The EEB major is designed to provide students with core disciplinary training while giving them the flexibility of interdisciplinary electives to meet their academic goals. 

New Graduate Student Orientation

Theses and Dissertations

Learning Outcomes

All students will demonstrate

• A mastery of the required coursework
• An understanding of the central issues and current research in the discipline
• Breadth and depth of knowledge in the discipline
• An ability to publish research results in peer-reviewed journals
• An awareness of the societal and ethical issues surrounding the discipline

Curriculum Requirements

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree requirements: 72 credits | Time-to-degree: 5 years or less

• Conceptual Foundations in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB 5110) - 4 credits
• Ecology & Evolutionary Biology courses - 6 credits
• Seminar (EEB 6980) - 2 credits
• Statistics/quantitative methods course - 3-4 credits
• Dissertation research - variable credits*
• Elective courses/additional research (credits as needed to reach 72 required)

*No established minimum; at discretion of Academic Plan Committee and student.

EEB Graduate Courses

Current Seminars

Fall 2026

Tea Time Talks: Conversation around the EEOB/EEB Seminar Series

EEB 6980 – Fall 2026 – 1 CREDIT

Wednesday from 4:10 - 5:00 pm in 334 Bessey Hall

Description of the Course

This course is a discussion-based class with attendance at the weekly EEOB/EEB seminar series. The week before each seminar, we will have the class read a peer-reviewed paper related to the seminar topic. Then the day before the seminar, we will have a student-led discussion of the paper and related topics at our afternoon tea time. For some weeks, we will invite a guest faculty member whose research is closely related to the topics to provide their perspective to our discussion. Reading and discussion of the material will help students feel more engaged in the seminar and understand how the topic connects to a broader ecological and/or evolutionary context. As a result, students should feel more comfortable to ask questions during the weekly seminar, creating a more energetic discussion around the topic. We also encourage the students in the course to participate in the graduate student lunches organized for in-person visitors.

Course goals and learning objectives

1. To become familiar with a diversity of topics in ecology and evolution through the attendance of weekly seminars, reading primary literature, and discussion and presentation of this primary literature
2. To identify the questions and hypotheses underlying each reading that will put the seminar speaker’s research in a broader ecological or evolutionary context
3. To increase student engagement in the weekly EEOB/EEB seminar series.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor: Drs. Amy Burgin & Dennis Lavrov

Email: burginam@iastate.edu  dlavrov@iastate.edu 

Office hours: Immediately after each class, or by appointment.