Program Description

The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology section in Biology at Kansas State University can provide diverse experiences for graduate study and offer Ph. D degrees in Biology or Microbiology, as well as M.S. degrees in Biology.  Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized with research areas ranging from microbes to plants and animals, from aquatic to terrestrial.  Disciplines include behavioral and population ecology, plant and animal systematics, wildlife and fisheries biology, landscape and ecosystems ecology.  While a substantial number of projects involve grassland ecology, particularly at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, students work in other systems including tundra, urban, agricultural, large river, tropical, wetland, and forest ecosystems.  The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology students and faculty provide a collaborative and supportive environment under which to pursue advanced study.

 Students work with their supervisory committee to design a program of study to fit their needs and their research project.  The only required course is Professional Skills in Biology (3 credits, offered spring semester).  All Biology graduate programs are research degrees (i.e. Master’s require a thesis, Doctoral students must produce a dissertation).

 Students receiving graduate degrees in Systematics and Ecology have gone on to do additional graduate work, to government positions, to consulting firms, and to academic positions (from teaching colleges to research universities).  Because of the wide variety of research areas, and the fact that the Division of Biology functions as a cohesive whole, students leave our program well trained with a diverse background.