dashboard does not publish a program-specific employment rate or salary figure for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology on the accessible page, so no program-specific salary figure is stated here.
• University–industry connections: Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering career fair connects EEB students with organizations such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which recruits for environmental science-related roles and offers internships and undergraduate positions.
• Faculty and research connections: Students can work with faculty conducting research in conservation biology, ecosystem ecology, evolutionary biology, systematics, tropical ecology, disease ecology, and global change, providing pathways into research-oriented careers and further study.
• Accreditation value: Tulane University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees. Its accreditation was reaffirmed in 2022, with the next decennial reaffirmation scheduled for 2031–2032.
• Graduation outcomes: Tulane’s official outcomes system tracks whether graduates enter employment or continuing education, together with employers, industries, work locations, fields of further study, and degree levels.
• Capstone preparation: The EEB curriculum includes a Capstone Research Seminar, designed to synthesize students’ undergraduate biological training and prepare them to use that training in professional settings and future career opportunities.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor's degree, students can continue into Tulane’s M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology through the department’s dedicated 4+1 combined degree program. This pathway allows eligible Tulane undergraduates to complete six graduate credits during their senior year that count toward both the B.S. and M.S., completing the combined degrees in five years rather than the approximately six years normally required.