University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Cognate courses

The Rackham Graduate School recognizes the value of intellectual breadth in graduate education, and the importance of formal graduate study in areas beyond the student's field of specialization. Cognate courses are those that are in a discipline or area different from a student's field of study, but are related or connected with some aspect of this field. Cognate coursework must be approved by the department or program, and may be satisfied by:

1. Completing four credit hours of cognate coursework in approved graduate-level courses with a grade of B- or better.
2. Using coursework within the same department or program but in a subfield different from the student's own. A course in a student's program that is cross-listed as a course in another program may satisfy the cognate requirement. In this case, the department or program should notify Rackham OARD.
3. Using credit officially transferred from another institution in another field of study.
4. Completing graduate coursework at another institution that meets the expectation of the cognate requirement without officially transferring the credit to the transcript. The student must provide Rackham Office of Academic Records and Dissertation (OARD) with an official transcript, including the courses and credit hours, and the department or program should notify Rackham OARD. These courses do not apply toward the minimum requirement for the degree, and do not appear on the university transcript.

View EEB graduate courses, as well as a list of courses offered at the U-M Biological Station.

Select graduate cognate courses:

Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences (AOSS)

AOSS 535:

Isotope Biogeochemistry 3 credits

Business Administration (BA)

BA 518/HMP 630:

The Business of Biology "The New Frontiers of Genomic Medicine"
Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

CEE 582:

Environmental Microbiology 3 credits

Complex Systems (COMPLXSYS)

COMPLXSYS 501:

An Introduction to Complex Systems 3 credits

COMPLXSYS 510:

Complex Systems 3 credits
A course taught by Professor Carl Simon; the topics vary.

COMPLXSYS 511:

Theory of Complex Systems,

3 credits

COMPLXSYS 531:

Basic Computing Skills for Programming Agent Based Models

1 credit

COMPLXSYS 541:

Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics and the Physics of Complexity

3 credits

COMPLXSYS 608:

Networks: Theory Complex Systems

3 credits

School of Education (EDUC)

EDUC 733-001:

College Level Teaching-Teaching and Research in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering [STEM]

Recommended by CRLT

Program in the Environment (ENVIRON)

ENVIRON 409:

Ecology of Fishes

3-4 credits

ENVIRON 415:

Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Biology

4 credits

ENVIRON 416:

Field Skills in Wildlife Behavior

2 credits

ENVIRON 422:

Biology of Fishes

3 credits

ENVIRON 423:

The Biology of Fishes Laboratory

1 credit

ENVIRON 425:

Applied Population Ecology

4 credits

ENVIRON 430:

Soil Ecology

3 credits

ENVIRON 433:

Ornithology

4 credits

ENVIRON 436:

Woody Plants: Biology and Identification

4 credits

ENVIRON 451:

Biology of Mammals

ENVIRON 476:

Ecosystem Ecology

3 credits

Geological Sciences (GEOSCI)

GEOSCI 418:

Paleontology

3 credits

GEOSCI 419:

Paleontology Laboratory

1 credit

GEOSCI 445:

Biogeography

3 credits

GEOSCI 514:

Isotope Biogeochemistry

3 credits

Human Genetics (HUMGEN)

HUMGEN 541:

Gene Structure and Regulation

HUMGEN 542:

Molecular Basis of Human Genetic Disease

HUMGEN 544:

Basic Concepts in Population and Statistical Genetics (EEB 544)

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB)

MCDB 400:

Advanced Research

1 – 3 credits

MCDB 401:

Advanced Topics in Biology

Credits: 3

MCDB 404:

Genetics, Development, and Evolution

3 credits

MCDB 408:

Genomic Biology

3 credits

MCDB 411:

Protein Structure and Function

3 credits

MCDB 412:

Teaching Biochemistry by the Keller Plan

3 credits

MCDB 413:

Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory

3 credits

MCDB 415:

Microbial Genetics

3 credits

MCDB 418:

Endocrinology

3 credits

MCDB 419:

Endocrinology Lab

3 credits

MCDB 422:

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology

3 credits

MCDB 423:

Introduction to Research in Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology

3 credits

MCDB 427:

Molecular Biology

4 credits

MCDB 428:

Cell Biology

4 credits

MCDB 429:

Laboratory in Cell and Molecular Biology

3 credits

MCDB 430:

Molecular Biology of Plants

3 credits

MCDB 432:

Biochemistry and Physiology of Prokaryotes

3 credits

MCDB 435:

Intracellular Trafficking

3 credits

MCDB 589:

Mechanisms of Microbial Evolution

3 credits

MCDB 610:

Principles of Neuroscience 1

4 credits

MCDB 611:

Excitable Membranes

1 credit

MCDB 613:

Central Nervous System Physiology and Development

1 credit

MCDB 614:

Experimental Models in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

3 credits

MCDB 632:

Experimental Genetics Systems

1 credit

MCDB 680:

Organogenesis of Complex Tissues

3 credits

MCDB 800:

Biology Seminars

1 credit

Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)

View the list of NRE courses available. Coming soon will be specific courses recommended by EEB faculty and graduate students.

NRE 501:

Analysis and Modeling of Ecological Data Instructor: Inés Ibáñez

The intent of the course is to expose students to the most common standard and innovative techniques in ecological data analysis and modeling. Topics will include: linear regression, mixed effects models (fixed and random effects), maximum likelihood, general linear models and general additive models, survival analysis, time series, spatial analysis and Bayesian and hierarchical Bayesian approaches.

While reviewing the major statistical techniques, students will also work on their projects. This course is designed for students to work on data, or simulated data, related to their research projects or scientific interests.

By the end of course students will have an understanding of the basic approaches used in ecological data analysis and modeling and they will be ready to jump-off into more advance understanding and use of these methods. They will have become proficient in the specific techniques chosen for their work and will have the necessary knowledge and tools to understand work done using all the other methods addressed in the lectures.

NRE 639:

Ecology of Aquatic Insects (AQI) Instructor: Mike Wiley

We will read and discuss one background and one recent paper a week on: AQI evolution and diversity, reproductive ecology, foraging ecology, competition and population regulation, invertebrate predator--invertebrate prey interactions, interactions between AQI and fish, ecological assessment and AQI indicators.

Interdivisional (RCIDIV)

RCIDIV 318:

Food, Land, and Society

4 credits

Statistics (STATS)

List of available statistics courses

Coming soon will be specific courses recommended by EEB faculty and graduate students.