The new bachelor of science degree program will launch with the Fall 2025 semester and is now enrolling.
Students can now enroll in Oakland University's new Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology program, which will launch with the Fall 2025 semester. The program prepares students for a variety of careers in the life sciences and will give students ample opportunity for field work, research projects, and other hands-on experiences.
According to an article on Oakland University’s website, Dr. Tom Raffel, who is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and the Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (EEEB) Faculty Adviser, was quoted as saying of the new program, “EEEB will provide so many outstanding learning opportunities for our students, including expanded lab and field course requirements to practice key skills, and increased access to academic and research mentoring from our ecology and evolution faculty. Many students want to pursue careers in what you might call ‘outdoor biology,’ and this program will help prepare them for success in those fields.”
The types of careers one might pursue after receiving a degree in EEEB include agricultural ecology, bioinformatics, botany, conservation biology, ecological sustainability, ecosystem science, natural resource management, and zoology. Students will learn skills important to each of these careers, such as experiment design, data analysis, and communication. In addition to taking a typical course, the program will allow for students to partake in research projects with members of the EEEB faculty to receive course credit.
Dr. Gerard Madlambayan, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, said, "Our new Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology major is an interdisciplinary program that equips our students with both scientific understanding and practical skills to address pressing environmental challenges. The EEEB program will not only allow us to meet a growing student passion for environmental stewardship, but also prepare students for careers in ecology and related fields."
The Oakland University campus provides an ideal environment for a program such as this, as it houses the Laboratory for Outdoor Research, Agriculture, Conservation and Sustainability, in which one can find the Campus Student Organic Farm, a greenhouse, and a new outdoor classroom.
For more information about Oakland University, visit the school’s website.