Program requirements Research areas Funding information Application information Correspondence and information

Thank you for your interest in the Traditional Master's Program. Detailed information about our program is below. The Traditional Master's Program has both a thesis option and a coursework-only option. The program is flexible and serves a variety of career objectives, such as teaching in secondary schools, employment in a variety of research-oriented jobs, interpretive work in parks and nature centers, and preparation for further professional training. Students are encouraged to seek some research experience with one or more U-M faculty as part of their degree. The traditional master’s degree is not a prerequisite for admission to the doctoral program, nor is it intended as probationary admission to the doctoral program.

Research areas
EEB embraces education and research on virtually all aspects of biodiversity, including the origins and history of species ranging from bacteria to humans, the processes by which this diversity has evolved, and the ecological context in which this evolution takes place. This research can be applied to some of the aspects weighing most heavily on our minds, such as global climate change, sustainable agriculture, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, invasive and exotic species, conservation biology, natural resource management, and evolution of pesticide and antibiotic resistance.

These are our main research areas:

• Comparative biology and systematics is concerned with the inference of phylogenetic (genealogical) relationships among species, which in turn provide a foundation for many inferences about the history of changes in their characteristics.
  
• Ecology embraces all aspects of the relationships between organisms and their environment, which includes both biotic and abiotic components.
  
• Evolutionary processes include the study of the causes of genetic change and the resulting organization of genes into genomes, genetic variation within and between populations, and understanding how genetic changes lead to changes in phenotype.
  
• Paleobiology includes the study of how long-term physical changes of ancient global geography and climate have affected the evolution of plants and animals, how ecosystems have responded to these changes, and how these responses have affected today’s patterns of biodiversity.
  
• Organismal biology involves the analysis of physiology, morphology, and behavior of individuals, how these characteristics interact with the environment, and how they differ among organisms within a species and among species.
  
  More information about the research conducted by faculty in our department, interdisciplinary linkages in the department, and research facilities can be found by following these links or by exploring the entire research section of this website.
  
  Funding information

  We are not able to offer a full funding package to our traditional master’s students. Traditional master's students will be considered for Graduate Student Instructorships (GSI) if positions are available. On occasion, master’s students may also qualify for a Graduate Student Research Assistantship (GSRA).  Other U-M funding is available, such as Rackham Graduate School fellowships and International Institute funding opportunities. 
  
  We also encourage applications for external fellowship support and graduate assistantships from sources such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  
  Check out a select list of more funding opportunities.

  
  Application information
  Are you interested in applying to an EEB program?
  
  
  

  Recommendations and requirements
  Training in chemistry, mathematics and physics, as well as basic biology, is recommended for both degree programs. Students with undergraduate majors in non-biological subjects, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, psychology and statistics are also invited to apply. 
  
  Applicants are evaluated on their past academic performance, laboratory or field experience, statement of professional goals, scores on the Graduate Record Exam (only the general test is required) and letters of recommendation. Unusually promising students whose backgrounds are substantially deficient in either the biological or physical sciences may receive special status for one or two terms in order to enable them to acquire a suitable background. 

   

  Contact with faculty whose research is of interest to you, prior to applying, is highly recommended. Also, please note that in addition to the quality of your application, our admissions committee takes into account the abilities of our faculty to mentor additional students in their labs. 
  
  Deadline information
  

  February 1 for the fall term and October 15 for the winter term.
  
  

  Students can be admitted to the master's program in either the fall or winter terms, but it is highly recommended that potential students plan to begin their studies in the fall term when the department schedules its annual orientation. 
  
  How to apply
  Application materials need to be sent to both the EEB department and Rackham Graduate School. Visit our application information page for more information.
  
  

  Correspondence and information
  
  If you have questions about the Traditional Master's Program, or about EEB at U-M in general, please contact:
  
  Graduate Coordinator
  Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  2019 Natural Science Building
  830 N. University Ave.
  Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048
  Phone: (734) 764-1443