Bachelors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Princeton University

Program Overview

Princeton University’s A.B. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology offers an interdisciplinary study of evolution, ecology, behavior, conservation, disease, physiology, and ecosystem biology, combining theory with empirical and quantitative approaches. It suits students interested in understanding the living world from molecules and organisms to populations and ecosystems, while preparing them for graduate study, professional careers, and employment in the life sciences.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build their scientific foundation through courses such as EEB 211 – Life on Earth: Mechanisms of Change in Nature, which introduces evolution, organismal interactions, and ecosystem dynamics, alongside EEB/MOL 214 – Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology, covering molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology. Students also begin the required chemistry, mathematics, physics, and statistics prerequisites.

Year 2: Students continue completing the core science prerequisites while developing a stronger understanding of ecological and evolutionary concepts. Depending on their interests, they can begin exploring areas such as EEB 308 – Conservation Biology, which examines biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, or other approved EEB courses.

Year 3: The curriculum becomes more specialized, with students completing required upper-level courses including EEB 309 – Evolutionary Biology and EEB 321 – Ecology: Species Interactions, Biodiversity and Society. Students also undertake Research Methods in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB 390) to develop the conceptual, analytical, and practical skills needed for independent research and their junior paper.

Year 4: Students complete additional upper-level EEB coursework while undertaking substantial independent research through the senior thesis sequence. EEB 498 – Senior Thesis I and the subsequent thesis work allow students to conduct an extended research project under the supervision of a Princeton faculty member.

Focus Areas:

Ecology & the Environment, Evolution & Genomics, Behavior & Sensory Biology, Conservation & Biodiversity, Infectious Disease.

Learning Outcomes:

Evolutionary reasoning, ecological analysis, quantitative methods, scientific research, data interpretation, field research, experimental design, independent scholarship.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

Professional accreditation: Not stated by Princeton as a separate professional accreditation for the A.B. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; the program is an A.B. degree offered by Princeton’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

Official program reputation: Princeton describes EEB as “one of the top-ranked whole-organism biology departments in the country” and states that the program provides a strong background for graduate studies, professional careers, and employment in the life sciences.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Princeton University’s B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology develop practical skills through laboratory courses, field-based research, quantitative analysis, independent projects, and faculty-supervised research. The program provides opportunities to work in local and international environments, with students conducting observations, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and developing independent research questions. Princeton reports that 70% of EEB students travel to pursue research and 30% of majors attend semesters in the field, including opportunities in Kenya and Panama.

Students can build this hands-on experience through several program-specific opportunities:

Research Methods: EEB 390 teaches students to design, conduct, and interpret research and provides practical preparation for junior independent work.
Independent Research: Students complete a senior thesis involving substantial research and scholarship under the supervision of a Princeton faculty member; projects may be laboratory, field, data-mining, theoretical, or library based.
Field Research: EEB 317, Ecology of Fields, Rivers, and Woodlands, takes students to local sites including Institute Woods, Mountain Lakes, Stony Ford, Terhune Orchards, D&R Greenway, Autumn Hill, and Bowman’s Hill, where students develop independent ecological research projects.
Laboratory Research: EEB courses provide laboratory-based training, including EEB/MOL 214 – Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology, which includes a three-hour laboratory, and EEB 321, where students develop observation, experimentation, and data-analysis skills through field and laboratory research.
Panama Field Program: Students can spend a semester in Panama with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), completing intensive courses involving field projects, data analysis, tropical ecology, coral reefs, and independent research.
Kenya Field Experience: Life on the Savanna: Natural History and Field Biology in East Africa at Mpala Research Centre immerses students in scientific inquiry, field observation, study design, data collection, analysis, and independent field research.
Marine Research: Through Princeton’s partnership with Shoals Marine Laboratory, EEB undergraduates can access experiential learning and research opportunities at the Appledore Island field station in Maine.
Specialized Field Techniques: The Panama program includes techniques such as underwater censusing, mapping, videotaping, and recording inter-individual interactions in the Biology of Coral Reefs course.
Quantitative & Digital Analysis: EEB 324 includes a computer laboratory, while EEB 325 trains students to build and analyze mathematical models for biological processes, including evolutionary game theory and population dynamics.
Group & Individual Projects: Field courses combine class, group, and individual research projects, giving students experience moving from observations and research questions through data collection and scientific communication.
Research Facilities: Program-specific field facilities include Stony Ford Research Station, Mpala Research Centre in Kenya, and Princeton’s partnership with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, providing environments for field and laboratory research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Princeton’s A.B. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology prepares students for graduate study, professional careers, and employment in the life sciences through training in ecology, evolution, quantitative methods, laboratory techniques, field research, and independent research. Students complete junior independent work and a senior thesis, building research experience that can support careers across environmental science, conservation, biological research, and related fields.

Typical Job Roles: Ecologist, Conservation Scientist, Biological Researcher, Environmental Scientist.

Career Support & Employment Opportunities:

Career Advising: Princeton’s Center for Career Development provides one-on-one advising, career exploration, networking guidance, internship and job-search strategies, interview preparation, resume and cover-letter reviews, and graduate-school application planning.
Employer Connections: Students can participate in employer information sessions, career fairs, alumni panels, industry-speaker events, workshops, and job-shadowing opportunities.
Research Experience: EEB students undertake independent research that may involve laboratory work, field research, data mining, theoretical research, or library study, culminating in a senior thesis.
Field Opportunities: The department reports that 30% of majors attend semesters in the field and 70% travel to pursue research, including opportunities in Kenya and Panama.

Employment & Salary Figures:

Post-Graduation Outcomes: Princeton reported post-graduation outcomes for 99.5% of the Class of 2024; by December 31, 2024, 89.1% had secured a reported post-graduation outcome, including 61.6% who accepted employment and 24.8% who confirmed admission to graduate or professional school.
Salary Data: Princeton’s official first-destination information provides employment, industry, employer, job-title, and graduate-school data, but the official sources reviewed do not publish a program-specific salary figure for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduates.

University–Industry & Research Partnerships:

Shoals Marine Laboratory: Princeton established a research partnership with Shoals Marine Laboratory in 2022, providing EEB undergraduates with experiential learning and research opportunities at its marine field station in Maine.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Princeton’s Panama field program is conducted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and gives students intensive coursework in tropical ecology, conservation, coral reefs, parasitology, and anthropology.
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences: Princeton has an established partnership with BIOS supporting environmental-science courses and research opportunities involving ecology and evolutionary biology.

Long-Term Accreditation Value: Princeton’s official EEB and undergraduate degree information does not identify a separate professional accreditation specifically for the A.B. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The program is an official Princeton A.B. degree offered through the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Graduation Outcomes: EEB graduates can move into employment in the life sciences or continue into graduate and professional education. Princeton’s EEB curriculum is specifically designed to prepare students for a wide range of trajectories, with independent research, quantitative analysis, laboratory and field techniques forming an important part of the undergraduate experience.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the A.B., students can pursue graduate or professional study in areas such as ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, environmental science, genomics, infectious disease, public health, or related biological disciplines. Princeton itself offers a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with research strengths including evolution and genomics, ecology and the environment, behavior and organismal biology, conservation biology, and infectious disease.