Welcome to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology!

We explore life’s diversity within an integrative evolutionary framework, spanning genomes to ecosystems. Our degree programs provide students with a strong conceptual and analytical foundation in ecological and evolutionary principles, and in the associated processes underlying the origin and maintenance of life’s diversity and the structure and dynamics of Earth’s natural systems. We study a wide array of organisms across a vast range of habitats, from rainforests to deserts to tundra. Our research efforts apply ecological and evolutionary principles to address emerging challenges in medicine, agriculture, and environment.

Situated in the Sonoran desert and surrounded by mountain ranges, Tucson is an access hub to biodiversity—students can take advantage of our proximity to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, which offers great research opportunities as well as a spectacular backdrop to your undergraduate career. We are a top-ranked program with a long tradition of involving our best and brightest undergraduate students in leading-edge research in ecology, behavior, and evolution alongside our world-renowned faculty. We seek to engage all of our undergraduates with active learning experiences in the many laboratory sections, field trips, and discussion groups directly associated with our varied courses.