Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with other organisms and with their environment. It is one of the key sciences contributing to the broader field of conservation biology and the maintenance of biodiversity.Undergraduate program goals:

• Students are able to describe the processes that underlie evolution and their manifestation in the natural world.

• Students are able to explain ecological concepts, methods of study, and the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

• Students are able to understand organismal diversity and functioning at all levels, from the molecular and cellular to the whole organism, as well as the interplay between organismal functioning and ecological and evolutionary processes.

• Students participate in the process of discovery by conducting experimental and observational studies, synthesizing results with the primary literature, and communicating their questions, hypotheses, observations, and experiences to others.

• Students demonstrate proficiency in mathematics, statistics, computer modeling, and the use of computers, as these topics relate to biology.

• Students know the theoretical framework of evolution, ecology and organismal biology and understand science as a process, including the history of science as it relates to these three disciplines within biology.

• Students are aware of current issues in biology, especially those that have significant ethical and societal implications, and will be able to communicate scientific concepts and processes.