Five year BA/MA (BS/MA) Program in Conservation Biology in the Department of Biology

Click Here for the BA/MA (BS/MA) Application (Word Document)

The graduate faculty of the Biology Department recognizes conservation biology as an applied field of ecology, evolution, and genetics and is dedicated to helping students learn how to apply these, and other, core areas of biology to problems in conserving habitats and organisms on both local and global scales. The objective of this MA is to give students the opportunity to take more courses and to get research experience focused on Conservation. There are many job opportunities for students with an MA in Conservation including: consulting, non-profit/NGOs, and positions in state or federal government agencies. We also have the expectation that some students will decide to apply to PhD programs in conservation.

The MA program is designed to be completed within a single year, providing UVA undergraduates with the opportunity for a five year BA/MA or BS/MA degree. Students thinking about the five year program should contact a member of the Environmental and Biological Conservation (EBC) graduate committee in the Biology Department early in the fall of their fourth year. At that time the student should select a graduate advisor and apply for the MA program in Biology. In the spring of their fourth year students will develop plans for their independent project in conjunction with their advisor. Most projects will be carried out during the summer between the fourth and fifth year, and finished during the fifth year. Students interested in the program who are majoring in Environmental Science should enroll in BIOL 301 to help prepare them for the graduate curriculum.

Coursework: minimum of 16 credits of graded coursework:
Graduate students in EBC in the Biology Department are expected to have advanced undergraduate or graduate experience in Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics. If this requirement is satisfied prior to enrolling in the program, students may be exempted from either (or both) of the first two Core requirements and select other classes in these areas (see Core Requirements) or Breadth Courses.

Core Requirements:
1) One graduate course in Ecology (required BIOL 713: Population Ecology and Conservation Biology, alternate EVSC 500+)
2) Two graduate courses in Evolution and Genetics (BIOL 701: Macroevolution, BIOL 702: Ecological & Evolutionary Genetics, BIOL 703: Evolutionary Biology Lab)
3) One graduate Methods course (e.g. statistics, GIS, simulation modeling, or field methods)
4) One seminar in Environmental and Conservation Biology (BIOL 785); if this course has been taken at the undergraduate level, the Population Biology Colloquium (BIOL 807) may substitute for this requirement.

Breadth Courses:
Additional courses to make up the 16 credits may include conservation-oriented classes in other departments with prior approval of the EBC graduate committee.

Independent Project - minimum of 8 credits
In addition to the above coursework, 8 credits of independent study must be taken for a total of 24 credit hours. The independent project may be on any topic related to Conservation Biology agreed upon and supervised by the student's graduate professor from department of Biology. Independent projects may include research or projects structured around an internship with an institution doing work related to conservation. The two semester independent study will culminate in a written report and oral defense, both evaluated by the graduate professor and two additional committee members. In addition there will be a public, oral presentation of the report to the EBC committee.

Committee Members and Approval of the Program
The EBC Committee in the Biology Department must approve each student's independent project. Each student will have a committee consisting of their graduate professor and two readers. Successful completion of the program is contingent upon the committee's approval of the final report and oral defense.

EBC Graduate Committee in Biology
Deborah Roach (Chair, Graduate Representative)
Laura Galloway (Chair, Undergraduate Representative)
Janis Antonovics
Edmund "Butch" Brodie
Douglas Taylor
Henry Wilbur

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